Thursday, April 29, 2021

Covid outbreaks in Taiwan, Singapore and other countries, Taiwan tap water in relation to cancer

 


News (1) to (8) / Reports by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image : Novotel Taoyuan Airport Hotel room

News (1)

The China Airlines pilots' infections have spread to Novotel Taoyuan Airport Hotel

The Taiwan Central Epidemic Command Center announced on 29 April 2021 that the director of the Novotel Hotel for China Airlines crew quarantine (Case 1120) is suffering from covid. He had visited a clinic 3 times before the diagnosis. The clinic on 28 April suspended business for disinfection. 

It was reported that the hotel director was going to a clinic in Sanchong, New Taipei City and after that the clinic was disinfected on a large scale. In response, the New Taipei Health Bureau responded that everything was announced by the command centre. 

The command centre commander Chen Shizhong said at a press conference this afternoon that Case 1120 is being treated in the intensive care unit. It may not be possible to clearly explain the recent footprints. Other investigation methods will be used to clarify the footprints. 

At present, only medical institutions have been able to grasp the footprints, and health insurance registration information can be adjusted, and the contact persons can grasp it more clearly. Chen pointed out that all the cases went to the same clinic, and the clinic was asked to close the business last night.


News (2)

Novotel Hotel’s director entered the ICU. Another 3 employees had fever and rushed to the doctor

The Taiwanese Anti-Epidemic Command Centre announced on 29 April two new cases of local covid, of which Case 1120 is an insider of the Novotel Taoyuan Airport Hotel of China Airlines. 

Commander Chen Shizhong stated that Case 1120 is a mid-level supervisor of housekeeping management and is currently in the ICU. In the ward, three other employees in the hotel developed fever and were taken to the hospital. The command centre stated that Case 1120 is a 40-year-old man. He is an employee of an airport epidemic prevention hotel. He has no recent history of going abroad. His usual work activities include checking the cleanliness of the room environment, occasionally assisting the crew to buy items or send spare parts, wearing masks during work and gloves. 

Case 1120 began to experience symptoms such as cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, and wheezing from 17 April and went to the clinic several times from 19 to 26 April. As the symptoms did not improve, from 27 April he went to the hospital, was diagnosed with pneumonia, and was admitted to hospital for isolation and examination. His diagnosis was confirmed today (Ct value 21, serum antibodies IgM and IgG are positive). 

The command centre pointed out that Case 1120 lives alone. 107 contacts have been initially quarantined, including friends, workplace contacts, and medical contacts. Among them, 4 are listed in home isolation and 103 are listed in independent health management, which will continue. Investigations into the activity history and contact history of the case, and listing the possible contacts are ongoing. 

Commander Chen Shizhong said that Case 1120 is in the ICU intensive care unit. He has had related symptoms since the 17th, and it is estimated that the infectious period should have started from 15 April. 

In the Novotel Hotel, a total of 412 people need to be evacuated this time, including 207 employees, 109 China Airlines pilots, 76 foreign pilots, and 20 general guests. Among the 207 employees, in addition to the confirmed case of 1120, three people were sent to hospital for fever treatment.



News (3)

32 close contacts under quarantined

A Changi Airport ICA officer was diagnosed with covid on 28 April. 32 Checkpoint immigration officers who also worked at the airport were listed as his close contacts and have received their quarantine orders.

The confirmed airport checkpoint officer is the local 62,517th case of covid and is currently receiving treatment at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. He developed fever, loss of smell and body aches on Monday (26 April). He was diagnosed after seeking medical treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital the day before yesterday (27 April).

The 38-year-old man had previously undergone periodic testing on a rotating basis, and the results were all negative. The last test was last Friday (22 April).

The ICA issued a statement on 29 April stating that the title of this man is deputy team leader and he is mainly responsible for handling immigration procedures for passengers at the First Terminal. His serum test result was negative.

As a preventive measure, in addition to the 32 checkpoint officers who have received the quarantine order, about 100 Changi Airport checkpoint officers will also be tested for covid.

Source: 8world

News (4)

Allergic to drugs not vaccinated

The confirmed man had made an appointment for vaccination earlier, but because he was allergic to drugs, the doctor did not recommend him to be vaccinated.

ICA is assisting the Ministry of Health in tracing close contacts, and it is also paying attention to the health conditions of the confirmed employees and other checkpoint officers.

Source: 8world

News (5)

Most Changi Airport checkpoint officers have completed vaccination

The checkpoint bureau revealed that since the beginning of this year, they have strongly encouraged all qualified checkpoint bureau personnel to be vaccinated against the CCP virus. As of the beginning of this month, 92% of the checkpoint bureau personnel deployed at Changi Airport have completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccination.

Source: 8world

News (6)

Vietnamese cleaner diagnosed, completed two doses of vaccinations two months ago

According to Lianhe Zaobao, on 29 April 2021, there is a 39-year-old Vietnamese woman among the newly added community cases. She is currently unrelated to other cases. This patient has completed two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 (covi, novel coronavirus, CCP virus) vaccine by 19 February.

This woman is a cleaner who works in a community nursing facility in Tuas South and occasionally helps out at the cooked food stall at the Bukit Timah campus of the National University of Singapore.

The woman puts on a full set of protective equipment when cleaning in the nursing facility. She has no symptoms of covid and is diagnosed during periodic inspections.

The Ministry of Health pointed out in a statement that the woman’s previous rotating periodic tests were all negative, and only the results on 26 and 27 April are positive. Her serum result also tested positive but the authorities believe that she is currently infected.

The Ministry of Health said, "Although the covi vaccine can prevent most vaccinated people from showing symptoms, individuals who have been vaccinated may still be infected by the virus."


News (7)

At least two wards under lock down, 8 more casualties of COVID-19 on 29 April 2021


According to Lianhe Zaobao, among the inpatients of the covid clusters at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), five are between 71 and 94 years old, and one patient is 57 years old. The 57-year-old man of Ward 9D is the first to show symptoms in the cluster. He had a fever on 16 April but did not seek medical attention. On the 18th, due to persistent fever, runny nose and cough, he went to the emergency department of Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment. He tested negative for covid at the time and was subsequently admitted to Ward 7D.

On 20 April, he was transferred to Ward 9D but his fever did not go away. After an infectious disease specialist diagnosed and treated him, he was transferred to an isolation ward on the 27th. He tested positive for covid on 28 April and was transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. His serological test was negative, which means he is currently infected.

The rest of the confirmed hospitalized patients were originally living in Ward 9D, which was discovered by the authorities through testing. Among them, a 71-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man developed fever or acute respiratory infection on 25 and 28 April respectively while the other three patients showed no symptoms.

Singapore's Ministry of Health said that TTSH has sealed off Ward 7D and Ward 9D, and inspections of staff and patients in the two wards are in progress. TTSH has not announced the identity of patients that were affected by the lock down of Ward 10B. 

The hospital by the afternoon of 29 April has prohibited visitors to enter remaining wards for health safety and covi-containing reasons.

As of 29 April 2021, nine people have contracted covid in TTSH, including six hospitalized patients and three medical staff. The latest information shows that it is believed that a patient who was admitted to the hospital 10 days ago brought the virus into the relevant ward.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health at night of 29 April, due to the emergence of a cluster of infections in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, coupled with a new cluster of infections at home, there has been a surge of 16 cases in the local community, the largest day in more than nine months. The last time there were multiple community cases is on 11 July 2020, when there are 24 cases on that day.

The Filipino nurse who was diagnosed earlier as well as the 30-year-old male doctor and 18-year-old female health assistant trainee, who were diagnosed the day on 28 April, work in Ward 9D. Among them, male doctors completed two doses of vaccination on 18 January and 8 February.

The nurses and doctors above developed symptoms on 27 April. The doctor had a fever that day and went to the general practice clinic for medical treatment and testing. The next day, he started to have a sore throat, the test result was positive, and later the serological test was negative. The health assistant trainee has no symptoms.

After locking down Ward 7D and Ward 9D, the staff and patients in the two wards are still being tested. All people who have been in close contact with the confirmed case will be quarantined, including patients, visitors and staff who have been to these two wards.

News (8)

All patients and staff will be tested and treatments other than emergency cases are postponed

TTSH has strengthened supervision of patients with fever and symptoms of acute respiratory infection. For safety reasons, all patients and staff in other wards will be tested, including those who have not developed symptoms.

In addition, the activities of staff and patients in all major wards have been minimized to reduce the risk of infection. Since yesterday, the hospital will not accept any visitors except for visiting critically ill patients.

Except for emergency cases, all elective treatments will be postponed. Emergency cases that are not life-threatening are referred to other hospitals.

One of the confirmed patients at the Chen Tock Seng Hospital was 71-year-old Wang Jinzhu. According to The Straits Times, she was admitted to Ward 9D on 20 April due to rheumatoid arthritis. She developed cough and fever on 25 April.

As the fever lasted for a few days, Wang Jinzhu was tested for covid at noon on 28 April and was diagnosed at about 5 pm. She was scheduled to receive the first dose of vaccine on 28 April but she has not yet been vaccinated. Her husband, son, daughter and seven-year-old grandson who had visited her in the hospital have all been quarantined.

Wang Jinzhu's son (39 years old) said in a telephone interview with Lianhe Zaobao that she and her son are currently under quarantine in a hotel and are in good condition. The father fulfilled the quarantine order at home while the sister was quarantined in another hotel room.

The son, who did not want to be named, revealed that his mother had moved from Ward 9D  to another ward. He said, "Fortunately, my mother and I can keep in touch by phone. Her condition fluctuates. Although the fever has gone, she still vomits." 


News (9)

Taiwan tap water does not cause cancer as long as chlorine evaporates after the lid is opened

Cancer has been one of the top 10 causes of death for nearly 40 years, and the public has become disillusioned with cancer. 

Recently, a Taiwanese elder's article has been circulated on a social network, saying that Taiwanese people are used to steaming in an electric pot, usually using tap water directly. According to the article, the chlorine in the tap water is evaporated and absorbed by the food, so it is easy to cause cancer.

Toxicologists said that this statement is an overstatement. The concentration of chlorine in tap water is low, and only one action can solve these doubts. 

This elder's essay is full of pictures, and the title directly states that "Taiwanese suffer from more cancer and it is related to the electric cooker." The article stated that water is definitely used when steaming in an electric pot, and tap water is added to the outer pot. Chlorine in tap water is dangerous as it causes cancer, and electric pots are cooked in a closed lid, and the chlorine in tap water will be absorbed by food after it evaporates. It is recommended that one switches to filtered water that does not contain chlorine, or use boiled water to add to the outer pot, so that there is no risk of cancer. 

The concentration of effective residual chlorine in Taiwan's tap water is very low.

Taiwan’s tap water has very low residual chlorine. According to Yang Zhenchang, Director of the Department of Clinical Toxicology and Occupational Medicine at the Taipei General Hospital, he said that according to the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency, according to domestic drinking water  quality standards, the effective residual chlorine concentration in the water is 0.2 to 1.0PPM, and the effective residual chlorine concentration is very low and will not affect human health. 

What everyone is worried about is the "trihalomethane" that is evaporated by heating the chlorinated water. Since the residual chlorine in the water is very low, the amount of trihalomethane produced is very small, which is not harmful to health. 

Trihalomethane is not listed as a carcinogen, and there have been rumours on the Internet that "trihalomethane is a carcinogen." Yang Zhenchang said that this is simply wrong. 

According to the classification of carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization, trihalomethanes are classified as level 2B, which is "low-probably carcinogenic to humans", that is, it has not been confirmed to be carcinogenic, so there is no need to worry about the future.

Substances that have been proven to be carcinogenic can cause cancer. 

When tap water in Taiwan is boiled, the chlorine will evaporate, and it will be safe to cook if you open the lid. If you are really worried that the residual chlorine in tap water will affect the food cooked in the electric pot, as suggested in the elder’s article, "Use boiled water and cook in an external pot". It is a good way. 

Yang Zhenchang said that the residual chlorine in tap water will evaporate with steam when the water is boiled. As long as you open the lid of the pot when boiling water or adding water to cook food, the residual chlorine will evaporate and no longer remain. 


News (10)

Fujian launches new measures to re-establish links with Kinmen

From 10 May 2021, the quarantine regulations on people entering Fujian from Kinmen will be relaxed.  The mainland announced in the afternoon of 29 April that in response to the needs of the broad masses of Taiwanese people, it will promote personnel exchanges between Fujian and Taiwan. The Fujian Provincial Government announced that starting from 10 May, Taiwanese people will take convenient measures to travel to Fujian. 

As soon as the news came out, Kinmen public response is polarized. Some people think it should be opened long ago but some people worry that there may be a breach in the epidemic prevention measures. 

Regarding this, Kinmen County Magistrate Yang Zhenwu is optimistic about its success and will respond publicly later. People from Kinmen can enter Fujian without quarantine as long as they live there for 28 days, they can come to Fujian through the "mini three links" direct passenger port, which is regarded as entering the low-risk areas of the mainland where the Fujian personnel are managed without isolation. 

Those who enter the country must provide the "Personal Health Commitment for Taiwanese Compatriots" (valid evidence that there is no history of residence in Kinmen or other areas outside Matsu 28 days before entry), a valid certificate of negative nucleic acid test within 7 days before entry issued by medical institutions in Kinmen, Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents or Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, etc. 

The Fujian authority said that from 10 May, Fujian Province will target those who urgently need to come to Fujian to work, carry out important business and exchange activities, and to come to Fujian through the Xiamen-Taipei passenger air route. 

Taiwanese people have implemented the convenient measures of "2 days of centralized medical observation + 19 days of closed-loop management", meaning that they can be converted to "19-day closed-loop management" after 2 days of centralized isolation, that is, between the accommodation and the workplace. 

 Kinmen County Magistrate Yang Zhenhu is optimistic about the restart of the mini three links, and he also calls on the central government to pay attention to it. He had previously proposed specific epidemic prevention actions to the central government, reiterating that under the condition that the epidemic is controllable and epidemic prevention is safe. It is everyone's hope that Fujian and Kinmen can re-establish links with each other. 

In response to the measures proposed by the land side today, he felt the goodwill of the other side, which can be used as some preliminary preparations for the further resumption of exchanges and exchanges between the two sides of the strait as the epidemic eases, calling on the central government to respond clearly and kindly.




News (11)

CCP officials confirmed: China has found the India variant virus

Reporter : Xiao Jing / Editor: Mei Lan / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/29/a103107173.html / Direct translation

The Chinese Communist Party officially confirmed on Thursday (29 April) that there were 10 new confirmed cases of covid from India. The recent rapid spread of the pandemic in India has aroused international concerns.

The official website of the National Health Commission of the Communist Party of China reported on Thursday that there were 20 new confirmed cases in a single day on 28 February, of which Zhejiang accounted for 11 cases. The official website of the Zhejiang Health Commission showed that among the 11 newly confirmed cases, except for one asymptomatic infection who was previously imported from Indonesia, the other 10 cases were all from India.

According to a report from the Zhoushan Municipal Health Commission of Zhejiang Province, 10 Chinese crew members were diagnosed on a freighter docked in Zhoushan. This cargo ship is borrowed from Hong Kong. Since the beginning of this year, it has travelled to Chittagong in Bangladesh, Kakinada in India, Singapore, and Xiamen in China.

The notification also stated that the 10 confirmed cases and 1 asymptomatic infection were transferred to designated hospitals for diagnosis and treatment on 28 April while the remaining 9 Chinese crew members continued to stay on board for observation.

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiology expert of the Chinese Communist Party’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a State Council press conference on Thursday that the prevention and control of the CCP virus epidemic is “far from over”, and some Chinese cities have detected cases carrying the Indian mutant strain. People are both concerned and worried.

Wu Zunyou emphasized that since the pandemic, virus mutation has continued to occur. “As long as the epidemic does not stop, the virus is mutating.” Therefore, during and after the “May 1st” period, the most important thing is to insist on implementing “normalized prevention and control”. Remind the public to "don't take it lightly, and always tighten the string of epidemic prevention and control."

In the past half month, the CCP virus has ravaged India, causing the number of new cases in a single day to reach new highs, and the number of deaths in a single day exceeded 3,000 for the first time on Tuesday (27th). Indian medical institutions have run out of oxygen and intensive care unit beds. Due to the rapid increase in deaths caused by the epidemic, "temporary crematoriums" can be seen everywhere. In the past week, the crematorium in the capital New Delhi alone has cremated more than 600 bodies every day.

At present, more than 40 countries have pledged to provide oxygen to India. The Indian military has begun to transport critical supplies such as oxygen tanks across the country, and will open its medical facilities to civilians; hotels and passenger carriages have also been converted into intensive care facilities to make up for the shortage of hospital beds.

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that the variant virus strain B.1.617 that ravaged India has appeared in at least 17 countries.

According to the WHO, as of April 27, B.1.617 variant strains have been found in more than 1,200 viral gene sequences uploaded to the Global Influenza Data Initiative (GISAID) database. These gene sequences come from at least 17 countries, most of which are India, the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore.

News (12)

Mutated virus strains from India were discovered in many places in China. Netizens: The virus has returned to her natal home

Reporter : Li Yun / Editor : Dai Ming / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/30/a103107447.html / Extract translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Recently, CCP officials revealed that China has detected variant strains from India in many places and warned that epidemic prevention is far from over. In this regard, some netizens said, “All the virus strains came from the Communist Party, and now the virus has returned to their parents’ home.”

On 29 April, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiology expert of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, commented at a press conference of the State Council of the Communist Party of China that the rapid rise of the epidemic in India and  some Asian countries, "it should be said that it has once again sounded the alarm 'The epidemic prevention and control is far from over.'"

Wu Zunyou revealed that Indian mutant strains have been detected in some cities in China. In fact, virus mutations have been occurring since the epidemic. As long as the epidemic continues, the virus is mutating. Therefore, the implementation of epidemic prevention measures is the most critical, and the mutant strains can be terminated. The epidemic can also prevent the occurrence of new mutations.

He also warned that the "May 1st" holiday is approaching, and the epidemic prevention work may face new difficulties. At this time, "the implementation of prevention and control measures is the most critical." However, he did not specify which cities in China have the Indian mutant strains.

Netizens condemned that the CCP "owns all the virus strains"

In response to this, Weibo netizens asked, "Which cities have the virus strains appeared in?", "Which cities...have been detected to have mutated viruses and should be revealed to the public." Look at the indicators".

Some netizens also questioned, "Where did the Indian mutant virus come from? Wasn't it blocked during entry?"

Some Chinese netizens condemned that the CCP "owns all the virus strains, and all the virus strains come from there." Some netizens also said, "In fact, they are all variants of the CCP virus. Some netizens said that on the surface, Beijing claimed that the so-called Indian variant virus spread to the mainland, but in fact it was a three-generation "Wuhan virus" that was transmitted back, and the virus returned to their parents' home.

Variant viruses appear in many places in China

The Chinese Communist Party officially announced that 20 new cases were confirmed on 28 April. Among them, the Zhejiang Health Commission announced that 10 cases came from the Hong Kong cargo ship "Huayang Chaoyang", which had anchored in India. On the same day, the Chinese Communist Party in Chongqing announced that one case had a history of working in India but it did not specify the type of virus variant that the person had contracted.

On 27 April, Yang Zhanqiu, a professor at the Institute of Virology of Wuhan University Medical School, warned that if the pandemic in India continues, the possibility of spreading to China exists, but he denied that “an outbreak similar to India” will occur in China.

India's second wave of epidemic worsens rapidly

At present, the second wave of CCP virus epidemic in India is rapidly deteriorating. As of 29 April, India had a total of 18.38 million confirmed cases of the CCP virus and a total of 204,832 deaths. On the same day, nearly 380,000 infections were added, continuously setting a global record.

The country’s disease control experts estimate that the country’s epidemic peak may be in early May.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the Indian variant virus "B.1.617", one of the causes of the out-of-control epidemic in India, has been found in at least 17 countries. This variant virus is more dangerous than the original virus, which means it is easier to spread, more deadly, or has the ability to evade vaccines.

The CCP virus did not break out in Wuhan in 2019. As the CCP concealed the epidemic, before mid-January 2020, the CCP falsely claimed three times that the epidemic was preventable and controllable and would not spread from person to person, and arrested frontline doctors who broke the news of the epidemic.

On 23 January 2020, after Wuhan was suddenly locked down due to the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) postponed the announcement of the epidemic as an “international public health emergency”. It was not until 11 March that the "global pandemic" was announced. As a result, the pandemic went out of control and spread rapidly all over the world. The CCP virus has infected more than 140 million people worldwide and killed more than 3.1 million people.

News (13)

Chinese vaccinators are abnormal and related information is silenced

Reporters : Chen Han, Li Yun and Wang Yizhen / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/30/a103107724.html / Direct translation

First of all, the European Union’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a report accusing the CCP of replacing "mask diplomacy" with "vaccine diplomacy" and boasting about the benefits of domestic vaccines. However, Chinese vaccinators revealed that many vaccinators had abnormalities and related information was regarded as confidential.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the European Union issued a report on 28 April, stating that the CCP and Russia have used social media accounts to slander the effectiveness of the CCP virus developed by Western countries through social media accounts since the beginning of 2021, and at the same time strengthen the benefits of their own vaccines.

The report also alleged that the CCP replaced "mask diplomacy" with "vaccine diplomacy."

Lai Jianping, a master of international law from China University of Political Science and Law, said that the CCP uses double standards to evaluate Europe and the United States when it comes to dealing with the epidemic and vaccines.

Lai Jianping, Master of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law, said, “For vaccines in Europe and the United States, they exaggerate a little side effect or individual phenomena infinitely. On the contrary, the so-called vaccines developed by their own countries are good news but not bad news. Obviously very serious side effects, they may be hidden."

While promoting vaccine diplomacy internationally, the CCP also threatens to lure people into vaccines at home.

Mr. Wang, a citizen of Wuxi, said that their street director said that vaccinating is a task, and it is difficult to do without an inch, and even subject to legal sanctions.

Mr. Wang said, "You live in the party-state, and your body is not yours, so you must fight. There are rewards for fighting. If you don't fight, you will be punished. If you don't get a vaccine, you can't even buy train tickets."

Mr. Wang said that they rewarded 200 yuan for the vaccine, but many people complained of various adverse side effects.

On 29 April, some tweets said that some places gave 500 RMB to get a vaccine, and released a video of a Chinese woman who was paralyzed after getting the vaccine.

According to Radio Free Asia, Mr. Mu, a vaccination volunteer in China, reported that after receiving domestic vaccines, many people found severe decline in physical fitness, loss of male sexual function, and the onset of chronic diseases among residents. Volunteers were asked to explain to residents that these symptoms were a normal physical reaction.

Mr. Mu also said that every abnormal case must be reported to the superior for feedback, but he will never talk to the outside world.

So far, the CCP has notified more than 204 million doses of vaccination across the country, but the notification has not mentioned any deaths.

However, death cases are frequently exposed online. On 22 April, Yonhap News reported that a South Korean national living in Shanghai died on the 19th after being vaccinated in China. On 15 April, a netizen named "Shanxia Hanezi" said that his 28-year-old brother died after being vaccinated with the Sinopharm Group's Beisheng inactivated vaccine in Shenzhen.

Some Twitter netizens broke the news that a worker in the Beijing Sany Heavy Industry Workshop received the Kexing vaccine on 21 March and died on 23 March. Some netizens said that someone in Tianjin No. 1 Hospital died suddenly after being vaccinated 2 days, etc...

News (14)

Security personnel diagnosed, Ion Orchard: He rarely touches customers

Source : 8world / https://www.8world.com/news/singapore/article/covid19-ion-orchard-1463966 / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

A security guard at Ion Orchard on Orchard Road has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The mall said that this security guard worked at the command center and rarely touched customers. He had no symptoms when he went to work on the 27th of this month.

8world News reported earlier that seven family members of Changi Airport ICA staff were diagnosed with the infection. They had a dinner on the 25th of this month, and the infection may have occurred on the same day. One of them is a 39-year-old man who works as a security guard in Ion Orchard, and is also a private car driver.

Ion Orchard posted on the Facebook page this afternoon (30 April) that the patient worked in the command centre and had very little contact with customers. He had no symptoms when he went to work on the morning of the 27th of this month. During the period of duty, he was notified that his family members tested positive for covid, and he was subsequently quarantined.

The post read: "We have been working closely with the authorities to trace contacts. Colleagues who have been in close contact with the security guard have been quarantined and required to be tested. In addition, a licensed cleaning company has been thoroughly disinfecting the workplace."

Ion Orchard stated that the health and well-being of customers, tenants and employees is the primary consideration. Since last year, the mall has strengthened the cleaning and sanitation of public spaces, frequent cleaning during business hours, and thorough cleaning at the end of the business. The mall will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities and take necessary preventive measures.




News (15)

Novotel Hotel infection expands again, 777 people must be tracked and quarantined

Taoyuan Mayor Zheng Wencan said today that in response to the needs of the Novotel Taoyuan Airport Hotel crews for epidemic prevention hotels, they have coordinated 3 epidemic prevention hotels to provide rooms. As for Novotel’s retrospective guest portion from the 15th to the 28th, preliminary statistics shows that there are 777 people, of which 285 are registered in Taoyuan. Thus, China Airlines pilots' infection cases have expanded, including the Novotel China Airlines Taoyuan Airport Hotel in Taipei where China Airlines crew members were quarantined. 

One supervisor and three employees have been diagnosed with covid. The command centre today also announced multiple footprints of the confirmed cases. Zheng Wencan held a temporary epidemic prevention meeting this afternoon. After the meeting, he said in a joint interview with the media that a total of 20 people were diagnosed with the same infection of China Airlines pilots and Novotel employees. He commented Taoyuan needs to establish a defense line and the community's epidemic prevention level needs to be improved. 

Zheng Wencan said that the first is the mandatory wearing of masks in the eight major indoor places, and the city government will persuade them. The second is that the government must adopt a joint system, take body temperature and wear masks. The third is large-scale activities, with a single indoor 500. Priority is given to the norms of 1,000 people in outdoor areas. He said, "At present, municipal government units are taking the lead and have not yet expanded to the private sector." However, it is still hoped that the private sector can maintain safe distancing and reduce group activities. 

Finally, it is related to personal safety protection. Novotel is a complicated place. Zheng Wencan said that the Novotel Hotel has been emptied and a total of 412 people have been placed in 6 centralized quarantine stations. Currently, 2 of the 4 confirmed cases are living in Taoyuan. The city government has fully grasped the footprints and has also implemented necessary quarantine measures. He said that in the retrospective part of Novotel, the tenants who have lived between 15 and 28 April will be tracked and quarantined. 

According to preliminary statistics, among the 777 people, the 285 registered in Taoyuan are only dining or participating in activities at a wedding banquet, which has not been included, but still calls for independent health management. Zheng said that after the China Airlines Novotel Taoyuan Airport Hotel was emptied, the crew members who returned to China Airlines still needed anti-epidemic hotels. 

Therefore, the city government coordinated 3 anti-epidemic hotels and provided 300 rooms. At present, 65 crew members have moved in and have requested to watch. The travel bureau and the epidemic prevention hotel must thoroughly isolate and provide services, and the staff must wear isolation gowns and gloves to reduce the risk of the epidemic at the hotels. 

Zheng Wencan said that some of the family contacts of the antibody-positive pilots are studying at Taoyuan Ximen and Jinxing Elementary Schools. Currently, more than 50 students are undergoing examinations, and so far they are all negative. There are currently 204 contacts related to case 1112. 

The senior class at Zhongpu Elementary School was suspended, and about 103 people were placed in isolation at the Amanda Ballroom in Zhongli. 

Zheng Wencan also said, "If the crew has stayed overnight at the outer station and left the plane, they are not allowed to board the airplane. If they do not enter the country for a short distance and do not spend the night at the outer station, they must have a health declaration before they can board the airplane. The heaviest fine can be NT$1 million.”  Meanwhile the 20 staff members of the Taoyuan MRT A14a Airport Hotel Station do not provide cross-station support and are included in independent health management. (Central News Agency)


News (16)

Yale-NUS student diagnosed, students living in the same dormitory have to be isolated for a week

A student from Yale-NUS College has been diagnosed with the CCP virus. The school requires students who live in the same dormitory with him to self-isolate for one week.

"Today" reported that according to two emails sent by the school, the student living in the dormitory of Cendana College A began to develop symptoms of covid on Monday (26 April). After being tested the day before 28 April, he was diagnosed on 29 April. Close contact tracing work is in progress.

The college told 8world News that the student is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital, and the places he has visited within the campus have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The college is also keeping in touch with him and giving necessary help.

The email mentioned that the school requires all those who live in the dormitory to isolate themselves in the room for seven days until 12 pm on 7 May. As for those who have been to this dormitory between 24 and 29 April, if they are now at home, they can continue to be isolated at home; if there are old and weak women and children in the home, they can also return to the dormitory for isolation.

During the isolation period, they can only leave the room briefly to do necessary things, such as washing clothes or picking up takeaways. The dormitory canteen will also deliver meals to their rooms. Affected students are required to change to online classes and inform their professors that they have also been given absentee leave.

The college warned that any student who violated the law will be punished with disciplinary action, including expulsion from the dormitory, suspension of education and even expulsion from the institution.


News (17) to (20) / Reporter : Deng Qinyi / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA 

News (17)

Local reappearance of clusters attracts attention, Expert: Covid fatigue may cause slack in epidemic prevention


In recent days, new clusters have appeared frequently in Singapore, and even the first hospital cluster has appeared, causing concern. The infectious disease experts interviewed pointed out that covid fatigue may cause people to relax in epidemic prevention, and the disease may spread at this time.

There were a total of eight new infection clusters in the past two weeks, and two new infection clusters appeared at the same time on 29 APril, including the first nosocomial infection cluster involving medical staff and patients in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Leong Hoa Nam, an infectious disease specialist at the Elizabeth Novena Hospital, pointed out that Singapore has been fighting against COVID-19 for a long time, and many people have become tired of the epidemic, which may cause some people to relax in epidemic prevention. "Like other infectious diseases, covid usually spreads when someone slightly ignores epidemic prevention measures."

News (18)

Vaccination cannot completely prevent transmission

Recently, there have been many local cases of people who have been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and have enough time to develop immunity, including the newly diagnosed doctors and nurses of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. People cannot help but wonder, how effective is the vaccine?

Dr. Leong pointed out that the CCP virus vaccine is not 100% effective, and the effective rate of Pfizer vaccine is about 95%. Therefore, it is still possible to contract covid after vaccination.

In addition, he pointed out that vaccinated people may not have enough antibodies to fight the virus. About 2% of people may have this condition after being vaccinated, so they may still be infected.

He suggested that perhaps the authorities should conduct further inspections for all medical personnel to determine whether they have enough antibodies in their bodies and whether they need a third dose of vaccine.

News (19)

Vaccination can still reduce the risk of severe illness

Nevertheless, Dr. Leong still recommends that everyone be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. It is not possible to relax the epidemic prevention measures until the vaccination rate in Singapore reaches more than 90%.

"If most people have been vaccinated and immunized, then the risk of covid will be reduced, and the risk of serious sequelae after contracting covid will also be reduced. At that time, the infection of covid will become like an infection epidemic. It’s the same as a cold."

Professor Dale Forsell, a senior consultant in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the National University Hospital, pointed out that the clusters at Tan Tock Seng Hospital actually proved that everyone should be vaccinated.

"We have always emphasized that everyone should be vaccinated. Although the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine cannot prevent 100% of the milder covid and the spread of covi, it can prevent death and serious illness."

News (20)

Medical staff are infected with the disease, and the people cannot relax

Dr. Leong said that as the authorities start tracking work, it is believed that more related cases will emerge in the future. The clusters at Tan Tock Seng Hospital are worthy of attention, because it was the medical staff who were diagnosed, and the medical staff should have been accustomed to epidemic prevention measures, such as wearing masks, but they were still infected.

"If medical personnel who are accustomed to epidemic prevention measures may be infected, let alone our ordinary people? So we can't relax. Everyone is responsible for epidemic prevention, and everyone must always follow epidemic prevention measures. If one of them is not careful, it will easily spread to others."

Dr. Leong also hopes that everyone will not blame the confirmed medical staff because they are on the front line and face a higher risk of covi infection.

Dr. Leong and Professor Forsell also said that they hoped that the authorities could find out how the nurse who was the first to be diagnosed was infected and whether it was she who infected other people. Dr. Leong ended, "This incident will let all hospitals on the island serve as a warning to avoid recurrence and re-discuss the hospital's epidemic prevention measures."


News (21)

Live show mantra! Brazil's Minister of Economy: China's vaccine will not work

Reporter : Jinshi / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2021/04/30/a103108096.html / Direct translation



80% of the vaccines used in Brazil are China's Kexing vaccines. But a few days ago, the Brazilian Minister of Economy said frankly that China's vaccine is not as effective as the United States. He also said that China created the virus.

Brazil’s Minister of Economy, Guedes said, “China (co) invented the novel coronavirus, and their vaccine is not as effective as the United States.”

Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes' remarks this week shocked public opinion. Guedes did not know that the meeting was being broadcast live. After the meeting, the Brazilian Ministry of Health immediately withdrew the film. But Guedes’s remarks have spread across the Internet.

Brazil’s Minister of Economy, Guedes, said, “China (total) invented the novel coronavirus, and their vaccine is not as effective as the United States. Americans have invested 100 years in research, and Pfizer vaccines are better than others.”

Guedes is believed to have unintentionally confided the truth. Brazil currently has four vaccines for the public to vaccinate, but 80% of them are China's Sinovac vaccine. The Minister of Economy himself also played the Koxing vaccine.

Brazilian President Posonaro said in October last year that he decided not to buy Chinese vaccines because he did not believe in the safety of Chinese vaccines. But then because of the surge in cases in Brazil, the Brazilian government had no choice but to purchase 100 million doses of Sinovac in January this year. Up to now, Brazil has had more than 400,000 deaths due to the CCP virus, ranking second in the world.

In fact, Brazil is also an overseas experimental base for Chinese vaccines during this epidemic. From July to December last year, the clinical trial of China's Sinovac vaccine was conducted in Brazil. The Brazilian research institute announced the results in April this year. The protective effect of the Kexing vaccine was 50.7%, just stepping on the WHO approval line.

Due to the limited supply of vaccines produced in European and American countries, many low- and middle-income countries turn to China to purchase vaccines. However, the safety of China's vaccines is another concern. In Hong Kong, there have been 25 deaths after vaccination, of which 21 were vaccinated with Sinovac and 4 were vaccinated with BioNTech. Mainland China has been vaccinated 204 million times and no deaths have been reported, but the transparency of China's information has always been questioned by the outside world.

On Thursday, the latest batch of 1 million doses of Pfizer vaccine arrived in Brazil, and Brazil’s Minister of Health Queroga personally witnessed the arrival at the airport.

Marcelo Queroga, Brazil’s Minister of Health, said, “Vaccines are synonymous with hope, and hope to end this epidemic.”

Due to vaccine shortages, some cities in Brazil had to suspend vaccination plans. The arrival of the new vaccine will alleviate the urgent needs of the Brazilian government.

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Picture : The error in Changi app

 Picture, copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA