Overnight lockdown operations find over 900 cases
Health authorities have discovered more than 900 preliminary positive Covid infections following five overnight lockdown operations ending Thursday. Around 7,665 residents of Block 11 of Mayfair Gardens in Tsing Yi, Chun Yat House of Chun Yeung Estate in Sha Tin, Yiu Shing House of Tin Yiu (I) Estate in Yuen Long, Tak Loong House of Tak Long Estate in Kowloon City, and Wo Tai House of On Tai Estate in Kwun Tong were ordered to get tested for the virus during the overnight operations. Officials said 251 infections were found in On Tai Estate, along with 233 in Tak Long Estate, 223 in Tin Yiu (I) Estate, 150 in Chun Yeung Estate, and 50 in Mayfair Gardens. The test results for 18 people in On Tai Estate, 16 in Tak Long Estate, 19 in Tin Yiu (I) Estate, 26 in Chun Yeung Estate, and one in Mayfair Gardens were uncertain, which health authorities will arrange to follow up. The lockdown orders came after sewage samples collected from the buildings returned positive results for the coronavirus.
Source:The Standard
March 03, 2022 06:01 UTC
Government employees must get vaccinated before April to enter buildings
The SAR government will require all employees to have received two vaccination jabs to enter its buildings and offices in Hong Kong from April 1. Apart from those who are physically unfit to be vaccinated, all government employees must receive their second Covid jab before April 1. They must also get their third dose before May 16 or within eight months after the second dose. Authorities had earlier said in a statement that government employees who refuse to receive vaccination without duly certified medical reasons are acting irresponsibly. Meanwhile, a government spokesman on Thursday also appeals to employers again to allow their staff members to work from home as far as possible so as to reduce the flow of people and social contact in the community.
Source:The Standard
March 03, 2022 03:31 UTC
(Video) Rapid antigen testing kits and where to use them
With infection numbers shattering records day by day, busy Hongkongers resorted to testing themselves for Covid-19 using rapid test kits during a meal or even on the MTR. A netizen on Monday posted two photos on online forum LIHKG, showing a middle-aged man testing himself while having a cup of milk tea and a dish of Hainanese chicken rice for lunch. The second photo even caught a glimpse of the man's testing result – there were two red lines on the testing stick, meaning he tested positive. Some netizens were shocked and slammed the man for testing himself in public places. He strongly advised the public not to get tested in public places for it poses infection risks to others.
Source:The Standard
March 02, 2022 17:31 UTC
11 years after Gerry Ortega murder, report urges expert panels to handle media killings
11 years after Gerry Ortega murder, report urges expert panels to handle media killingsMANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines, which has been tagged as a dangerous country for journalists, the Department of Justice should form a panel of investigating prosecutors for killings of media members and prosecution of "powerful" individuals. This was among the recommendations of A Safer World for Truth in a report on the murder of Palawan journalist Gerry Ortega in 2011. "These numbers highlight the fact that the murder of Gerry Ortega is part of a structural problem concerning the safety of journalists in the Philippines," the report said. "In the aftermath of the murder of journalists, the Philippine justice system often fails to provide complete justice. In the case of Ortega, hitman Dennis Aranas was found dead in his prison cell, which the report flagged as suspicious.
Source:Philippine Star
February 28, 2022 23:12 UTC
Hire more and pay better, nurses say after woes brought up at presidential debate
Hire more and pay better, nurses say after woes brought up at presidential debateMedical workers screen patients for possible COVID-19 before admission at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City on April 18, 2020. FNU said the next leaders of the country should increase the entry salary of both public and private nurses to P50,000. Entry-level nurses in public hospitals are entitled to a salaries of from P32,053 to P34,801 per month, in line with a Supreme Court ruling. The current entry-level pay of nurses in the private sector, meanwhile, is P11,814 a month, according to Abenojar. Abenojar stressed there is a need to upgrade the benefits in the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers "according to the current cost of living."
Source:Philippine Star
February 28, 2022 20:08 UTC
Presidential debate: Modern health system, facilities will give nurses reason to stay, bets say
Several aspirants who attended the CNN presidential debate Sunday shared their plans to keep nurses in the country. The Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer also said new health facilities will need medical frontliners so nurses will no longer need to find jobs in Metro Manila and even abroad. Senator Panfilo “Ping” LacsonLacson mentioned the Supreme Court ruling increasing government nurses’ salaries. Dr. Joey MontemayorMontemayor, a cardiologist and lawyer, slammed the government for making it difficult for health workers to leave the country and seek work overseas. Presidential bets Vice President Leni Robredo and former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella were asked about their potential appointments to health secretary.
Source:Philippine Star
February 28, 2022 02:17 UTC
Lockdowns declared for blocks in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, Kwun Tong and Yuen Long
Man Wo House and Yan Wo House of Wo Che Estate in Sha Tin. Previous NextAuthorities have locked down six blocks in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, Kwun Tong, and Yuen Long from Sunday afternoon to flush out silent carriers, after sewage samples from the public housing buildings tested positive for Covid-19. Residents at Man Wo House and Yan Wo House of Wo Che Estate in Sha Tin have to undergo compulsory tests by 10 pm on Sunday. In addition, nearly 600 preliminary positive cases were detected at three lockdowns in Sha Tin, Cheung Sha Wan and Kwai Chung which ended on Sunday afternoon. At Foo Wai House of Sun Tin Wai Estate in Sha Tin, some 1,200 residents had undergone testing, among whom 202 tested preliminary positive and seven tested indeterminate.
Source:The Standard
February 28, 2022 00:03 UTC
Rafael Nadal claims Acapulco title
Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Britain’s Cameron Norrie during their Mexico ATP Open 500 men’s singles final tennis match at the Arena GNP, in Acapulco, Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 (February 27 in Manila). AFP PHOTOACAPULCO, Mexico: Rafael Nadal continued his perfect start to 2022, beating Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to lift the Acapulco ATP title in his first tournament since winning the Australian Open. Nadal needed one hour and 54 minutes to beat Britain's 12th-ranked Norrie for the fourth time in as many career meetings. "Cameron is a very solid player, he's a tricky player, he makes you feel that you cannot play comfortably against him at all," Nadal said. As he did in 2020, Nadal won this week without dropping a set.
Source:Manila Times
February 27, 2022 22:38 UTC
Presidential debate: More skyways to solve traffic? Bets weigh in
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential bets on Sunday proposed a litany of recommendations when asked what sort of infrastructure projects would solve the longstanding problem of traffic in Metro Manila. At the CNN Philippines presidential debate Sunday evening, candidates were asked: How do you justify building more roads for Filipinos who have grown weary of traffic? "It's important to build skyways to get rid of traffic," Pacquiao said, though he did not explain how. Panfilo LacsonThe senator praised the Duterte administration's flagship "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure campaign, saying the ongoing Metro Manila Subway would boost public transportation. "It's about time we shift from 'Build, Build, Build' to public-private partnerships," he said, however, adding that rural development would create jobs in the countryside and decongest Metro Manila's roads.
Source:Philippine Star
February 27, 2022 22:27 UTC
Decapitating terrorist organizations won't end terror
AMMAN, Jordan: Killing terrorist organizations' leaders is no effective way of fighting terrorism — as it is political and economic crises on which terrorism feeds. Decapitating the IS doesn't workThe example of al-Qurashi is hardly different from the career of dozens of other Islamist leaders. Their rise as terrorist leaders was the result of state failure, misguided security policies, conflicts between opposing ethnic, religious and sectarian groups, as well as failed development policies and adverse socioeconomic conditions. Numerous other terrorist leaders were killed in similar fashion both before and after that. That time of magic, and the associated opportunities for propaganda, recruitment and terrorist attacks, are in the past.
Source:Manila Times
February 27, 2022 22:02 UTC
'Emergency recruitment' of 1,000 care home workers starts on the mainland
But as staffers serving the homes get infected by Covid-19 or are quarantined, the city faces a “deadly” shortage of manpower. The department is now in touch with mainland authorities to directly hire 1,000 temporary staffers for three months. Subsidized care homes will be allowed to skip a four-week local recruitment before they apply to hire mainlanders as carers. Kenneth Chan Chi-yuk, chairman of the Elderly Services Association, said elderly centers face a crisis of manpower shortage. A carer can earn a monthly salary of up to HK$30,000 amid the current manpower shortage, he added.
Source:The Standard
February 27, 2022 10:58 UTC
PNP reports lowest active COVID-19 cases since Dec. 27
MANILA, Philippines – The number of active COVID-19 cases among the personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was at its lowest on Wednesday since December 27 last year. In its latest COVID-19 bulletin, the PNP Health Service reported 10 additional cases, bringing to the 48,797 total caseload of the national police. There are currently just 39 active cases among its personnel. On Dec. 27 last year, the PNP reported 11 active COVID-19 cases before the country experienced another surge of infections in January due to the Omicron variant. — Jericho Zafra, INQUIRER.net traineeADVERTISEMENTRELATED STORIES:74% of PNP personnel now fully vaccinated vs COVID-19PNP reports decline in active COVID-19 cases among personnelEDVSubscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 23, 2022 07:11 UTC
Past presidents of Philippine Bar Association back Robredo's Malacañang bid
Past presidents of Philippine Bar Association back Robredo's Malacañang bidPhilippine Vice President and opposition presidential candidate Leni Robredo greets supporters during a campaign rally in Legaspi city, Albay province, south of Manila on February 9, 2022, as candidates hit the road for the start of the three-month long campaign season. MANILA, Philippines — Past presidents of the Philippine Bar Association, the oldest voluntary organization of lawyers in the country, have endorsed the bid of presidential aspirant Leni Robredo who, they said, will return the people’s faith in the government. The past presidents of the PBA, meanwhile, urged their fellow lawyers in the endorsement of Robredo’s presidential bid. We believe VP Leni Robredo will keep this vigil alive. And we call on our colleagues in the profession to join us,” the PBA past presidents added.
Source:Philippine Star
February 23, 2022 03:26 UTC
UK says: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun
LONDON — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already begun so Britain will impose sanctions on Russia, a senior British minister said on Tuesday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired an emergency government response meeting over the Ukraine crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing them as independent on Monday, accelerating a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war. “You can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun,” British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News. “The Russians, President Putin, has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.”“We will be introducing sanctions as we said we always will,” he said. Britain has not yet spelled out who would fall under the sanctions, but has pledged that there would be nowhere for Russian oligarchs to hide.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
February 23, 2022 02:56 UTC
A supercharged future with 5G
Telco companies have made it a point to offer improved network services, beginning with the deployment of 5G technology. The same survey reported that gaining network leadership and improving their telco's capacity and quality of service were the primary motivations for rolling out 5G technology. Benefits and opportunitiesHowever vague the future and future business case of 5G seem to be, there are still clear benefits to its adoption. Thus, startups and businesses in related industries have the space to create new and value-added products and services that leverage 5G. The actual speed and amounts of data that can be transferred through a 5G network are inconsequential to discussing its importance.
Source:Manila Times
February 22, 2022 22:33 UTC