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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010499

SINGAPORE – Around 52,000 employees in Singapore have not taken any Covid-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday (Dec 27).

Around 6,700 are aged 60 and above, and are at a very high risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19 infection, it added.

It noted that only a small proportion of these workers are medically ineligible for vaccination, while 98 per cent of the workforce – excluding self-employed persons – have been inoculated.

As at Dec 19, 80 per cent of firms have attained full vaccine coverage for their workforce.

This is considerable progress, MOM said, as it marks a drop from the 75,000 employees who were not vaccinated as at Dec 5.

These updates come in the wake of the Ministry of Health’s announcement on Sunday that unvaccinated employees will not be allowed to return to the workplace from Jan 15 next year.

This rule stands even if they test negative for Covid-19 24 hours beforehand.

Those certified to be medically ineligible or have recovered from Covid-19 within 180 days can return.

Those who are partially inoculated can go to the workplace, but with a negative pre-event testing result up to Jan 31.

After Jan 31, they must be fully vaccinated.

From Jan 1, 50 per cent of employees who can work from home will be allowed to return to the office, MOH said on Dec 14.

Working from home has been the default since September, when Singapore began logging another rise in Covid-19 cases.

MOM said on Monday: “We have seen the emergence of the more transmissible Omicron variant, which with the Delta variant, significantly raises the chance of contracting Covid-19 compared to a year ago.

“Unvaccinated employees, especially those who are older, will put immense strain on our healthcare capacity in the coming months, if they contract Covid-19.”

There is a grace period from Jan 1 to Jan 14 when unvaccinated staff can go to the workplace if they have a negative pre-event testing result.

But they must pay for the cost of the test and show the result to their employers when reporting for work.

MOM said: “A fully vaccinated workforce will be able to operate more safely and at much lower risk to employees’ lives.

“We must also be prepared to take stronger steps to protect those who, due to medical reasons, cannot receive any vaccine.”

For employees who remain unvaccinated, MOM said employers may allow them to work from home if such arrangements can sufficiently meet their operational or business needs.

“However, as the vast majority of vaccinated employees eventually return to the workplace more frequently, the prolonged absence of the unvaccinated employees… may affect their individual performance as well as negatively impact team or organisational performance,” MOM said.

From Jan 15, workers who have to be on site but are unvaccinated can be redeployed to suitable roles that can be done from home, it added.

They can also be placed on no-pay leave based on mutually agreed terms.

As a last resort, their employment can be terminated with notice according to their contract.

Such termination is not considered as wrongful dismissal since it is due to the employees’ inability to be at the workplace to do their contracted duties.

“By not coming to the workplace, unvaccinated employees are protected from being exposed to the threat of the virus,” MOM added.

For those who are medically ineligible for vaccines, it said employers should consider measures to protect them, even though they are allowed to work on-site.

These include allowing them to work from home if they can or redeploying them to suitable roles that can be done remotely.

MOM said: “The tripartite partners urge the remaining 20 per cent of employers to make a concerted push to get their unvaccinated employees to be vaccinated as soon as possible.”

It added that firms should support this by granting paid time-off to staff for their vaccination and additional paid sick leave if the worker experiences a related adverse reaction.

“The tripartite partners would also like to urge the remaining 2 per cent of unvaccinated employees to go for vaccination as soon as possible to protect their well-being and avoid any impact to their jobs and livelihoods.”

Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) president Douglas Foo said that in some industries like manufacturing, workers are required physically on the shop floor, but SMF’s sense is that most workers are vaccinated. 

“If it is because of medical reasons (that workers are not vaccinated), firms will then have to consider how best to re-train these employees to allow them to work remotely,” he added. 

“On the other hand, if it is not for medical reasons, then employers should speak to the employee, understand the reason and then support and encourage them to go for vaccination as soon as possible.”

By Sue-Ann Tan

Published : December 28, 2021

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010498

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called on the nation to do everything necessary to protect the most vulnerable against COVID-19 and reduce the number of deaths related to the virus.

The PM signed Official Dispatch 1815/CD-TTg dated December 26, 2021 on the management and protection of people at high risk of contracting COVID-19; reducing severe cases and deaths due to COVID-19.

The PM asked ministries and localities to follow a number of requests to ensure effective management and monitoring of public health, early detection of COVID-19 cases and reduce the number of severe cases and COVID-19 related deaths. 

Cases nationwide have increased, along with the number of severely ill patients and deaths in particularly in high-risk groups like people over 50 years of age, pregnant women, those with underlying health conditions and the unvaccinated.

The Prime Minister has called on localities to implement strict management of these high-risk groups by collecting data and analysing their need for support.

He also urged medical teams to go door-to-door to identify those who have not been vaccinated and arrange inoculations, especially for those people with mobility difficulties.

Localities should also organise care and treatment for people with COVID-19 in high-risk groups and carry out isolation and monitoring at home or at a treatment facility according to their conditions.

Regarding the Ministry of Health, the PM asked for quick and adequate distribution of vaccines to localities.

The ministry must also drastically and urgently guide and create favourable conditions for units, localities and enterprises to import, transfer technology, and manufacture drugs to treat COVID-19 sufferers.

It should also reduce and simplify administrative procedures, ensuring the principle of speed, science and efficiency; and at the same time take measures to strictly control quality, price and combat all manifestations and acts of abuse for corruption, group interests.

The ministry is asked to promptly update and guide treatment regimens in accordance with the disease developments and the actual conditions.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall closely coordinate with the Ministry of Health and city and provincial people’s committees to come up with drastic, reasonable, scientific, effective and specific solutions so that no shortage of medical oxygen supply in hospitals and medical facilities occurs.

The MoIT is also responsible for directing associations, manufacturing and distribution enterprises to increase production and supply of medical oxygen for timely and effective COVID-19 disease prevention and control. — VNS

Published : December 28, 2021

By : Vietnam News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010497

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) — A total of 114,183 Cambodian candidates are taking a national high school graduation exam on Monday after the situation of COVID-19 pandemic had been brought under control.

The annual exam is a prerequisite for Grade 12 students to pursue their studies at university levels.

Over the course of two days, the candidates will sit for the test in the subjects of earth and environment, geography, history, biology, foreign language, Khmer literature, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and morality-civics, according to an Education Ministry’s statement.

Speaking to reporters while visiting an exam center at the Preah Sisowath High School in capital Phnom Penh, Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said there are 204 exam centers with 4,616 rooms across the southeast Asian nation.

“All educators and exam-takers are required to strictly follow health and safety measures, including wearing face masks, washing hands, having temperature checked, and maintaining physical distancing, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

The minister said two students, who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning to the country from Kazakhstan, where they participated in the 2021 Asian Senior Karate Championships, were also allowed to take their exam at a COVID-19 treatment center in the capital.

Last year, due to the pandemic, the government allowed all Grade 12 students to pass their exit exam automatically without sitting for it.

Naron said the exam was held this year after the kingdom had achieved high COVID-19 vaccination rates as well as a significant drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent months.

Cambodia has so far administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to 14.24 million people, or 89 percent of its 16-million population, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Of them, 13.62 million, or 85.1 percent, are fully vaccinated with two required shots, and 3.39 million, or 21.2 percent, have taken a booster shot, the MoH added.

Most of the vaccines used in the country’s inoculation campaign are China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Published : December 28, 2021

By : Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010475

Respected Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam, who is the editor and publisher of Bangladeshs largest selling English daily – The Daily Star – has been elected Asia News Networks (ANN) next Chairman.

The 72-year-old journalist takes over from outgoing Chairman Warren Fernandez, on January 1, 2022, for a two-year term. This will be Mr Anam’s second stint as Chairman of the alliance. Mr Anam was first appointed ANN Chairman in 2007.

Mr Anam was nominated by Mr Fernandez, the editor-in-chief of The Straits Times and the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media, and unanimously elected by the ANN Board. The regional alliance is a grouping of 23 leading Asian news titles, which
was founded in 1999.

Mr Anam started his journalism career in 1972 and brings with him several decades of experience as a media and communication specialist to lead the regional alliance. After working in the United Nations for 14 years, he co-founded The Daily Star newspaper in 1991, as Bangladesh was transitioning to a democracy. His editorial direction and commentaries on the country’s socio-political issues saw the paper fast rising to be the most-read English daily in the country. A pro-democracy advocate, Mr Anam, found himself being sued in court for his criticism of the country’s two largest parties. But he dismisses the charges as attacks on press freedom.

ANN aims to establish a global footprint as Asia’s most authoritative media voice and work to bring Asia closer through editorial collaboration. It was set up to promote Asian journalism and share the story of an Asian century from an Asian perspective.

Said Mr Anam: “ANN aims to tell the world how Asia is forging ahead in this complex and ever-changing world and share knowledge and experience to build a better future.”

Said Mr Fernandez: “It has taken us some time, but now that we have established the ANN on a proper legal and financial footing, it is time to pass on the chairmanship, in the interest of good governance. In Mahfuz, we have a wise and respected media veteran, a founding member of the ANN Board. There are few who have both his breadth of experience, and sense of strong commitment to regional collaboration, to take on the challenge of leading ANN, and bringing it forward, at this critical time.”

ANN’s website can be viewed here.

Members of the alliance are:
• Bangladesh’s The Daily Star
• Bhutan’s Kuensel
• Brunei’s Borneo Bulletin
• Cambodia’s The Phnom Penh Post and Ramsei Kampuchea
• China Daily in China and Hong Kong
• Taiwan’s The China Post
• India’s The Statesman
• Indonesia’s The Jakarta Post
• Japan’s The Japan News
• Laos’ Vientiane Times
• Malaysia’s The Star and Sin Chew Daily
• Mongolia’s Gogo Mongolia
• Myanmar’s Eleven Media Group
• Nepal’s The Kathmandu Post
• Pakistan’s Dawn
• The Philippines’ Philippine Daily Inquirer
• Singapore’s The Straits Times
• South Korea’s The Korea Herald
• Sri Lanka’s The Island
• Thailand’s The Nation
• Vietnam’s Vietnam News

Published : December 27, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010456

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 84th ‘Mann Ki Baat’ monthly broadcast to the nation over All India Radio on Sunday exhorted people to welcome the New Year 2022 with a sense of ‘self-awareness’ and ‘self-discipline’ for a decisive victory over the Coronavirus and its new variant Omicron.

“We also have to keep in mind that a new variant of Corona has already knocked at the door. Our experience of the last two years is that our own effort as a citizen is very important to defeat this global pandemic. Our scientists are continuously studying this new Omicron variant,” said the Prime Minister.

Modi further added, “They are getting new data every day, their suggestions are being worked upon. In such a situation, self-awareness, self-discipline is in themselves the country’s strength in fighting against this variant of Corona. It is this very collective strength of ours that will defeat Corona; with this very sense of responsibility we have to enter into 2022.”

The PM said it was “because of everyone’s effort that India could fight the biggest pandemic in 100 years. We stood by each other like a family in every difficult moment. To help someone in one’s locality or city… everyone tried to do more than what one could have done.”

The Prime Minister recounted the manner in which the country had achieved its vaccination targets, a reflection of people’s trust in the system, science, and scientists.

“If we compare the vaccination figures of the world today with those of India, it feels that the country has handled such an unprecedented task… how big a goal has been achieved. Crossing the 140 million vaccine dose mark is an achievement of each and every Indian. This shows the trust of every Indian in the system; shows trust in science and in scientists, and is also a testament to the willpower of we Indians who are fulfilling our responsibilities towards society. But friends,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Published : December 27, 2021

By : The Statesman

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010455

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 22,836,859 individuals, or 97.6%, of the adult population in the country have completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of Sunday (Dec 26).

Based on the Health Ministry’s CovidNow website, 23,135,883 individuals, or 98.9%, of the group have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

As for the adolescent population aged between 12 and 17, a total of 2,745,665 individuals, or 87.2%, have completed their vaccination while 2,840,018, or 90.2%, have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

A total of 64,283 doses of the vaccine were dispensed on Sunday, of which 62,022 were as the booster dose, 1,411 the second dose and 850 the first dose.

This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of Sunday to 56,814,549, including 5,452,251 booster doses. – Bernama

Published : December 27, 2021

By : The Star

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010454

China slammed the United States on Friday for signing into law the so-called “Uygur Forced Labor Prevention Act”, and urged Washington to stop using Xinjiang-related issues to interfere in Chinas internal affairs.

The bipartisan bill bans imports from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region unless the importer can prove they were not made with forced labor.

The act maliciously denigrates the human rights situation in Xinjiang by disregarding facts and truth, which violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

China told the US to correct the mistake immediately, the spokesperson said, vowing to make further response in light of the development of the situation. 

The so-called allegations of “forced labor” and “genocide” in Xinjiang are nothing but vicious lies concocted by anti-China forces, the spokesperson said.

The US keeps using Xinjiang-related issues to create rumors and make trouble, which in essence is engaging in political manipulation and economic coercion, and seeking to undermine Xinjiang’s prosperity and stability and contain China’s development under the pretext of human rights, the spokesperson said.

It is preposterous for the US, a country with a deplorable track record, to accuse and smear China. The US should save the labels of “forced labor” and “genocide” for itself, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson reiterated that Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but in essence about countering violent terrorism and separatism.

Crafting conspiracies and plots with Xinjiang-related issues will not stop the pursuit of a better life by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang or hold back China’s development, the spokesperson said.

The US acts totally violate market principles and commercial ethics, such moves will only undermine global industrial and supply chains, disrupt international trade order and hurt the US’ own interests and credibility, the spokesperson said.

The Chinese government and Chinese people are firmly resolved in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, the spokesperson added.

By ZHOU JIN

Published : December 27, 2021

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010453

President Moon Jae-in will meet with leaders of South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong, to thank them for their efforts in participating in government-led job creation projects for young people and discuss implementation plans on Monday, Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Sunday.

The meeting will be attended by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Euisun, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Posco Chairman Choi Jung-woo and KT Chairman Ku Hyeon-Mo. It is the first time President Moon is meeting Samsung leader Lee since he was released on parole in August.

“This meeting is designed to express gratitude to companies that participated in the ‘Youth Hope ON’ project to create jobs for youths, and to share the social meaning of the project and future implementation plans,” said Shin Hye-hyun, deputy spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, in a written statement.

The “Youth Hope ON” project was established by 18 government ministries and was confirmed by the Youth Policy Coordination Committee presided over by the prime minister in August this year.

It is a company-led, public-private project in which companies directly educate and hire the necessary talents, while the government supports the training costs.

The six conglomerates — KT, Samsung, LG, SK, Posco and Hyundai Motor — have promised to create 179,000 jobs over the next three years and provide educational and training opportunities for young people.

“Companies that participated in the project have greatly expanded their initial recruitment goals. And in the case of education and training, they are starting as soon as they are ready,” Shin said.

KT, which was the first to participate in the project, has already begun education and training in December. Samsung and Posco are speeding up their implementation by starting in January next year.

“The Moon Jae-in government was launched by advocating jobs as the number one national task. In particular, jobs for youths are still the heaviest task of the government, and we are making special efforts with the top priority of policy,” Shin said. “In August, President Moon showed special interest in the project and asked for an active promotion.”

Cheong Wa Dae said it expects the meeting to serve as an opportunity for such public-private cooperation to pave the way forward in solving youth unemployment, a problem that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report released by the Korea Economic Research Institute in November, the “economic pain” felt by young people (between 15-29) was the worst ever amid worsening economic conditions and job difficulties caused by the prolonged COVID-19.

The “youth economic pain index” stood at 27.2, the highest since the 2015 tally. The pain index of other age groups also hit the highest level in the first half of this year, followed by those in their 60s (18.8), those in their 50s (14.0), those in their 30s (13.6), and those in their 40s (11.5).


By Shin Ji-hye

Published : December 27, 2021

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010452

HCM CITY — The Ministry of Health has told four central-level hospitals – Chợ Rẫy, Huế Central, HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and Thống Nhất – to provide training in resuscitation services to staff without these skills who work in COVID-19 healthcare facilities in HCM City.

The city had earlier asked the ministry to send additional staff trained in resuscitation services to the city.

The city said it needed 1,000 doctors and 2,000 nurses, including 300 doctors and 600 nurses who specialise in resuscitation, to work at COVID field hospitals, resuscitation centres, and so-called three-level COVID hospitals in the city.

But because of outbreaks in other areas in the country, the ministry said the four hospitals should provide resuscitation training to existing medical staff.

The ministry recently issued a decision on COVID-19 management and treatment for centrally-run cities and provinces. 

To deal with staff shortages, epidemiologists said the city should mobilise students, retired medical staff and volunteers, and strengthen grassroots healthcare in wards and communes.

The number of cases in HCM City has dropped recently. On December 24 there were 679 cases and 44 deaths, which was half of the number of cases and deaths in previous days.

Third vaccine shots

The city has started to give the third booster shot to all adults aged 18 and above who have been vaccinated with two doses. 

Lê Phước Hùng, director of District 1 Medical Centre, said the district lacked enough staff for the booster plan and had asked the Department of Health to provide more personnel to provide the third shot.

The district is currently trying to provide vaccines to the remaining people who are unvaccinated, many of whom have returned to the city from other provinces.

Đỗ Thị Trúc Mai, vice chairwoman of the District 4 People’s Committee, said: “The progress of the booster scheme for people who are at high risk is very slow. We need more human resources.”

Meanwhile, Nhà Bè and Cần Giờ districts face no staff shortages. 

Trương Tiến Triển, vice chairman of Cần Giờ District People’s Committee, said the district had nearly completed booster shots for frontline medical forces and would begin giving boosters for other people in the next week.

Priority groups for the third shot are people aged 50 and older, people with underlying diseases, people needing long-term care at medical facilities, and people who directly test, care for and treat COVID-19 patients.

A third dose called an “additional dose” (not a “booster”) is given to immunocompromised people such as those with HIV or cancer whose immunity response to the first and second vaccine doses was very weak.

The city is giving the third additional shot to people with immunocompromised status aged 18 and over (such as people with an organ transplant, cancer or HIV, or people who have used immunosuppressive drugs in the past six months) who had the second dose of the vaccine at least 28 days prior to the third dose. People aged 50 and over in this group are given priority. — VNS 

Published : December 27, 2021

By : Vietnam News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010396

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Health minister Shigeyuki Goto on Friday approved Merck & Co.’s COVID-19 pill molnupiravir for use in the country, making it the first oral treatment for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms in Japan.

The at-home antiviral pill is expected to ease burdens on patients and hospitals. It is effective against the omicron variant, health ministry officials said.

The government plans to distribute doses of the pill for 200,000 people nationwide from Sunday, making them available for use starting as early as Monday.

Molnupiravir will “play a key role in enabling people to live their lives with a sense of security,” Goto said. “I believe it will significantly advance our country’s coronavirus response.”

Medical workers are welcoming molnupiravir’s approval, as administering the pill is vastly less of a burden than using existing remedies such as the intravenous antibody cocktail Ronapreve, which requires doctors to monitor patients.

“If it is prescribed to infected people swiftly, continuous care from an early stage will become possible,” said Takafumi Nakagawa, head of a clinic in Sapporo. “It could be a game changer.”

Molnupiravir is “effective if used at an early stage,” said Akishige Obata, head of a clinic in the western city of Osaka. “If it can be used easily, COVID-19 may become an illness that can be handled with an oral remedy, like influenza.”

“The drug will help me feel at ease,” said a nurse in her 40s working at a nursing facility for elderly people in Tokyo which has many high-risk people.

On Dec. 3, a Japanese unit of the U.S. drugmaker applied to the ministry for approval of the pill, jointly developed with U.S. biopharmaceutical firm Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

The pill will be available to high-risk patients aged 18 or older, other than pregnant women, with mild to moderate symptoms. It will be administered twice a day for five days.

The government is calling on patients to take the remedy as early as possible, as it is only shown to be effective in the first five days after the emergence of symptoms. A clinical trial found that the pill reduced risks of hospitalization and death by around 30%.

Britain became the first country to approve the pill in November. The European Union and the United States also have approved it. France, on the other hand, canceled its order for the drug, citing insufficient clinical trial results.

Merck has agreed to supply doses of the pill for 1.6 million people to the Japanese government. The country has also agreed to receive doses of another COVID-19 pill, developed by Pfizer Inc., for two million people.

Pharmaceutical firm Shionogi & Co. is also developing a COVID-19 pill.

Existing COVID-19 remedies in Japan are either medications for patients with moderate to severe symptoms who need oxygen or intravenous drugs and other treatments that are not available at home.

Published : December 25, 2021

By : The Japan News