Covid 19 vaccines

THE ongoing approval, distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccines around the world brings a sense of hope as we continue our journey through this pandemic. However, there are existing realities that need to be kept in view. Although the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign began in March with the prioritization of medical frontliners, the Department of Health recently confirmed the detection of a new coronavirus variant P3 that is unique to the country. Its relative transmissibility and severity of disease caused has yet to be established. This new variant along with the surge of daily cases pose questions and challenges not only to the public but to organizations as well. Over the last few months, International SOS has been working with numerous organizations worldwide by providing by assistance on how to facilitate the vaccination for entire workforces. Among the many considerations that organizations are navigating, companies are now considering how best to educate ... » Learn More about Covid-19 vaccine global distribution

In the face of expanding Covid-19 infections in Cambodia, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that violators of quarantine may face prison sentences, and government workers could be fired if they don’t get vaccines. More than 1,000 new Coronavirus cases were diagnosed in the last 2 days along, nearly 25% of the total cases since the pandemic began. The government has forbidden out-of-province travel and implemented evening curfews in the main city of Phnom Penh. They even shut down all the tourist attractions including the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex. Face masks are already mandatory now in Phnom Penh, with fines up to US $250 for anyone caught violating the order. But PM Hun Sen, himself having had a close brush with Covid-19 months ago, has imposed a 2-week quarantine and has made it clear that punishment for any rule-breakers will be harsh and swift. The government has already enacted a strict bill to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Cambodia, with prison terms of up to ... » Learn More about Cambodia threatens jail for Covid-19 quarantine violations

Samut Prakan, Thailand- Approximately one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from Sinovac, in China, arrived in Thailand this morning at the Suvarnabhumi Airport and was greeted by several prominent Thai officials with various health control departments. Dr. Witoon Danwibul, the Director of the Thai Pharmaceutical Organization, and officials from the Department of Disease Control were present to receive the vaccine which they said would go to those most in need. The vaccines will be sent to the Thai Department of Medical Sciences for initial quality control inspections and once presumably passing will be put into the custody of the Department of Disease Control to distribute to those most in need in the age range of 18-59 years old. (Sinovac is not approved for those over the age of 60 in Thailand, older patients will receive vaccines from Astrazeneca.) Dr. Witoon stated that the vaccines were part of Thailand’s plan to expedite the shipping and distribution of vaccines in ... » Learn More about Another one million Covid-19 vaccine doses from Sinovac arrive in Thailand

The Chinese mainland on Friday night also reported no new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Saturday. The same day saw 14 imported cases newly reported, four of whom were in Shanghai, two in Fujian, and one each in Beijing, Shanxi, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, Yunnan and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report. No suspected Covid-19 cases or new deaths related to the virus were reported on Friday, it added. Ten Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals following their recovery on Friday, said the report. A total of 5,411 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Friday. Among them, 5,212 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 199 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases on the mainland reached 90,400 by Friday, including 283 patients still receiving treatment, three of whom were in severe ... » Learn More about Over 161 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered across China as govt report no local cases on Saturday (April 10)

LONDON: British sports chiefs say they would accept the introduction of coronavirus "vaccine passports" if they enable the return of capacity crowds as quickly as possible. In a letter to lawmakers, a number of bodies including the Football Association, Premier League, Rugby Football Union and England and Wales Cricket Board said current social-distancing rules would be "insufficient to end sport's COVID financial crisis". Test events are being launched over the coming weeks as part of the government's roadmap out of lockdown, with a FA Cup semi-final and the FA Cup final among pilots for the "COVID status certification" scheme. Britain plans to issue identification showing whether people are vaccinated, have antibodies or have tested negative, despite opposition from lawmakers in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's own party. Johnson and opposition leader Keir Starmer are among several politicians to be told by sporting organisations that vaccine and testing passports are a ... » Learn More about British sports chiefs back use of COVID-19 ‘vaccine passports’ to fill stadiums

NEW DELHI: India's daily coronavirus cases on Saturday (Apr 10) rose by a record for the fifth time this week and deaths surged to the highest in more than five months, with hospitals and crematoriums overflowing in parts of the country. New cases in the world's second-most populous country have totalled the most of anywhere in the world over the last two weeks. India's overall tally of 13.21 million is the third-highest globally, just shy of Brazil and below the worst affected country, the United States. The second surge in infections, which has spread much more rapidly than the first one that peaked in September, has forced many states to impose fresh curbs but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to impose a national lockdown given the high economic costs. Authorities in Maharashtra, the Indian state with the highest cases, have ordered a weekend lockdown that will end early on Monday. Mega cities such as Mumbai, the country's financial centre and Maharashtra's capital, ... » Learn More about India’s daily COVID-19 cases rise to record for fifth time this week

INQUIRER.net Stock Photo Three elderly women mistakenly received anti-rabies shots instead of COVID-19 vaccines in Uttar Pradesh, India. One of the three seniors was in critical condition after getting the said shot, an unnamed source claimed as per The New Indian Express yesterday, April 9. The source said that the three – referred to only as Saroj, 70, Anarkali, 72, and Satyavati, 60 – last Thursday, April 8, went to a government community health center at Kandhla in the Shamli District to get COVID-19 vaccines. The women recalled that when they arrived at the hospital, health workers at the health center first asked them to bring syringes from a nearby medical store, the report said. After being given the shots, they were given slips and asked to go home. The women then began experiencing side effects, with Saroj, for one, feeling restless. Saroj’s family took her to a private doctor, who found out that she had received an anti-rabies vaccine instead of an ... » Learn More about 3 elderly women mistakenly receive anti-rabies shots instead of COVID-19 vaccine

INQUIRER.net Stock Photo An elderly woman threatened to kill her husband and herself after learning that the latter had received a COVID-19 vaccine shot in Nevada, USA. Deborah Ellen McCauley, 74, apparently got agitated because she was concerned over the side effects of vaccines, as per Carson Now yesterday, April 5. After responding to reports of a woman yelling, police found McCauley last Saturday, April 4, inside her residence where she admitted that she was mad at her husband over the vaccination. She also disclosed that she grabbed her handgun, deactivated the safety mechanism and told the husband that she did not want to live anymore, according to the report. The husband likewise told police that his wife became angry with him upon learning of the vaccination and started calling him names and throwing things at him. At one point, she grabbed the gun and pointed it at him, threatening to kill him and herself, at which point he reportedly retreated to their backyard. ... » Learn More about Woman threatens to shoot husband for getting COVID-19 vaccine

Colliers believes that the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will play a crucial role in the country’s economic recovery.—INQUIRER FILE PHOTO The Philippine economy contracted by 9.5 percent in 2020, the country’s worst performance since World War II. Colliers believes that the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will play a crucial role in the country’s economic recovery. The government-projected economic recovery in 2021, albeit slow, will likely support the growth of the property sector. We recommend that office landlords and condominium developers continue seizing opportunities in the market, especially with remittances from overseas Filipinos seen to grow by 4 percent in 2021, and with office tenants willing to implement split operations and hub-and-spoke leasing schemes. Firms providing essential goods and services, such as e-commerce, are likely to lead office space take-up in 2021. Meanwhile, mall operators should consider repurposing brick-and-mortar ... » Learn More about COVID-19 vaccine-led rebound to benefit property stakeholders

BANGKOK - Thailand plans to install 10,000 field-hospital beds in Bangkok, a health official said on Saturday (April 10), as the country strains to cope with a third wave of Covid-19 infections. At least a dozen hospitals in the capital said they had stopped testing for the coronavirus as of Friday due to a lack of kits or capacity. Hospitals are reluctant to test because they must admit people if they test positive, authorities say. "We aim to increase (field) hospital beds to 10,000 in no time, which should give the public confidence that we can still contain this round of outbreak," Dr Suksan Kittisupakorn, director-general of Thailand's Medical Service Department, told reporters. The current surge appeared to be the country's worst yet, he said. Thailand reported 789 new cases and one death on Saturday, taking the total number of infections to 31,658, with 97 deaths. So far this month, Thailand has reported 2,697 new domestic infections, including 1,058 cases in Bangkok, ... » Learn More about Thailand plans 10,000 field-hospital beds as Covid-19 spikes