Government Savings Bank (GSB) has launched urgent financial measures to bring relief to people in the flood-hit South with a highlight of three-month debt suspension offer. #SootinClaimon.Com

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Government Savings Bank (GSB) has launched urgent financial measures to bring relief to people in the flood-hit South with a highlight of three-month debt suspension offer. (nationthailand.com)

Government Savings Bank (GSB) has launched urgent financial measures to bring relief to people in the flood-hit South with a highlight of three-month debt suspension offer.

Dec 04. 2020

By The Nation

It has also offered loan for those experiencing the disaster at Bt50,000 per person with no interest rate charge in the first year.

Related story: GSB issues loan packages, relief for flood victims in South

Bangkok’s Siam Kempinski offers a ‘magical’ Christmas this year #SootinClaimon.Com

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Bangkok’s Siam Kempinski offers a ‘magical’ Christmas this year (nationthailand.com)

Bangkok’s Siam Kempinski offers a ‘magical’ Christmas this year

What’s onDec 04. 2020

By The Nation

Building on last year’s success, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is bringing back the “Nutcracker” ballet weekend festive afternoon tea buffet.

On Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 5pm the hotel’s lobby will be transformed into a Christmas extravaganza with ballet dancers performing parts of the Tchaikovsky classic around a 7-metre-tall Christmas tree. There will also be a sumptuous festive spread paired with delectable hot beverages for diners to feast on.

The hotel’s Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin Restaurant is also offering a special dinner every Saturday this month accompanied by a rendition of “Swan Lake” and contemporary Thai dance. The eight-course meal will also be paired with carefully selected wines.

While ballet and culinary offerings may keep the adults happy, some of the younger guests may enjoy a visit from Santa at The Addition restaurant. He is there every Saturday, and will also appear on Christmas Eve.

Meanwhile, Christmas Eve will be marked with the singing of carols in the lobby from 6pm and guests can continue their celebration by either tucking into a festive buffet at ALATi or a special eight-course meal with wine at Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin.

In keeping with the festive season, ALATi will be serving a special Christmas Day brunch with all the trimmings and a “semi buffet à la minute” or sauces cooked to order served at the table.

Siam Kempinski will mark New Year’s Eve with a countdown and afterparty in its lobby. Before the countdown, diners can either opt for a buffet feast at the Niche restaurant, a 10-course dinner at the Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin or à la carte options at ALATi.

Since this is the season for giving, the hotel also offers hampers and other festive goodies at a counter in the lobby.

Visit www.kempinski.com for more information.

Coronavirus caseload in Washington region hits single-day record #SootinClaimon.Com

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Coronavirus caseload in Washington region hits single-day record (nationthailand.com)

Coronavirus caseload in Washington region hits single-day record

Health & BeautyDec 05. 2020A nurse looks out the window before starting to take patients for covid-19 antibody testing at a testing site in the summer in the Navy Yard neighborhood. MUST CREDIT: photo for The Washington Post by Amanda Voisard.A nurse looks out the window before starting to take patients for covid-19 antibody testing at a testing site in the summer in the Navy Yard neighborhood. MUST CREDIT: photo for The Washington Post by Amanda Voisard. 

By The Washington Post · Rachel Chason

Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia reported by far the highest single-day total for new coronavirus cases Friday, with 6,985 new infections.

Before Friday, the record number of new cases in the greater Washington region was 5,522, seen Nov. 25. The number of coronavirus hospitalizations in the area – a metric that lags infections – has also continued to climb.

Maryland also recorded a single-day high Friday of 3,792 new cases, while the test positivity rate reached 8 percent, the state’s highest since June. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted Friday to urge residents to get tested, avoid gatherings, wear a mask and wash their hands.

“The promise of a vaccine has given us a light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have dark days ahead,” Hogan wrote, adding that the state is also seeing a record number of residents taking coronavirus tests.

There were 2,877 new cases reported Friday in Virginia and 316 new cases in Washington.

Of the three jurisdictions, Washington saw the biggest increase in new cases this week from the week before, reporting 37 percent more cases. Its seven-day average of 220 daily cases on Friday was a record.

The number of hospitalizations in the nation’s capital reached 194, up 30 percent from the week before, with 51 intensive care unit beds occupied. The number of hospitalizations in Maryland ticked up 11 percent from last week and 16 percent in Virginia.

There was one coronavirus-related death reported Friday in Washington. There were 26 new deaths reported in Maryland and 13 in Virginia. The total deaths reported Friday across the three jurisdictions was slightly lower than in recent days.

There have now been a total of 9,643 deaths and 479,051 cases reported since the pandemic began.

Also Friday, the attorneys general of Virginia and Washington D.C. sent a letter asking Congress to ensure everyone living in the United States can obtain a covid-19 vaccine, when it becomes available, at no cost. The letter, signed by a coalition of attorneys general, asks Congress to codify an interim rule providing the vaccine to Medicare recipients at no cost and to properly fund programs for the uninsured so they do not have to pay administrative fees.

“It is so important that every single Virginian and every single American has access to a COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available,” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have seen this virus disproportionately devastate Black, Brown, and lower-income communities and we must make sure these individuals are able to get these potentially life-saving vaccines.”

First-round setback fires Grigorian up to knock out Russian in ONE event #SootinClaimon.Com

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First-round setback fires Grigorian up to knock out Russian in ONE event (nationthailand.com)

First-round setback fires Grigorian up to knock out Russian in ONE event

Dec 05. 2020Marat Grigorian of ArmeniaMarat Grigorian of Armenia Multiple-time kickboxing world champion Marat Grigorian of Armenia and Belgium made a successful ONE Super Series debut, finishing off opponent Ivan Kondratev of Russia with a debilitating shot to the liver in round two of the main event of the One Championship.

ONE returned to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with another blockbuster live event. “ONE: Big Bang” featured an incredible display of talent, skill, and willpower from the best martial artists in the world.

In the main event,

Kondratev had stunned Grigorian in round one, connecting on a wild left haymaker followed by a sharp right hook that dropped the Armenian-Belgian striker.

With a heightened sense of urgency, Grigorian came out firing in round two. He punished Kondratev along the Circle Wall, attacking with furious combinations that were punctuated by a well-placed hook to the midsection, which dropped the Russian to his knees. Kondratev was unable to beat the referee’s count, and Grigorian was awarded the knockout victory.

In the co-main event, No. 5-ranked featherweight Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States kept his unblemished record intact with a virtuoso performance against No. 3-ranked featherweight Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima of Japan.

Tonon, a former Brazilian jiu-jitsu No-Gi world champion, wasted no time bringing the action to the mat in the first two rounds, where he overwhelmed Matsushima with a variety of submission attacks. Wary of Tonon’s high-level ground skills, Matsushima could do very little on the feet, as he focused on surviving Tonon’s relentless submission attempts. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favour of Tonon to win by unanimous decision.

ISKA super heavyweight world champion Murat “The Butcher” Aygun of the Netherlands and Turkey announced his arrival in the ONE Super Series in spectacular fashion, pummelling Brazilian kickboxing champion Anderson “Braddock” Silva with powerful strikes. Aygun showcased his brute strength early, battering Silva across the Circle in the first few minutes. Silva scored on a flash knockdown in round two courtesy of a left hand that knocked Aygun off-balance. In the third round, Aygun turned up the pressure and stalked Silva, who was nearly finished before the final bell. All three judges scored the bout in favour of Aygun to win by unanimous decision.

Two-time K-1 world MAX champion Andy “Souwer Power” Souwer of the Netherlands turned back the clock in a vintage performance, overwhelming “Bamboo Sword” Zhang Chunyu of China across three thrilling rounds to win a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. The kickboxing legend tagged Zhang with a plethora of pinpoint combinations throughout the bout. In the middle of the third round, Souwer hurt Zhang with an uppercut and proceeded to tee off on his Chinese foe until the final bell. Zhang survived to the end, but it was a dominant showing from Souwer.

South African wrestling star Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane made quick work of No. 3-ranked strawweight Rene “The Challenger” Catalan of the Philippines, winning with a stunning head kick knockout just 37 seconds into round one. A brief exchange of strikes on the feet led to the bout-ending high kick that turned off Catalan’s lights before he hit the canvas.

Malaysia’s Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan turned in a clinical grappling performance, outscoring Vietnamese-American star Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen across three rounds of solid action to take home a unanimous decision. While Nguyen showed a slight advantage in the stand-up game, Jihin absolutely owned the grappling exchanges throughout the contest. In the final round, Jihin went strike for strike with Nguyen, landing a pair of front kicks to the head to seal the deal on the judges’ scorecards.

Indian wrestling phenomenon Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat was triumphant once again, stopping the Philippines’ Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres, to remain undefeated in mixed martial arts. Torres stunned Phogat with straight punches early on, causing the latter to shoot for a takedown. On the mat, Phogat was the picture of perfection, swiftly moving into a mounted crucifix to end the bout with elbows from the top.

One Championship returns with ONE: Big Bang II, a previously recorded event for global broadcast on December 11.

In the main event, former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion and current No. 3-ranked contender Jonathan “The General” Haggerty of the United Kingdom takes on Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito of Japan.

For more information, visit the official ONE: Big Bang II event page.

ONE: Big Bang official results

Kickboxing – featherweight: Marat Grigorian bt Ivan Kondratev via knockout at 1:52 of round two

Mixed Martial Arts – featherweight: Garry Tonon bt Koyomi Matsushima via unanimous decision

Kickboxing – light heavyweight: Murat Aygun bt Anderson Silva via unanimous decision

Kickboxing – featherweight: Andy Souwer bt Zhang Chunyu via unanimous decision

Mixed Martial Arts – strawweight: Bokang Masunyane bt Rene Catalan via knockout at 0:37 of round one

Mixed Martial Arts – atomweight: Jihin Radzuan bt Bi Nguyen via unanimous decision

Mixed Martial Arts – atomweight: Ritu Phogat bt Jomary Torres via TKO at 3:55 in round one

Trust Golf joins hands with WAAP to help develop the sport #SootinClaimon.Com

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Trust Golf joins hands with WAAP to help develop the sport (nationthailand.com)

Trust Golf joins hands with WAAP to help develop the sport

Dec 05. 2020

 The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship has added an important new partner in Trust Golf, the organisation said.

Trust Golf will be on board for two years commencing with the 2021 championship, which will be played from the revised dates of October 7-10 at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course in Pattaya.

Based in Thailand, Trust Golf is an internationally-renowned training facility which utilises state of the art instructional technology.

Developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, the WAAP aims to unearth developing talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite women amateurs to emerge on the international stage.

The WAAP was first played in 2018 and won by Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul who rose to be the World No. 1 amateur golfer after winning a remarkable 12 titles in two years. Having turned professional at the start of 2020, the 17-year-old has made an immediate impact on the Thai LPGA Tour, winning the Order of Merit after recording five wins, including the final four events of the season.

Yuka Yasuda, the 2019 champion, has also gone from strength to strength, rising to No. 5 in the world amateur golf rankings before turning professional.

Dominic Wall, director – Asia-Pacific of The R&A, said, “We are delighted to have Trust Golf as a partner and we would like to thank them for sharing our vision for the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship.

“The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific is the leading amateur championship for women in the region and forms an integral part of The R&A’s commitment to developing golf in Asia-Pacific.”

Dr Prin, CEO of Trust Golf, said, “Trust Golf is proud to support the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship which provides an outstanding opportunity for the best elite amateur golfers in the region to compete at a world class event. Trust Golf is focused on helping golfers to improve and develop their skills using cutting edge technology and the players at WAAP show us all what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.”

To avoid a clash with other significant championships in the region, the WAAP will now be played from October 7-10, 2021.

Korea’s exports of COVID-19 diagnostic reagents notch W2.5tr #SootinClaimon.Com

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Korea’s exports of COVID-19 diagnostic reagents notch W2.5tr (nationthailand.com)

Korea’s exports of COVID-19 diagnostic reagents notch W2.5tr

Dec 05. 2020Exports of Korean COVID-19 diagnostic reagents raked in 2.5 trillion won ($2.3 billion) by end-November. (Yonhap)Exports of Korean COVID-19 diagnostic reagents raked in 2.5 trillion won ($2.3 billion) by end-November. (Yonhap) 

By Lim Jeong-yeo
The Korea Herald/ANN

South Korea has a new export item. COVID-19 diagnostic reagents notched a 2.5 trillion won ($2.3 billion) performance up to end-November.

Diagnostic reagents are among the most fundamental components of diagnostic testing assays. Simply put, it is critical to have a well-functioning reagent to accurately discern a COVID-19 infection.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Customs Service on Friday, Korea had exported enough COVID-19 diagnostic reagents to cover 496.8 million people across 170 nations by end-November this year.

The number of nations seeking to import Korean diagnostic reagent products has increased incrementally since March.

India, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and the US combined accounted for more than 50 percent of all COVID-19 diagnostic reagent exports. India accounted for 15.6 percent, Germany 13.2 percent, the Netherlands 9.6 percent, Italy 7.8 percent and the US 5.2 percent.

This is a new category of exports for Korea, and proof that the nation’s successful pandemic containment efforts are being reflected in global demand, the Drug Ministry declared.

Further boosting the industrywide morale, on Wednesday Korea’s infectious disease diagnostics procedure was adopted as the international standard, now known as ISO 17822 or “In vitro diagnostic test systems — Nucleic acid amplification-based examination procedures for detection and identification of microbial pathogens — Laboratory quality practice guide.”

Currently, 221 COVID-19 diagnostic reagents are approved for export from Korea. Of those, DNA diagnostic reagents accounted for 105, antigen reagents 44 and antibody reagents 72.

DNA diagnostic assays, also referred to as real-time polymerase chain reaction tests and molecular diagnostics, have the upper hand in accuracy.

Antigen and antibody reagents, while they produce faster test results, are only effective if the infection has progressed somewhat. This is because the tests determine whether the body has formed antigens or antibodies against the intruding virus. Accuracy is limited in the very early phases of infection.

For domestic use, Korea currently has enough diagnostic reagents to test 830,000 people. Considering the country tests an average of 20,000 people per day, the secured stock is sufficient to last over a month, the authorities said.

The daily maximum output of COVID-19 diagnostic reagents for domestic use is enough for 590,000 people. So far, Korea has conducted more than 3.13 million tests. The nation’s population is roughly 51 million.

Singapore to have 4 digital banks, with Grab-Singtel and Sea getting digital full bank licences #SootinClaimon.Com

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Singapore to have 4 digital banks, with Grab-Singtel and Sea getting digital full bank licences (nationthailand.com)

Singapore to have 4 digital banks, with Grab-Singtel and Sea getting digital full bank licences

Dec 05. 2020Digital banks will not have a physical presence and all banking services will be done online.Digital banks will not have a physical presence and all banking services will be done online. 

By Prisca Ang
The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Friday (Dec 4) it will award digital full bank licences to the Grab-Singtel consortium and tech giant Sea, in a first for the city-state and a highly anticipated move that aims to liberalise the financial industry.

Like traditional banks, these players will provide retail customers with services such as opening accounts, deposits as well as issuing debit and credit cards.

However, digital banks will not have a physical presence and all banking services will be done online.

This is different from traditional banks – such as DBS, OCBC and United Overseas Bank – which offer some banking services via the Internet or mobile apps.

Digital full banks can also serve corporate customers.

Singapore’s central bank will also grant digital wholesale bank licences to Ant Group as well as a consortium comprising Greenland Financial Holdings, Linklogis Hong Kong and Beijing Co-operative Equity Investment Fund Management.

Greenland Financial is the investment arm of Chinese real estate developer and state-owned enterprise Greenland Group, while Linklogis Hong Kong is a supply chain financing firm. 

Digital wholesale banks can serve corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises.

MAS said in a statement on Friday that the successful applicants must meet all relevant prudential requirements and licensing preconditions before MAS grants them their banking licences.

The four successful applicants beat 10 other contenders, such as Razer Youth Bank; and a consortium led by Osim founder Ron Sim’s V3 Group and EZ-Link.

They are expected to start business from early 2022.

MAS chief Ravi Menon said the central bank applied a “rigorous, merit-based process to select a strong slate of digital banks”.

“We expect them to thrive alongside the incumbent banks and raise the industry’s bar in delivering quality financial services, particularly for currently underserved businesses and individuals. They will further strengthen Singapore’s financial sector for the digital economy of the future,” he said.

MAS said that it set stringent expectations across the assessment criteria in the selection process. 

It said: “The two selected digital full bank (DFB) applicants were clearly stronger than the other eligible DFB applicants.

“As for the digital wholesale banks (DWBs), the two selected applicants met MAS’ expectations and were assessed to be demonstrably stronger across the criteria notwithstanding the general high quality of the eligible applicants.” 

MAS added that it will review whether to grant more DWB licences in the future as the licences are being introduced as a pilot. 

Ant Group, which will be issued a DWB licence, said it is grateful for the opportunity to further contribute to accelerating digital financial innovation and inclusion in Singapore and the region.

“We look forward to building stronger and deeper collaborations with all participants in the financial services industry in Singapore, as we work together to make financial services more accessible for SMEs while supporting local talent development in the process,” it said. 

Mr Anthony Tan, group chief executive and co-founder of Grab, said: “We are honoured to have this opportunity to build Singapore’s next-generation digital bank, and open up access to easy-to-understand and relevant financial services.”

Likewise, Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, group chief executive officer-designate of Singtel, said that with Singtel and Grab’s combined digital expertise and customer knowledge, the consortium is well-placed to improve banking services for consumers and enterprises. 

Mr Forrest Li, chairman and group chief executive officer of Sea, said: “As a proudly home-grown company, we look forward to further contributing to the long-term development of our nation’s digital economy, creating more employment opportunities in Singapore, and empowering our whole community to thrive in the digital era.” 

The tech giant owns e-commerce platform Shopee, game developer Garena and digital payments arm SeaMoney.

Incumbent players also welcomed the announcement. 

DBS Singapore country head Shee Tse Koon said: “We congratulate the successful applicants and welcome them to our world, where digital banking is already a reality…  We believe that the new entrants will spur us all on to do better and we will continue to focus on making banking more intuitive and invisible so that our customers can live more and bank less.”

UOB chief executive Wee Ee Cheong said: “Their presence will add to the healthy competition, especially in the area of digital innovations, for the benefit of Singapore’s consumers and businesses.”

He added: “Keeping the customer at the heart of all we do will ensure the continued success of our industry. This we believe should be the focus of innovation: addressing the diverse personal and business banking needs of our community.”

Mr Sunny Quek, OCBC’s head of consumer financial services Singapore, said: “Digital banks are expected to add some colour to the financial space but they face an already hyper-competitive environment.” 

He added that OCBC has embraced digitalisation early, in areas such as instant account opening, contactless payments and personalised recommendations based on data analytics. 

Although it was unsuccessful in its application, Razer Fintech congratulated the licence awardees. 

Chief executive Lee Li Meng said: “While we were hopeful to be able to start our journey here in Singapore, our strategy of extending the Razer Fintech business into digital banking remains unchanged.”

Singapore is not alone in its digital banking push.

Hong Kong issued four more virtual bank licences in May last year, bringing the total number of such licences to eight. The winners included Ant SME Services, a unit of Ant Group, and a Xiaomi-AMTD Group venture called Insight Fintech HK.

Countries such as the Philippines, China, Japan and South Korea also have virtual banks.

Twenty-one applications were submitted for digital bank licences in Singapore, with MAS saying it could award up to five. Of these, 14 met the eligibility criteria, MAS said in June without releasing the names of the contenders.

The following is a list of applicants, including the new licence holders and contenders which had made their bid public.

Digital full bank licences:

– Tech giant Sea, which owns e-commerce platform Shopee, game developer Garena and digital payments arm SeaMoney

– Grab and Singtel submitted a joint application. Grab will hold a 60 per cent stake with the telco giant holding the remaining 40 per cent in the consortium.

– Razer Youth Bank. Gaming firm Razer’s application was through a consortium that includes Sheng Siong Holdings, tech firm LinkSure Global, automotive marketplace Carro, insurer FWD and Insignia Ventures Partners. Razer Fintech owns 60 per cent of the consortium.

– Beyond consortium, led by Osim founder Ron Sim’s V3 Group and payments company EZ-Link. It also includes Temasek unit Heliconia, property developer Far East Organization and the Singapore Business Federation.

Digital wholesale bank licences:

– Alibaba-backed Ant Group, formerly known as Ant Financial 

– A consortium comprising Hong Kong financial services group AMTD, peer-to-peer lending platform Funding Societies, Singapore utilities provider SP Group, and Xiaomi Finance

– A consortium led by mainboard-listed wealth management firm iFast Corporation, with two Chinese partners, digital bank operator Yillion Group and fintech company Hande Group

– ByteDance Technology, which owns video-sharing app TikTok

– A consortium comprising Hong Kong-listed supply chain finance company Sheng Ye Capital, financial conglomerate Phillip Capital and artificial intelligence firm Advance.AI. All three members are owned or led by Singaporeans.

Tokyo maintains highest virus alert; Experts express concerns #SootinClaimon.Com

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Tokyo maintains highest virus alert; Experts express concerns (nationthailand.com)

Tokyo maintains highest virus alert; Experts express concerns

Dec 05. 2020

By The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Japan News/ANN

The Tokyo metropolitan government kept its alert posture for the spread of the novel coronavirus in the capital at the highest level of its four-tiered assessment on Thursday, while the alert level for the medical care system stayed at the second-highest level.

The metropolitan government held a monitoring meeting with experts to discuss the spread of the virus in the capital.

According to the metropolitan government, the seven-day average number of new infections in Tokyo through Thursday was a record 466.4, up about 60 from the previous week. The number of people with unknown infection routes also increased, reflecting the continuously tough situation.

Meanwhile, the number of seriously ill patients decreased to 54 on Thursday from 70 marked on Nov. 30, the highest since the state of emergency was lifted in May.

Based on these factors, meeting participants concluded that the medical care system was not yet on the verge of a crisis. However, some experts expressed strong concerns that it is becoming difficult to provide ordinary medical treatments while taking care of novel coronavirus patients at the same time, because there have been negative effects on medical institutions, such as the postponement of planned surgeries.

It was reported at the meeting that the metropolitan government requested medical institutions to raise the number of beds it keeps for seriously ill patients from 150 to 200.

Hong Kong raises fines for COVID-19 violations to HK$5,000 #SootinClaimon.Com

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Hong Kong raises fines for COVID-19 violations to HK$5,000 (nationthailand.com)

Hong Kong raises fines for COVID-19 violations to HK$5,000

Dec 05. 2020

By Wang Zhan
China Daily/ANN

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government announced on Friday that fixed-penalty fines for people who breach anti-COVID-19 rules would be increased from HK$2,000 to HK$5,000, effective Dec 11.

In a statement issued on Friday evening, a spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said the increase is needed to create a deterrence effect.

“Faced with the epidemic surge, apart from tightening various infection control measures, it is imperative to increase the relevant penalties in order to create the necessary deterrence effect and ensure strict compliance with relevant requirements,” the spokesman said.

Anyone who violates the public gathering ban, fails to wear a mask in public venues or fails to comply with the requirement of compulsory testing is subject to the penalty.

The maximum penalties for violators who are convicted in court will be increased to HK$10,000.

Curtailed celebration

Meanwhile, the city will cancel its annual New Year countdown fireworks display and Chinese Lunar New Year parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the event organizer the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on Friday.

The annual fireworks display scheduled at midnight of Dec 31 is canceled this year to uphold the social distancing measures, the HKTB said.

Meanwhile, no parade will be held during the Chinese Lunar New Year as overseas performing groups are unable to join the event due to lasting travel restrictions.

The HKTB said it’s mulling a hybrid online/offline event to celebrate the annual event. 

With Xinhua inputs

Vaccine to be ready within weeks, decision on price after talk with states: PM Modi in all party meet #SootinClaimon.Com

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Vaccine to be ready within weeks, decision on price after talk with states: PM Modi in all party meet (nationthailand.com)

Vaccine to be ready within weeks, decision on price after talk with states: PM Modi in all party meet

Dec 05. 2020(Image: Twitter/@narendramodi)(Image: Twitter/@narendramodi) 

By The Statesman/ANN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Indian scientists are very confident about Covid-19 vaccine which would be ‘ready in a few weeks’ asserting that India’s vaccination plan would begin as soon as scientists give a go-ahead in the virtual all-party meet on Friday.

PM Modi during the meeting which has been attended by about 12 leaders from various political parties said, “Experts expect that the vaccine will be ready within next few weeks itself. Once scientists approve it, the nation-wide Vaccination drive will be started in India.”

“Our scientists are very confident of succeeding in their endeavour of making COVID-19 vaccine. The world is keeping a watch on the cheapest and safe vaccine.” he further added.

In the virtual meeting with the leaders on the Covid-19 situation and the vaccine situation, PM Modi said that centre is ‘in talk’ with the states on distribution and pricing as he underlined that public health will be top priority.

He said, “The vaccine distribution and administration is given to a national experts group. Advice will be taken from them on a comprehensive and real-time manner. India has the facilities needed to manufacture the vaccine at a large scale. In fact, our preparation is better than most others,”

“Centre is in talks with state governments over the price of vaccine and decision regarding it will be taken keeping public health as topmost priority.” he added.

Nearly eight vaccines are at different stages of trial and the manufacturing of the vaccines assured in India and three vaccines from India are also at different stages of trial said PM Modi in this meeting.He also said that frontline workers and elderly people with serious aliments will be the first ones to get the vaccination.

The 12 leaders included Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress Party, Sudip Bandyopadhyay of TMC and Sharad Pawar of the NCP are attending the meeting.  Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary is also attending the meeting.

Apart from PM Modi, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan were also present at the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi a few days visited India’s top vaccine hubs to review the development of the coronavirus vaccine and the manufacturing process. He went to Serum Institute of India in Pune,  Zydus Camila in Ahmedabad and Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad.

India, in the last 24 hours recorded 36,595 fresh Covid-19 cases taking the country’s coronavirus tally to 95,71,559.