South african post office tracking international

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has detected the South Africa B.1.351 Covid-19 variant in several cases in the country. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the variant was found in four cases this month linked to the Jalan Lima cluster and the Kebun Baru cluster. "Early investigations revealed that all four cases have geographical links. "Two cases are believed to be from the Jalan Lima cluster, involving an employee of a based at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). "However, it is difficult to identify or confirm how the infection with the B.1.351 variant was transmitted. "One case is traced to the Kebun Baru cluster while another case involved the housemate of a Covid-19 patient," said Dr Noor Hisham. He said following the discovery of the variant, the ministry conducted further genome sequencing tests on samples taken from the Kuala Langat and Sepang districts. As a result, five more cases with the variant were detected. Four were ... » Learn More about Health Ministry: South African Covid-19 variant detected in Malaysia

SAO PAULO: Brazil has recorded its first confirmed case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, a fresh danger sign for a country already ravaged by the world's worst daily death toll and scrambling to make space for burials. Sao Paulo, the country's biggest city, on Wednesday (Apr 7) said it would begin opening about 600 new graves per day, well beyond the record of 426 burials in a day on Mar 30. The city is also preparing plans for a "vertical cemetery," a crypt with 26,000 drawer-like graves that can be build in 90 days once approved. The detection of the South African variant adds to concerns that a brutal COVID-19 wave battering Brazil may keep breaking grim records for weeks to come. On Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported a single-day record of 4,195 deaths. The outbreak in South America's largest country may overtake the United States to become the world's deadliest, some medical experts predict. The woman in Sao Paulo state now ... » Learn More about Brazil confirms first case of South African variant, makes room for soaring COVID-19 deaths

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech said on Thursday (April 1) their vaccine is around 91 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19, citing updated trial data that included participants inoculated for up to six months. The shot also showed early signs of preventing disease in a small subset of study volunteers in South Africa, where a concerning new variant called B.1.351 is circulating. Although lower than the stunning 95 per cent efficacy result reported from its 44,000-person clinical trial in November, overall efficacy of 91.3 per cent shows the vaccine to be a powerful tool against an evolving virus. The virus now has more transmissible forms and those that have been shown to evade antibody protection in lab studies and real-world clinical trials. “These data reinforce our view that we have some really potent vaccines,” said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Britain’s Imperial College London, who was not involved in the Pfizer trial. Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer Albert ... » Learn More about Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 shot 91% effective in updated data, protective against South African variant

PHUKET TOWN: Thanks to a piece of technical wizardry introduced by the Phuket Post Office and local company C&P Sticker, letter writers now have the chance to use their own personal stamp on the envelope. It’s being done to mark International Children’s Day. Anant Muangmee, an officer at the Phuket Post Office, explained that those wishing to send letters with their face on the stamp may either bring a favorite photo to be scanned, or line up on Children’s Day, January 13, to have a digital photo taken. The finished stamps should be ready for collection the following day. For the 120-baht fee, enthusiasts will get a special commemorative sheet containing 15 conventional stamps and 10 personalized photo stamps. K. Anant said, “The personalized stamps can be used on both domestic and overseas mail, but must be used with [conventional] stamps. “Almost 50 people have already signed up. Most of them have brought in photos to be scanned because they don’t want to line up on January 13.” ... » Learn More about Post Office ready to face the world

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 - Malaysia has detected nine cases of a highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, a senior health official said on Thursday (April 2). The variant, also known as B.1.351, was found among locally transmitted cases between January and March, Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement. Two of the cases involved workers from a firm based at Kuala Lumpur International airport, he said. “However, it is difficult to determine or verify how the B.1.351 variant was spread or transmitted to those workers,” Noor Hisham said. Further analyses indicated that all nine cases likely originated from the same source, he added. Experts fear that the B.1.351 variant could be resistant to existing vaccines and treatment, though vaccine-maker Pfizer-BioNTech said on Thursday that its dose was effective against the strain. Malaysia in February launched a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination programme, aiming to inoculate 80 ... » Learn More about Malaysia detects 9 cases of South African Covid-19 variant

Thousands of residents in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat, in lower south of Thailand, evacuated their homes due to flash flooding from nearly a week of continuous heavy rain. Local authorities say a total of 18,024 households across 19 districts in the 3 provinces were affected. In Yala, the continuous heavy rain throughout the week caused the Sai Buri River to burst its banks, flooding homes and farmland. The director of Yala’s Irrigation Project Office, Chusak Sutthi, says he’s worried about the low-lying areas, adding that the total amount of rainfall to date has broken the record set 10 years ago. Yala governor, meanwhile, declared the 8 flood-hit districts the disaster zones. Landslides were also reported with no report of fatality or injuries. In Songkhla, 2 districts were flooded by rainwater coming down from the mountain, while some residences and farmlands on riverbank areas of Narathiwat were flooded. Local government agencies said food and other aid were already sent to ... » Learn More about Thousands of people evacuated due to flood in deep south Thailand

A train with a commemorative livery showing the face of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen among newly constructed trains at the PRASA Wolmerton depot near Pretoria, on March 10, 2021. (Photo by Michele Spatari / AFP) Johannesburg, South Africa — South Africa’s railway infrastructure has been ravaged during coronavirus lockdown, with thieves plundering anything from cables and handrails to bricks and doors. In the strictest months of confinement last year, looters went to work on unguarded stations and railway infrastructure, making off with almost anything that could be ripped off or cut down and carted off. Kliptown, a train station in the famous Johannesburg township of Soweto, lies in ruins, stripped bare of its windows and doors and even its roof. Signaling and electric cables have been yanked out. Staircase railings have been sawn off. Even the perimeter walls have not been spared, with bricks bashed out and hauled away. “It’s like an atomic bomb was ... » Learn More about South Africa’s rail stations in ruins after COVID lockdown plunder

Navotas City has started using the quarantine band system designed to monitor close contacts and confirmed Covid-19 cases and track movement of residents in lockdown areas. Created by virtue of a city ordinance, the Navotas Quarantine Band System (Navo Q-Band) aims to promote efficiency in the city’s Covid-19 mitigation efforts, the mayor said. Mayor Tobias ‘Toby” Tiangco on Thursday said the wearing of Navo Q-bands is mandatory for individuals who are confirmed positive patients. Relatives, especially those who live with positive individuals who are under home quarantine, will also be made to wear the tracker bands. Residents of areas under granular lockdown will also be made to wear the bands. The system can monitor the location, health status and infection risk of these individuals, which can then help the City Health Office to determine and contain virus clusters, the city’s Public Information Office said. Navoteños who live in areas under lockdown are tagged with white ... » Learn More about Navotas uses Q-bands to track residents

(Reuters) - Opening batsman Aiden Markram and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder will return to South Africa’s One-Day International squad for the first time in two years ahead of a three-match home series against Pakistan next month. Markram has not played since the World Cup in England having failed to transfer his test form into the 50-over format, while Mulder won the last of his 10 caps in the home series against Sri Lanka in March 2019. Uncapped seamer Lizaad Williams and burley all-rounder Sisanda Magala are also included in the extended 22-man squad, which will be captained for the first time by Temba Bavuma. The matches will be played between April 2-7, and will be followed by a four-game Twenty20 International series, though Cricket South Africa has confirmed that players contracted to Indian Premier League sides will be released for the April 9 start of the competition. That rules out Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, while there is no place in either the ODI ... » Learn More about Markram, Mulder return to South Africa ODI squad for Pakistan series

ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI (REUTERS) - African peace envoys were due to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday (Nov 27), a day after he said the military was beginning the "final phase" of an offensive in the northern Tigray region that rights groups fear could bring huge civilian casualties. The government had given the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) until Wednesday to lay down their arms or face an assault on Mekelle, the regional capital of 500,000 people. The United Nations says 200 aid workers are also in the city. The envoys were due to meet Mr Abiy at 11am, Mr Redwan Hussein, spokesman of the government's State of Emergency Task Force for the Tigray conflict, said. The African Union envoys were in Addis Ababa "with a view to helping to mediate between the parties to conflict" in Ethiopia, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the AU chair, said earlier this week. Mr Abiy, who won last year's Nobel Peace Prize for ending a two-decade ... » Learn More about African envoys due to meet Ethiopian prime minister as Tigray ultimatum expires