Rabu, 07 Juli 2021
Singapore eases COVID-19 rules on dining out, mulls measures for those fully vaccinated | Full video - CNA
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2021-07-07 09:19:28Z
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Singapore gives update on 16-year-old who suffered cardiac arrest days after COVID-19 vaccination - CNA
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2021-07-07 08:38:58Z
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16-year-old's cardiac arrest after Covid-19 jab: Authorities looking into vaccination, health supplements among possible factors - TODAYonline
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- 16-year-old's cardiac arrest after Covid-19 jab: Authorities looking into vaccination, health supplements among possible factors TODAYonline
- Cause of cardiac arrest for 16-year-old who got Covid-19 vaccine still being investigated The Straits Times
- Swimming, cycling and PE should be avoided after COVID-19 vaccination jabs: MOH CNA
- U.S. sending 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines to Guatemala, 2 million to Vietnam TODAYonline
- Students excused from physical activity for one week after getting Covid-19 vaccine: MOE The Straits Times
- View Full coverage on Google News
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2021-07-07 07:57:45Z
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Life after lockdown: How places around the world are reopening as COVID-19 vaccination speeds up - CNA
SINGAPORE: As vaccinations gather pace, a number of places around the world have lifted COVID-19 restrictions and some countries have begun reopening borders to immunised travellers.
Singapore authorities have signalled that living with the coronavirus is the way forward, and are drawing up reopening plans for when vaccination rates reach a higher level here.
In a ministerial statement on Monday (Jul 5), Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said that vaccinations will enable the country to progressively reopen and reconnect with the world. He added that Singapore would be able to reach a "very high level of vaccination coverage" in the next one to two months.
READ: Reopening borders vital to recovery, but COVID-19 vaccinations must first be sped up: Lawrence Wong
More than 5 million doses of vaccine jabs have been given in Singapore and over 2 million people are fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
But even as pandemic safety measures are eased, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and urged vaccinated people to continue wearing masks.
What lies ahead? We take a look at how parts of the world are opening up after more than a year of hunkering down during the pandemic.
RESTRICTIONS LIFTED AFTER VACCINATION
Israel and Iceland are two countries that lifted domestic COVID-19 restrictions after vaccinating a large proportion of their population. But Israel reintroduced masks shortly after as cases rose.
Iceland lifted all COVID-19 restrictions on Jun 26 and has vaccinated about 60 per cent of people eligible for the jabs.
Relatively unscathed from the pandemic, the country, which has a population of about 364,000, has reported more than 6,600 infections and 30 coronavirus-related deaths.
Israel had one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world and Reuters reports that nearly 60 per cent of its population of 9 million is vaccinated.
READ: Israel requires masks indoors again as Delta variant drives up COVID-19 cases
It lifted most of its restrictions on Jun 15 but 10 days after that, reimposed a requirement to wear masks indoors amid a rise in coronavirus cases. The country has also postponed the reopening of borders to vaccinated tourists by one month.
It also warned on Monday that rising cases there suggest the Pfizer/BioNTech jab it is using might not guard so well against mild illness (64 per cent), even if it is highly effective in reducing severe disease and hospitalisations (93 per cent).
Singapore, meanwhile, is aiming to vaccinate two-thirds of its population by National Day in August. Currently, more than 37 per cent of Singapore residents are fully vaccinated.
READ: Singapore to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination programme, increasing daily doses by 70%
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that some relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions can be expected later in July when 50 per cent are inoculated, and there will be more easing again in August. Mask-wearing will be among the last of measures that will be reviewed, he said in an interview with The Straits Times published on Jul 1.
ENGLAND, GERMANY TO REOPEN
Despite a rising number of coronavirus cases, England is set to lift most COVID-19 restrictions from Jul 19 after which people will no longer have to wear masks or maintain social distance indoors.
The UK's other nations - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - set their own health policies and are expected to open up more slowly.
The announcement came a day before the country reported the highest daily number of new COVID cases since Jan 29 on Tuesday, at 28,773 new cases. There were 37 deaths, the greatest number since Apr 23.
More than 86 per cent of adults in the UK have received at least one jab, with 64 per cent fully vaccinated, said AFP, quoting National Health Service data.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is betting that vaccinations, which have weakened the link between infections and hospital admissions, can prevent the health service being overwhelmed by a new wave of COVID-19 cases.
READ: England to end COVID-19 lockdown: No face masks, no distancing, no WFH order
READ: UK PM Johnson outlines plans to end England's COVID-19 restrictions
But Mr Johnson warned cases were predicted to rise to 50,000 a day later this month and that "we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from COVID", BBC reported.
Germany has also announced that it should be lifting all remaining COVID-19 social and economic curbs by next month, as soon as everyone has been offered a vaccine.
Around 56.5 per cent of people in Germany have received at least one dose and almost 39 per cent are fully vaccinated.
FEWER RESTRICTIONS FOR VACCINATED PEOPLE
In a number of cities that have opened up, vaccinated people are subject to fewer restrictions than those who have not been immunised. This could be the scenario in Singapore as well when it reopens.
United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi will allow only vaccinated people in many public places from Aug 20. However, this does not apply to children under 15 and those exempt from vaccination such as pregnant women and those with medical conditions.
The city’s health app, which details testing and vaccination history, will indicate people with "green" status - who will be allowed more freedom of movement. The UAE has vaccinated more than 78 per cent of its population, according to Reuters data.
READ: Seoul delays relaxation of social distancing as COVID-19 cases surge
New York and California lifted restrictions on businesses and social distancing on Jun 15 after about 70 per cent of adults received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Unvaccinated individuals still need to wear masks indoors and maintain social distancing, according to the guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It remains unclear how a person's vaccination status will be checked in order for the measure to be enforced.
DELTA VARIANT POSES THREAT
Even as many places reopen or plan to do so, coronavirus variants are putting a spanner in the works.
WHO has warned that the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is the most transmissible variant of concern identified so far.
Britain is battling a surge in infections caused by the Delta variant prompting European countries such as Portugal, Spain and Malta to tighten entry requirements for visitors from the UK.
READ: COVID-19 cases in Europe up again after 10 weeks of decline: WHO Europe
READ: Delta COVID-19 variant threatens new pandemic challenge
The variant is now spreading rapidly across Europe and WHO said that hundreds of cases have been detected among spectators attending Euro 2020 football matches.
Calling Delta a "game-changer", the premier of Australia's New South Wales state on Wednesday extended a lockdown in Sydney for another week, hoping to curb an outbreak of the highly contagious variant.
Experts had initially believed "herd immunity" could be reached with 70 per cent of a population fully vaccinated, but now judge it to be 80 per cent or more, given Delta's infectiousness and because vaccines are less effective against it.
WHO has called for vigilance around all major summer gatherings and continued mask-wearing.
COME IF YOU'RE VACCINATED
Singapore is also holding out hope for borders to reopen and for leisure travel to resume by the end of the year.
The examples of territories like Phuket, which opened with much fanfare to tourists on Jul 1, will be closely watched. More than 80 per cent of the island's population have been vaccinated with at least one dose, and about 65 per cent were fully vaccinated as of June 30, CNN reports.
The Phuket “sandbox” allows vaccinated travellers to tour the island without quarantine. Tourists must remain in Phuket for a fortnight if they wish to travel to the rest of Thailand, and take three coronavirus tests during this period.
READ: Thailand’s popular resort island Phuket reopens to international tourism
But Southeast Asia continues to grapple with the virus. Another regional tourist hotspot, Bali, has put off reopening as virus cases surged to record levels in Indonesia.
On Tuesday, Jakarta said about 10,000 concentrators - devices that generate oxygen - were to be shipped from nearby Singapore as it battles a surge in cases.
Many European countries have eased travel restrictions, particularly for vaccinated individuals and those from countries with low infection rates.
France includes Singapore among a list of “green” countries, while Italy needs visitors from Singapore to be fully vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or to present a negative COVID-19 test.
Spain welcomes anyone who has been fully vaccinated, although it has reimposed a test requirement for visitors from Britain after cases there spiked.
If you’re from Singapore, and a few other regions, you no longer even need proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Visitors who can enter Spain freely include those from Australia, South Korea, the United States, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Macao.
The thing is, you will have to be quarantined in Singapore when you return.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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2021-07-07 04:05:59Z
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Sydney extends COVID-19 lockdown as Delta cluster grows - CNA
SYDNEY: More than 5 million Sydney residents will spend at least another week in coronavirus lockdown, Australian authorities said on Wednesday (Jul 7), after detecting another 27 new cases.
Stay-at-home orders have already been in place in the country's biggest city for two weeks, as authorities try to curb an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
State officials said progress had been made, but light-touch measures - allowing residents to leave home for work, exercise and shopping - needed to continue.
"This Delta strain is a game-changer, it's extremely transmissible," said New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian, saying it must be eradicated from the community.
"We don't want to be in a position where we are constantly having to move between lockdown, no lockdown, lockdown, no lockdown."
Berejiklian said an extension - which includes school closures - was the "best chance of making sure this is the only lockdown we have until the vast majority of our citizens are vaccinated".
READ: Australia's New South Wales says next 2 days 'critical' as COVID-19 outbreak grows
The lockdown is now expected to end on Jul 16.
Australia's "COVID zero" approach has seen a series of snap lockdowns in cities across the country and its international borders closed for the last 15 months.
The strategy has allowed Australians to live relatively normally throughout the pandemic, while avoiding the high death tolls seen around the world.
Since the pandemic began, Australia has detected just over 30,000 virus cases and reported 910 deaths.
READ: Australia tightens border further to curb COVID-19 outbreak
But there are growing questions about how long the country can continue to fend off the virus and remain cut off from the rest of the world.
The Sydney outbreak has so far seen just 357 cases, underscoring the strictness of the strategy.
In contrast, Britain is considering lifting virus restrictions with 27,000 new infections each day.
READ: After early COVID-19 response, Australia stuck in vaccine slow lane
Australia's opening up has been hampered by a glacial vaccine roll-out, which has seen under 8 per cent of the population vaccinated so far.
A top health official this week likened Australians' efforts to get the jab to the Hunger Games - a fictional battle-to-the-death contest.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has outlined a four-step plan to allow the country to gradually open up when so-far-undefined vaccine targets are met.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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2021-07-07 02:15:00Z
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Cause of cardiac arrest for 16-year-old who got Covid-19 vaccine still being investigated - The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 vaccine is a possible factor behind why a 16-year-old boy suffered a cardiac arrest last week after a strenuous session of weightlifting in the gym, but there are other possible causes and they are also being looked into.
The boy had lifted a weight that was almost twice his body weight, "quite an exceptional activity to undertake in the gym", said Singapore's director of medical services Kenneth Mak on Wednesday (July 7).
The boy had also been taking some supplements, noted Associate Professor Mak. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest.
"The specialists in the hospital are keeping their eyes open for all the various possibilities, and it is indeed one of the possibilities that this might be due to an inflammation of the heart muscle," said Prof Mak.
"It could possibly be related to the vaccination, but this is one of several possibilities that they are chasing."
He said tests are being done, such as on the supplements taken by the boy, to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest. But these tests take time and there is no further information at this point, he said.
Prof Mak was answering questions from reporters during a virtual press conference by the multi-ministry Covid-19 task force.
The Health Ministry had said on Monday that the 16-year-old collapsed following a weightlifting session six days after his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine.
As at Monday, he was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the National University Hospital (NUH).
In the meantime, following a review of local and overseas data, the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccinations and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) recommended on Monday that people should avoid strenuous physical activity after receiving either of their mRNA Covid-19 vaccination doses.
On Wednesday, Prof Mak said the expert committee had taken into account HSA's data review that was completed recently, before the boy's incident.
"At that time, (HSA) had already determined that there was an increasing signal of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscles affecting the heart function) amongst younger people," he said.
"They have noticed that for the first time, compared to the earlier data, some of these cases of myocarditis are also occurring after the first vaccination."
Prof Mak added that after looking at the data locally and overseas, the expert committee and HSA are still of the opinion that it is beneficial for vaccination to be offered to all who are eligible for vaccination, taking into account the risks and benefits.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the Health Ministry and hospital's key priority is to ensure the well-being of the child, and that the results of investigations will emerge in time to come.
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2021-07-07 07:12:33Z
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Selasa, 06 Juli 2021
Students excused from physical activity for one week after getting Covid-19 vaccine: MOE - The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - Students at schools and institutes of higher learning have been excused from physical activity for one week after receiving the first and second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesman said on Tuesday (July 6).
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the spokesman said this has been the case since late June, prior to the start of Term 3 on June 28.
The Ministry's statement came a day after the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccinations recommended that anyone getting an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, in particular adolescents and younger men, should avoid any exercise or strenuous physical activity for a week after either dose of the vaccine.
On Tuesday, the MOE spokesman said that all physical education and co-curricular activity teachers are currently checking on the vaccination status of students before the start of physical activities.
MOE has also advised all parents and students to be mindful of any potential side effects from the vaccination.
Students who develop chest pain, shortness of breath or an abnormal heartbeat should seek medical attention promptly, said the spokesman.
"MOE will continue to work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to closely monitor students who have experienced adverse reactions after the vaccination, so that appropriate care is given to these students promptly," he added.
The expert committee's recommendation on Monday came as HSA released its third Covid-19 vaccine safety update which said that the authority had received 12 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in individuals following vaccination with the mRNA vaccines.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of tissue surrounding the heart, while myocarditis refers to the inflammation of the heart muscle.
Seven of the cases involved males aged below 30 years old, which is higher than expected for this age group. Half the cases occurred after the first dose and the remainder after the second one.
The committee noted that there had also been a case of a 16-year-old youth who suffered cardiac arrest shortly after taking part in a strenuous weightlifting session. This occurred six days after he received his first dose of the mRNA vaccine.
Outlining its new recommendation, the committee said: "While most persons with vaccine-related myocarditis observed locally and internationally have mild symptoms and make an uneventful recovery, it is possible that the condition may be aggravated by factors or strenuous activities that may affect the heart."
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2021-07-06 15:03:59Z
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