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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010395

BEIJING – Chinese lawmakers on Friday voted to pass a new law on wetlands protection, establishing the countrys first specialized law on the issue.

Lawmakers approved the law, which will take effect on June 1, 2022, at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Yang Zhaoxia, an ecology expert with the Beijing Forestry University, said that the significance of the new law is that it strengthens the Chinese legal system in the area of ecology, where there were some weaknesses.

Governments at all levels should raise public awareness of protecting wetlands through various campaigns, such as setting up “wetland protection day” or “wetland protection week,” according to the law.

Education authorities and schools are also asked to enhance the awareness of students on the protection of wetlands.

According to the law, the country will exercise the administration of wetlands at different levels, and important wetland areas should be brought under the ecological conservation red lines.

A national catalog of important wetlands will be released by forestry and grassland authorities and other related departments of the State Council for the better management of wetlands. Protection signs should also be set up, according to the law.

The law prohibits any organization or individual from destroying the habitat of birds and aquatic life in wetlands.

Stipulations on the protection of peat swamps and mangrove wetlands are highlighted in the newly adopted law.

It is forbidden to exploit peat from peat swamp wetlands or to exploit their groundwater without authorization, according to the law.

It is also forbidden to occupy or dig ponds in mangrove wetlands, as well as to fell, excavate or transplant mangroves, or to over-exploit mangrove seeds, among other activities.

The law includes provisions on setting up a system of compensation for ecological conservation, requiring enhanced government funding in protecting vital wetlands.

Published : December 25, 2021

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010394

Former President Park Geun-hye is to be pardoned in the special New Year presidential pardon granted to 3,094 individuals. Former President Lee Myung-bak was not included in the list.

Park, 69, has been serving a combined 22-year term since March 2017 for charges including abuse of power and bribery, after she was impeached in the year before.

Her immediate predecessor Lee, who is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for bribery and embezzlement, has not been given the special pardon.

“We should overcome the pain of the past era and move forward into a new era. Instead of being trapped in the past and fighting each other, we should gather forces to move onto the future,” President Moon Jae-in said in a statement, after the Justice Ministry released the list of special pardons.

“(On Park’s pardon) we also considered Park‘s deteriorating health,” Moon added and asked for understanding from those who oppose the decision.

Park was hospitalized three times due to chronic shoulder and lower back pain. She also received shoulder surgery in 2019.

Following the announcement, Park expressed gratitude to Moon via her lawyer Yoo Young-ha.

“I would like to first apolgize to the people for causing worries, and I am grateful for unwavering support,” Park said in the message delivered by Yoo who met with reporters outside the Samsung Seoul Hospital in Seoul, where she has been admitted.

“I also want to express my deep gratitude to President Moon Jae-in and the government for granting the special pardon. I will do my best to recover soon so that I can express my gratitude to the people myself.”

The pardon, which is set to take effect from Dec. 31, also includes reinstatement of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, who was imprisoned from 2015 to 2017 for taking some 900 million won ($750,000) of illegal political funds.

Han served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, and was later leader of a predecessor to the ruling party.

The list also includes 38 entrepreneurs and small business operators, two political and labor activists, as well as reinstatement of one person who has been charged for illegal abortion.

The government also gave a special reduction in punisment to 983,051 people, all but 2,271 of whom had received driver’s license suspensions.

The Justice Ministry said it decided on the special pardon to relieve the burden for the people experiencing difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote unity in society.

By Jo He-rim

Published : December 25, 2021

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010393

The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration on December 24 said it will kick off a new Covid-19 booster shot campaign on January 3 for people aged 12-18 who received a second dose at least four months ago, at 42 total locations in all of the capital’s 14 districts.

Earlier jab drives led to the successful first- and second-dose vaccination of members of this age group, it noted in a statement.

The Post understands that fourth doses will not be made available to the public at this time, although Prime Minister Hun Sen on December 23 announced plans to administer the second booster shots to 500,000 frontline health workers including members of the armed forces.

The Ministry of Health on December 23 reported that Cambodia had vaccinated 89.00 per cent of the estimated 16 million population with at least a first coronavirus jab. Currently only children aged five and up are eligible for a Covid shot.

More than 3.27 million people nationwide have received a booster to date, the ministry said.

By Ry Sochan

Published : December 25, 2021

By : The Phnom Penh Post

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010392

SINGAPORE – Singapore is planning to nearly double the number of designated facilities for close contacts of Covid-19 cases if needed, in preparation for a possible surge in infections due to the Omicron variant.

There are 14 active designated facilities as at Wednesday (Dec 22), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) is looking to convert an additional 12 designated facilities over the next month, if required.

These facilities will be able to accommodate up to 11,000 people in total, an MOH spokesman told The Straits Times on Friday (Dec 24).

The ministry has contingency plans in place to meet various scenarios, the spokesman added.

Singapore has taken various steps to guard against the highly transmissible Omicron variant, including tightening its border measures, extending its vaccination and booster programme to more age groups, and ramping up healthcare capacity as necessary.

There are 71 confirmed Omicron cases detected in Singapore as at Monday, with 65 imported cases and six local cases.

While MOH has previously said that Omicron cases will be isolated for treatment at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), ST understands that some are now being sent to Oasia Hotel Novena for treatment.

The hotel was announced as a community treatment facility for Covid-19 cases in October, and is located near the NCID.

With the number of imported Covid-19 cases rising – hitting a record 89 cases on Thursday (Dec 23) – Singapore Airlines (SIA) crew manning flights from the United Kingdom are now required to wear protective gowns, on top of current precautions such as donning masks and goggles.

ST understands that the new precaution was introduced recently following reports of several Omicron cases among travellers from Britain.

Meal service for business class passengers for UK flights will also be scaled back to a one-tray service to limit contact between passengers and cabin crew.

The UK is among the countries that Singapore has started vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) with, to allow eligible travellers to enter Singapore without having to serve quarantine.

It is one of the most popular markets among the 24 countries that Singapore has started VTLs for.

But the Covid-19 situation there has been rapidly worsening. The UK reported a record 119,789 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, with 16,817 new Omicron cases.

MOH had also announced the suspension of all VTL ticket sales for entry into Singapore between Dec 23 and Jan 20, as it seeks to limit the number of imported Covid-19 cases.

SIA told ST that it follows the guidance of the authorities when informed of Omicron cases on its flights.

“Pilots and crew who operated on such flights are required to self-isolate and get tested for Covid-19, as the health and safety of our customers and staff members remain our priority,” it said.

“SIA also works with the health authorities in all necessary contact tracing efforts when such cases are detected.”

On the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, Mr Alan Tan, president of the Singapore Airlines Staff Union, said: “Obviously the crew are concerned, but it’s part of our job.

“Hospital staff and many other front-liners are facing the same concerns as well.”

By Toh Ting Wei

Published : December 25, 2021

By : The Straits Times

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010377

The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 14.68 million across Southeast Asia, with 25,327 new cases reported on Thursday (December 23).

New deaths are at 432, bringing accumulated Covid-19 deaths in Asean to 301,690.
 

Published : December 24, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010364

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam have in all to do in the second leg of the AFF Cup semi-final, after losing 2-0 to Thailand in the first bout at the Singapore National Stadium on Thursday evening.

Coach Park Hang-seo sprang one major surprise with his team selection, giving pacy forward Nguyễn Văn Toàn his first start of the tournament.

On a pitch in poor condition, the match started with Thailand taking the initiative, their rapid passing leaving Việt Nam’s defenders on the back foot.

Việt Nam conceded their first goal of the tournament in the 13th minute, when Thailand’s star player Chanathip Songkrasin took advantage of a slip in defence by Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy and got to the ball before the onrushing Vietnamese goalkeeper Trần Nguyên Mạnh.

Shellshocked, Việt Nam were 2-0 down just 10 minutes later after a display of scintillating passing football gave Chanathip a sight of goal. The Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo made no mistake and slotted home.

Việt Nam almost pulled a goal back in the 33rd minute when Nguyễn Quang Hải shot from range with a free-kick, but the ball crashed off the post and flew to safety.

The Vietnamese had a decent shout for a Thai red card in the waning minutes of the opening period when goalkeeper Chatchai Budprom took down the onrushing Văn Toàn miles out of his goal, but the referee only brandished yellow.

Coach Park brought on attackers Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Hà Đức Chinh and Phan Văn Đức in a bid to get back into the game.

Chances did come Việt Nam’s way, most notably a shot from Quang Hải which hit the woodwork again, and a wonderful chance for Văn Đức who should have scored when played in by the superb Quang Hải, but he shot wide.

Thailand looked dangerous on the counter and one breakaway resulted in Supachai Chaided winning a penalty after he was brought down by Đỗ Duy Mạnh inside the box.

Chanathip stepped up with his hat-trick beckoning, but he put a poor penalty straight down the middle which goalkeeper Nguyên Mạnh saved easily.

In the last minutes, Việt Nam had one decent shout for a penalty late on when a Thai defender handled the ball in the penalty area. The referee waved away the Vietnamese protests and soon after ended the match.

The defeat was the first time Coach Park’s Việt Nam have ever lost so a fellow Southeast Asian side. The Korean and his players have left themselves a mountain to climb in the second leg on Boxing Day. — VNS

Published : December 24, 2021

By : Vietnam News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010363

The South Korean government is ordering COVID-19 patients out of intensive care units as hospitals across the country continue to face a severe shortage of beds.

The executive orders were issued Wednesday afternoon to 210 patients who have been hospitalized in COVID-19 ICUs for longer than 20 days, the Ministry of Health and Welfare confirmed Thursday. The ministry said 71 patients have been moved to non-COVID-19 ICUs or other “step-down” beds providing less intensive care accordingly as of Thursday morning. Patients failing to abide by the order were subject to a fine of up to 1 million won ($842).

Wednesday’s orders follow protests from doctors over the 20-day ICU discharge rule for COVID-19 patients now in effect. The ministry had told hospitals last week that the length of ICU stay for COVID-19 patients would be limited to 20 days at most — after which point patients would no longer be waived of their medical bills related to COVID-19 treatment and hospitals would lose aid.

Medical groups, including the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Korean Medical Association, have decried the measures as jeopardizing patient safety. Some patients were not well enough to be moved on day 20, they said. Since most wards at Korean hospitals have multiple beds, placing recovering COVID-19 patients in a nonisolation setting could expose other patients to infection.

Front-line doctors are now asked to provide proof as to why a patient might need to stay hospitalized longer than the time permitted by the government, according to Dr. Eom Joong-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Medical Center, a state-designated COVID-19 hospital.

Eom said despite the penalties such as withdrawal of financial aid for patients staying longer, following through with the orders would not always be feasible. “I understand that these are wartime decisions. But I’m also saying that it will be hard to go through with it knowing it could risk lives being lost.“

The ministry rationale for the new rules is that they would help ease the ongoing hospital bed crisis. Around 80 percent of all intensive care COVID-19 beds were occupied by Wednesday at midnight. In Seoul and cities nearby, the occupancy rate was higher at 85 percent.

Park Hyang, a senior Health Ministry official, told reporters in a closed-door briefing that the orders had basis on laws pertaining to infectious disease control and prevention. But whether to still charge a fine in exceptional circumstances was “being discussed.”

Korea once again broke records for COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, six days since the pause on President Moon Jae-in’s return to normal plan that left almost no restrictions for over a month and a half.

On Wednesday, the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 reached 109, crossing the 100 mark for a one-day toll for the first time. Over the past week, an average of 71 people died of COVID-19 each day. In the final week of October, right before the Nov. 1 return to normal, the average number of daily deaths was 12.

According to data the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency submitted to the main opposition People Power Party Rep. Her Euna’s office, at least 52 people died while waiting for a hospital bed between Nov. 1-Dec. 18.

By Kim Arin

Published : December 24, 2021

By : The Korea Herald

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010362

Cosmetics for men are taking off amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as even middle-aged and older men want to improve how they look onscreen in online meetings.

Major cosmetics companies are offering a full range of products for young, middle-aged and older male consumers, and are also putting effort into makeup advice and other services.

Every month, more than 2,000 people visit Ikemen Seisakusho, a men’s salon in Tokyo’s Ginza district, to receive services ranging from basic makeup — such as shaping the eyebrows, and applying base and foundation — to eyelash extensions in which artificial lashes are glued on top of natural ones. The salon’s name means “a factory to produce good-looking men.”

With more online meetings amid the pandemic, many office workers in their 30s and 40s have started visiting the salon. They said they became worried about their age spots or wrinkles when they saw their faces on a computer screen beside those of other people from the same generation.

“We recommend that customers focus on one point on their faces when applying makeup, such as their eyebrows or eyes,” said salon representative Takumi Tezuka, 47.

To take advantage of the new demand, Shiseido Co. launched a project in October on its online site Watashi+ to introduce makeup for men in their 40s and older. A makeup artist shows visitors how to apply natural makeup tailored to their hair style and skin concerns.

The project is designed to address the concerns of men whose hair has lost its bounce, body and luster, and whose skin has begun to show age spots and wrinkles.

The range of products for young men in so-called Generation Z, who were born between the mid-1990s and around 2010, has been expanded, as many men in this age group are said to wear makeup on a daily basis.

In October, Mandom Corp. launched Gatsby The Designer, a line of men’s cosmetics. It includes eyeliner that emphasizes the contours of the eyes and nose shadow to make one’s nose look higher.

According to research company Fuji Keizai Co., the men’s cosmetics market is predicted to mark a year-on-year increase of 4.3% to ¥157.1 billion this year, and is expected to keep expanding.

“The range of product categories for men’s cosmetics, including makeup and skincare, is expected to expand. It’s necessary to promote sales for each generation,” said Yu Sato, a senior analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Published : December 24, 2021

By : The Japan News

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010361

Medical support is ready for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, a Beijing official said on Thursday, vowing that the city will provide high-quality and efficient medical treatment for athletes.

Li Ang, deputy director and spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said at a news conference in Beijing that the city has optimally allocated medical resources for the venues of the Games.

The competition zones in Beijing and its Yanqing district have set up 88 medical stations for on-site medical treatment and triage of the sick and injured and have 1,140 medical staff members assigned from 17 designated hospitals and two emergency agencies. Another 120 medical personnel from 12 of the city’s top hospitals form a backup team equipped with 74 ambulances.

Medical personnel in disciplines including orthopedics and oral medicine have been specially assigned in accordance with the characteristics of each sports venue. Additional equipment such as computed tomography and dental chairs have been provided at the hockey venue, he said.

Each venue and designated hospital has developed a medical plan, and many hospitals, including Beijing Anzhen Hospital and Peking University Third Hospital’s Yanqing Hospital, have transformed part of their wards into a special treatment zone for the Games.

Li also said that all medical equipment of the polyclinics at the Beijing Olympic Village and Yanqing Olympic Village has been checked and can ensure outpatient, emergency, rehabilitation and transfer during the Games, which will open on Feb 4. A polyclinic is larger than a usual clinic but smaller than a hospital.

He added that the blood supply will be adequate and medical staff have received training in Olympics knowledge, the English language and skiing skills, with 40 ski doctors at the international rescue level and 1,900 medics with basic first-aid skills.

The second edition of the Beijing 2022 Playbook has been published, outlining COVID-19 countermeasures for the Games, including vaccinations, customs entry requirements, flight booking, testing, the closed-loop system and transportation.

The first port of entry into China must be Beijing Capital International Airport, according to the guide. Huang Chun, deputy director of the epidemic control office of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said this requirement was made because the airport has accumulated rich experience in preventing and controlling COVID-19.

People involved in the Games will be transported in special vehicles and brought into a closed loop from the time they enter the airport to when they leave the country, meaning they will not cross paths with any members of the public, he said.

The airport is also closer to the three competition zones, compared with Beijing Daxing International Airport, and traffic will be smoother. “It can ensure a good experience for people coming to China from abroad in the transportation process,” he added.

By ZHANG YANGFEI

Published : December 24, 2021

By : China Daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40010360

SINGAPORE – Fifty-three of the 65 confirmed imported Omicron cases detected in Singapore as at Monday (Dec 20) had arrived via the vaccinated travel lane (VTL), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Of these cases, 41 were detected through on-arrival polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, while the remaining 12 were detected through the Republic’s enhanced testing regime.

More than 90 per cent of the Omicron cases who returned via the VTL were returning Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term residents, said MOH, in response to queries from The Straits Times.

On Wednesday, MOH announced a month-long suspension of the sale of new VTL flight and bus tickets, as the number of imported cases hit a high of 76 cases since the emergence of the Omicron variant.

These measures, which apply from Thursday (Dec 23) until Jan 20, mean that airlines will no longer be allowed to sell new VTL flight tickets for travel into Singapore.

The suspension of sales also applies to those travelling on the Singapore-Malaysia land VTL.

However, eligible travellers who bought tickets earlier will still be allowed to travel via the quarantine-free travel scheme.

VTL travellers who do not adhere to the mandatory seven-day Covid-19 testing regime will face a stay-home notice and enforcement action under the Infectious Diseases Act.

The ministry said that all close contacts of both suspected and confirmed Omicron cases will be placed under 10-day quarantine at dedicated facilities to minimise transmission.

MOH said: “Our border measures will help to buy us time to study and understand the Omicron variant, and to strengthen our defences, including enhancing our healthcare capacity and getting more people vaccinated and boosted.”

In an update on its website on Thursday, MOH announced 322 new Covid-19 infections and two deaths. This brings Singapore’s Covid-19 death toll to 820. 

The number of infections is down from the 335 cases recorded on Wednesday, and it is the 21st day in a row that the number of new coronavirus cases has fallen below 1,000, according to statistics on the MOH website.

Overall, there were 226 cases in the community, seven in migrant worker dormitories and 89 imported cases reported on Thursday.

The intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation rate was 50 per cent, down from 52.7 per cent on Wednesday.

There are 419 cases in hospital, with 20 in critical condition, six under close monitoring and 50 requiring oxygen support.

The weekly infection growth rate was 0.57, up from 0.54 on Wednesday.

This figure refers to the ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.

A weekly infection growth rate that is consistently below one shows that the number of weekly new Covid-19 cases is falling.

The growth rate has been below one since Nov 13.

The total number of cases here now stands at 277,042.

By Jessie Lim with additional reporting by Toh Ting Wei

Published : December 24, 2021

By : The Straits Times