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Restrictions reimposed as virus resurges in much of Asia
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Michael Ejercito
May 20, 2021, 9:18:24 AM5/20/21
to
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4206538
Restrictions reimposed as virus resurges in much of Asia
4637
By HUIZHONG WU and ZEN SOO, Associated Press
2021/05/19 17:49
Social distancing on the subway in Singapore
Social distancing on the subway in Singapore (AP photo)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taxi drivers are starved for customers, weddings
are suddenly canceled, schools are closed, and restaurant service is
restricted across much of Asia as the coronavirus makes a resurgence in
countries where it had seemed to be well under control.
Sparsely populated Mongolia has seen its death toll soar from 15 to 233,
while Taiwan, considered a major success in battling the virus, has
recorded more than 1,000 cases since last week and placed over 600,000
people in two-week medical isolation.
Hong Kong and Singapore have postponed a quarantine-free travel bubble
for a second time after an outbreak in Singapore of uncertain origin.
China, which has all but stamped out local infections, has seen new
cases apparently linked to contact with people arriving from abroad.
The resurgence hasn’t come close to the carnage wrought in India and
parts of Europe, but it is a keen reminder that the virus remains
resilient, despite mask mandates, case tracing, mass testing and wider
deployment of the newest weapon against it — vaccinations.
That’s setting back efforts to get social and economic life back to
normal, particularly in schools and sectors like the hospitality
industry that are built on public contact.
In Taiwan, the surge is being driven by the more easily transmissible
variant first identified in Britain, according to Chen Chien-jen, an
epidemiologist and the island’s former vice president, who led the
highly praised pandemic response last year.
Complicating matters are some senior citizens who frequent slightly racy
“tea salons” in Taipei’s Wanhua neighborhood. They accounted for about
375 of the new cases as of Tuesday, Chen said. The tea shops are known
for providing adult entertainment with singing and dancing.
“These seniors, when they go to these places, want to keep it veiled,”
Chen said. “When we are conducting the investigation, they may not be
honest.”
In Wanhua, normally a bustling area with food stalls, shops and
entertainment venues, the Huaxi night market and historic Longshan
Buddhist temple are closed.
Kao Yu-chieh, who runs a breakfast shop in the area, said business is
down at least 50% since last week.
Cab driver Wang Hsian Jhong said he hasn’t had a customer in three days.
“Everyone is affected. This is a Taiwan-wide problem. We have to get
through it,” he said, puffing on a cigarette on a street in Wanhua.
The island has shut all schools and restrictions previously only in the
Taipei area were expanded island-wide Wednesday: Restaurants, gyms and
other public venues were closed, and gatherings of more than five people
indoors and more than 10 people outdoors are banned.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has sought to reassure a public that is
reverting to panic-buying and shunning public places.
“We will continue to strengthen our medical capacity,” Tsai said, adding
that vaccines are arriving from abroad.
Malaysia unexpectedly imposed a one-month lockdown through June 7,
spooked by a sharp rise in cases, more-infectious variants and weak
public compliance with health measures.
It was the second nationwide lockdown in just over a year and came after
the country’s cases shot up fourfold since January; it’s now more than
479,000 and 1,994 people have died, a sum also up by four times from
January. Interstate travel and social activities are banned, schools are
shut, and restaurants can provide only takeout service. The government
has warned that hospitals have almost maxed out their capacity to take
new coronavirus cases.
Singapore has imposed stringent social distancing measures until June
13, restricting public gatherings to two people and banning dine-in
service at restaurants.
That came after the number of coronavirus infections of untraceable
origin rose to 48 cases in the past week, from 10 cases the week before.
Singapore had previously been held up as a role model after keeping the
virus at bay for months.
Schools moved online after students in several institutions tested
positive. Wedding receptions are no longer allowed, and funerals are
capped at 20 people.
For wedding planner Michelle Lau, at least seven clients either canceled
or postponed weddings meant to take place over the next month. Other
couples have opted for a simple ceremony without a reception, she said.
Janey Chang, who runs two Latin dance studios in Singapore, says that
the tougher restrictions have drastically reduced class size.
“We are taking on fewer students, but the costs such as rent remain the
same,” Chang said. “Whether we can continue to operate is highly
dependent on the number of coronavirus cases.”
Hong Kong has responded to fresh outbreaks by increasing the quarantine
requirement from 14 to 21 days for unvaccinated travelers arriving from
“high-risk” countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and,
farther afield, Argentina, Italy, the Netherlands and Kenya.
China has set up checkpoints at toll booths, airports and railway
stations in Liaoning province, where new cases were reported this week.
Travelers must have proof of a recent negative virus test, and mass
testing was ordered in part of Yingkou, a port city with shipping
connections to more than 40 countries.
Thailand reported 35 deaths, the highest since the outbreak started, on
Tuesday, and an additional 29 on Wednesday. That brought its number of
fatalities to 678, of which 584 have been reported in the latest wave.
About three-quarters of Thailand’s more than 116,000 cases have been
recorded since the beginning of April.
Thailand had about 7,100 cases in all of last year in what was regarded
as a success story.
The resurgence has posed difficult choices for governments, particularly
in poorer nations where lockdown restrictions can increase financial
suffering for those already living on the edge of starvation.
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has eased a lockdown in
the bustling capital and adjacent provinces to fight economic recession
and hunger but has still barred public gatherings this month, when many
Roman Catholic festivals are held.
COVID-19 infections started to spike in March to some of the worst
levels in Asia, surging beyond 10,000 a day and prompting Duterte to
impose the lockdown in and around Manila in April. The Philippines has
reported more than 1.1 million infections with 19,372 deaths, though the
surge has begun to ease.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the partial resumption of
economic activities, increased noncompliance with restrictions and
inadequate tracing of people exposed to the virus combined to spark the
steep rise in infections.
Experts said the delivery of vaccines, however delayed and small in
amount, also fostered false confidence the pandemic might be ending.
Restrictions reimposed as virus resurges in much of Asia
4637
By HUIZHONG WU and ZEN SOO, Associated Press
2021/05/19 17:49
Social distancing on the subway in Singapore
Social distancing on the subway in Singapore (AP photo)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taxi drivers are starved for customers, weddings
are suddenly canceled, schools are closed, and restaurant service is
restricted across much of Asia as the coronavirus makes a resurgence in
countries where it had seemed to be well under control.
Sparsely populated Mongolia has seen its death toll soar from 15 to 233,
while Taiwan, considered a major success in battling the virus, has
recorded more than 1,000 cases since last week and placed over 600,000
people in two-week medical isolation.
Hong Kong and Singapore have postponed a quarantine-free travel bubble
for a second time after an outbreak in Singapore of uncertain origin.
China, which has all but stamped out local infections, has seen new
cases apparently linked to contact with people arriving from abroad.
The resurgence hasn’t come close to the carnage wrought in India and
parts of Europe, but it is a keen reminder that the virus remains
resilient, despite mask mandates, case tracing, mass testing and wider
deployment of the newest weapon against it — vaccinations.
That’s setting back efforts to get social and economic life back to
normal, particularly in schools and sectors like the hospitality
industry that are built on public contact.
In Taiwan, the surge is being driven by the more easily transmissible
variant first identified in Britain, according to Chen Chien-jen, an
epidemiologist and the island’s former vice president, who led the
highly praised pandemic response last year.
Complicating matters are some senior citizens who frequent slightly racy
“tea salons” in Taipei’s Wanhua neighborhood. They accounted for about
375 of the new cases as of Tuesday, Chen said. The tea shops are known
for providing adult entertainment with singing and dancing.
“These seniors, when they go to these places, want to keep it veiled,”
Chen said. “When we are conducting the investigation, they may not be
honest.”
In Wanhua, normally a bustling area with food stalls, shops and
entertainment venues, the Huaxi night market and historic Longshan
Buddhist temple are closed.
Kao Yu-chieh, who runs a breakfast shop in the area, said business is
down at least 50% since last week.
Cab driver Wang Hsian Jhong said he hasn’t had a customer in three days.
“Everyone is affected. This is a Taiwan-wide problem. We have to get
through it,” he said, puffing on a cigarette on a street in Wanhua.
The island has shut all schools and restrictions previously only in the
Taipei area were expanded island-wide Wednesday: Restaurants, gyms and
other public venues were closed, and gatherings of more than five people
indoors and more than 10 people outdoors are banned.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has sought to reassure a public that is
reverting to panic-buying and shunning public places.
“We will continue to strengthen our medical capacity,” Tsai said, adding
that vaccines are arriving from abroad.
Malaysia unexpectedly imposed a one-month lockdown through June 7,
spooked by a sharp rise in cases, more-infectious variants and weak
public compliance with health measures.
It was the second nationwide lockdown in just over a year and came after
the country’s cases shot up fourfold since January; it’s now more than
479,000 and 1,994 people have died, a sum also up by four times from
January. Interstate travel and social activities are banned, schools are
shut, and restaurants can provide only takeout service. The government
has warned that hospitals have almost maxed out their capacity to take
new coronavirus cases.
Singapore has imposed stringent social distancing measures until June
13, restricting public gatherings to two people and banning dine-in
service at restaurants.
That came after the number of coronavirus infections of untraceable
origin rose to 48 cases in the past week, from 10 cases the week before.
Singapore had previously been held up as a role model after keeping the
virus at bay for months.
Schools moved online after students in several institutions tested
positive. Wedding receptions are no longer allowed, and funerals are
capped at 20 people.
For wedding planner Michelle Lau, at least seven clients either canceled
or postponed weddings meant to take place over the next month. Other
couples have opted for a simple ceremony without a reception, she said.
Janey Chang, who runs two Latin dance studios in Singapore, says that
the tougher restrictions have drastically reduced class size.
“We are taking on fewer students, but the costs such as rent remain the
same,” Chang said. “Whether we can continue to operate is highly
dependent on the number of coronavirus cases.”
Hong Kong has responded to fresh outbreaks by increasing the quarantine
requirement from 14 to 21 days for unvaccinated travelers arriving from
“high-risk” countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and,
farther afield, Argentina, Italy, the Netherlands and Kenya.
China has set up checkpoints at toll booths, airports and railway
stations in Liaoning province, where new cases were reported this week.
Travelers must have proof of a recent negative virus test, and mass
testing was ordered in part of Yingkou, a port city with shipping
connections to more than 40 countries.
Thailand reported 35 deaths, the highest since the outbreak started, on
Tuesday, and an additional 29 on Wednesday. That brought its number of
fatalities to 678, of which 584 have been reported in the latest wave.
About three-quarters of Thailand’s more than 116,000 cases have been
recorded since the beginning of April.
Thailand had about 7,100 cases in all of last year in what was regarded
as a success story.
The resurgence has posed difficult choices for governments, particularly
in poorer nations where lockdown restrictions can increase financial
suffering for those already living on the edge of starvation.
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has eased a lockdown in
the bustling capital and adjacent provinces to fight economic recession
and hunger but has still barred public gatherings this month, when many
Roman Catholic festivals are held.
COVID-19 infections started to spike in March to some of the worst
levels in Asia, surging beyond 10,000 a day and prompting Duterte to
impose the lockdown in and around Manila in April. The Philippines has
reported more than 1.1 million infections with 19,372 deaths, though the
surge has begun to ease.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the partial resumption of
economic activities, increased noncompliance with restrictions and
inadequate tracing of people exposed to the virus combined to spark the
steep rise in infections.
Experts said the delivery of vaccines, however delayed and small in
amount, also fostered false confidence the pandemic might be ending.
HeartDoc Andrew
May 20, 2021, 9:31:51 AM5/20/21
to
places is by rapidly ( http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) finding
out at any given moment, including even while on-line, who among us
are unwittingly contagious (i.e pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic) in
order to http://bit.ly/ConvinceItForward (John 15:12) for them to call
their doctor and self-quarantine per their doctor in hopes of stopping
this pandemic. Thus, we're hoping for the best while preparing for the
worse-case scenario of the B.1.1.7 lineage mutations and others like
the P.1, B.1.135, B.1.351, B.1.429, B.1.525, & B.1.617.1-3 lineage
mutations combining to render current COVID vaccines no longer
effective.
Indeed, I am wonderfully hungry ( http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 )
and hope you, Michael, also have a healthy appetite too.
So how are you ?
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
--
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Cardiologist with an http://bit.ly/EternalMedicalLicense
2016 & upwards non-partisan candidate for U.S. President:
http://bit.ly/WonderfullyHungryPresident
and author of the 2PD-OMER Approach:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewCare
which is the only **healthy** cure for the U.S. healthcare crisis
Michael Ejercito
May 21, 2021, 9:13:24 AM5/21/21
to
Michael
HeartDoc Andrew
May 21, 2021, 9:18:26 AM5/21/21
to
MichaelE wrote:
> I am wonderfully hungry!
While wonderfully hungry in the Holy Spirit, Who causes (Deuteronomy
8:3) us to hunger, I note that you, Michael, not only don't have
COVID-19 but are rapture (Luke 17:37) ready and pray (2 Chronicles
7:14) that our Everlasting (Isaiah 9:6) Father in Heaven continues to
give us "much more" (Luke 11:13) Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so
that we'd have much more of His Help to always say/write that we're
"wonderfully hungry" in **all** ways including especially caring to
http://bit.ly/convince_it_forward (John 15:12 as shown by
http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) with all glory (
http://bit.ly/Psalm117_ ) to GOD (aka HaShem, Elohim, Abba, DEO), in
the name (John 16:23) of LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
Laus DEO !
Be hungrier, which really is wonderfully healthier especially for
diabetics and other heart disease patients:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewToutsHunger (Luke 6:21a) with all glory to
GOD, Who causes us to hunger (Deuteronomy 8:3) when He blesses us
right now (Luke 6:21a) thereby removing the http://HeartMDPhD.com/VAT
from around the heart
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
While wonderfully hungry in the Holy Spirit, Who causes (Deuteronomy
8:3) us to hunger, I note that you, Michael, not only don't have
COVID-19 but are rapture (Luke 17:37) ready and pray (2 Chronicles
7:14) that our Everlasting (Isaiah 9:6) Father in Heaven continues to
give us "much more" (Luke 11:13) Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so
that we'd have much more of His Help to always say/write that we're
"wonderfully hungry" in **all** ways including especially caring to
http://bit.ly/convince_it_forward (John 15:12 as shown by
http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) with all glory (
http://bit.ly/Psalm117_ ) to GOD (aka HaShem, Elohim, Abba, DEO), in
the name (John 16:23) of LORD Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.
Laus DEO !
Be hungrier, which really is wonderfully healthier especially for
diabetics and other heart disease patients:
http://bit.ly/HeartDocAndrewToutsHunger (Luke 6:21a) with all glory to
GOD, Who causes us to hunger (Deuteronomy 8:3) when He blesses us
right now (Luke 6:21a) thereby removing the http://HeartMDPhD.com/VAT
from around the heart
...because we mindfully choose to openly care with our heart,
HeartDoc Andrew <><
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