RTHK: Australians trapped in vaccine Hunger Games: official Getting vaccinated in Australia is like "The Hunger Games" a top health official said on Monday, as the country battles scarce supplies during a growing Covid-19 outbreak. A vaccine shortage has led to panicked efforts by people looking to get jabbed, said Brad Hazzard, health minister for the country's most populous state New South Wales. "It is almost a sense now of The Hunger Games of people chasing vaccine," he said of desperate residents turning up at mass vaccination centres or making regular calls to medical facilities in the hope of securing an appointment. Set in a dystopian future, the wildly popular Hunger Games books and films saw a group of young people selected annually to participate in a televised battle to the death. Just seven percent of Australia's roughly 25 million residents have been fully vaccinated, one of the lowest proportions for any developed nation. The country's conservative government bet heavily on AstraZeneca, and developing a homegrown vaccine, which failed in trials. Many Australians have shunned the available AstraZeneca offering -- now only recommended for those aged over 60 -- and tried to secure appointments to get the Pfizer shot. But the odds have not been in their favour as efforts to get more doses of Pfizer and other vaccines remain hampered by late decisions on ordering and limited global supply. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under growing pressure to increase the vaccination rate, as an outbreak in locked-down Sydney grew to more than 300. Australia has seen 30,000 virus cases since the pandemic began, but several major cities imposed snap lockdowns to limit small outbreaks in recent weeks. Hazzard said it was "easy to be critical" of the federal government's efforts in hindsight, "but I think they did their best." But he warned "until we get enough vaccine -- and enough GPs actually at the front-line able to provide that vaccine into arms -- we will continue to have effectively The Hunger Games going on here," he said. Last week Morrison revealed a four-stage plan to reopen Australia's borders and end the cycle of snap lockdowns, a plan which depends on a large portion of the population being vaccinated. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: COVID-19 mobile vaccination drive launched in Gauteng In an effort to ramp up the provinces vaccination programme, the Gauteng Provincial Government and civil society partners will this week launch COVID-19 mobile vaccination drives in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg. In a statement, Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson Thabo Masebe said the drive is aimed at assisting all eligible persons for vaccination to get jabs near their places of residence or work. Masebe said mobile clinics and additional vaccination sites will be used. Transport will also be provided for those in need. Pick-up points in different areas have been published. All eligible persons are urged to make use of the opportunities created to get vaccinated, Masebe said. The provincial government urged people who are 50 years and older to register for their vaccination. He also assured that all public vaccination sites in Gauteng accept walk-ins of all eligible groups. COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective in preventing severe diseases, hospitalisation and death even in the event of a delta variant infection. The Gauteng government would like to remind residents that each vaccination brings us one step closer to a better future and to the things we miss. Let us minimise the spread of the disease and flatten the curve through compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions. We call on all Gauteng residents to get vaccinated when their turn comes, Masebe said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Review on grant system completed A task force appointed by the Secretary for Labour & Welfare today recommended that the Lump Sum Grant Subvention System, including the prevailing calculation of subvention to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), should be retained. The task force has completed the review on the subvention system and released the review report. It considered that the system should be retained and made various recommendations under different domains for the systems enhancement. On enhancing the quality of services, the report proposed that a standing mechanism should be developed to conduct reviews on notional staffing establishment, service targets, service nature and service performance standards to keep pace with the changing needs of users of various types of social services. In terms of human resources management, the report said the subvention benchmark at mid-point salaries should be maintained to allow NGOs to continue to exercise flexibility to employ staff, respond to service needs swiftly and provide welfare services efficiently. The task force recommended improvement to the management of the Holding Account and formulation of utilisation plans and financial projections to optimise the use of the reserve with the aim of improving financial planning. It also proposed the use of the Provident Fund reserve should be optimised to enhance staff morale and their sense of belonging to NGOs. On the suitable use of subvention, the review considered that NGOs should give a proper account of the expenditures to the Government and the public and ensure no cross-subsidisation of self-financing activities in money by the subvented programmes under the Funding & Service Agreements signed with the Social Welfare Department. The review also proposed that NGOs should enhance the transparency of their staff remuneration policies to enhance accountability and governance. These include the disclosure of their senior executives in the top three tiers, pay structures as well as establishment and starting points of regular posts under the lump sum grant. The Government will brief the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services on the report on July 12. The Social Welfare Department will then discuss with stakeholders the implementation details of the recommendations which are expected to be introduced from 2022-23. Click here for the report. This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Security law brings stability: CE Chief Executive Carrie Lam I welcome you all for joining us today, either in person or online, at this National Security Law Legal Forum - Security Brings Prosperity hosted by the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commemoration of the first anniversary of the National Security Law. This is yet another important legal forum featuring heavyweight guest speakers following the Basic Law 30th Anniversary Legal Summit organised by the department last November. I would like to thank the Secretary for Justice and her colleagues for their efforts. My thanks also go to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR and the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR for their support. When we talk about the unique advantages of Hong Kong, the rule of law is always among the first to be mentioned. To support the rule of law in society, in addition to having clear and explicit laws, robust legal institutions, prosecution power free from any interference and independent judicial power, we need the public to abide by the law and in this regard, it is important for the public to understand the legal provisions and their application. The Hong Kong SAR Government has therefore organised more activities in recent years to promote the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law, with a view to consolidating and strengthening the rule of law in Hong Kong. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress enacted the National Security Law and listed the legislation in Annex III to the Basic Law on June 30 last year. On the same day, the law was applied by promulgation in the Hong Kong SAR to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR. Today, the National Security Law has come into force for more than one year. Article 1 of the general principles in Chapter I of the National Security Law states, first and foremost, that the purpose of enacting the National Security Law is to ensure the full and faithful implementation of the policy of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and the Hong Kong SAR enjoying a high degree of autonomy; safeguarding national security; and maintaining prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong SAR. This fundamental principle is well reflected in the theme of the forum today - Security Brings Prosperity. Indeed, safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development interests is the constitutional responsibility of the Hong Kong SAR. They are also the prerequisites for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. The implementation of the National Security Law therefore not only aims to end the chaos and violence associated with the legislative amendment exercise in June 2019, but also to uphold and improve the institutional system of "one country, two systems" fundamentally, ensuring the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems". The National Security Law is the major turning point in Hong Kong's transition from chaos to order. Its effect in stablising the society is indisputable. Over the year-long period before the implementation of the National Security Law, the Hong Kong community was badly traumatised. Organisations advocating Hong Kong independence and self-determination blatantly challenged the authority of the central authorities and the Hong Kong SAR Government. Terrorist activities were orchestrated by radicals. Public facilities were vandalised with violence and enforcement actions by Police were obstructed. Anti-China forces colluded with foreign or external forces to interfere into the affairs of China and the Hong Kong SAR, and mobilised international forces to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, totally disregarding the interests of the country and Hong Kong people and seriously endangering national security. The anti-China forces also undermined the effectiveness of the Government's anti-epidemic efforts in the early period of the pandemic. After the implementation of the National Security Law, stability has been restored in society and riots have disappeared. People's lives and property are protected and they can once again enjoy their legitimate rights and freedoms. Despite the clear facts, foreign politicians and media with ulterior motives continue to query and even smear the National Security Law, claiming that it would undermine human rights, suppress freedoms of speech and of assembly, damage the rule of law, devastate Hong Kong as an international financial centre and weaken the city's business environment and more. Nevertheless, what happened in the past year and various data show that these accusations could hardly stand up to challenge. They, on the contrary, only underscore the hypocrisy, bias and double standards of the critics. As we have been emphasising repeatedly, the National Security Law only targets an extremely small minority of criminals and acts which endanger national security, whereas human rights and freedoms enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of the citizens will not be affected at all. Taking press freedom as an example, 93, 69 and 39 local, overseas and online media organisations, respectively, have registered in the Government News & Media Information System of the Information Services Department at present, showing an increase over the past year. The media and the general public exercise their right to monitor the Government's work and the freedom of criticising policies every day, while overseas media disseminate information about the National Security Law continuously, interviewing people with various stances without any interference. We all know that it was because of COVID-19 that public assemblies could not be held. It is the same as in other parts of the world. It should not be used as an excuse to accuse Hong Kong that people's rights have been undermined. The rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong after the implementation of the National Security Law are as robust as ever. The Judiciary of the Hong Kong SAR operates independently as in the past, exercising the independent judicial power enshrined in the Basic Law. The Chief Executive continues to appoint senior and prominent judges from overseas common law jurisdictions as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal on the recommendations of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission as stipulated in the Basic Law. In the past year, Lord Hodge who was Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has been newly appointed, and three other overseas judges have agreed to extend their service. At present, we have a total of 13 non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal from other common law jurisdictions. The willingness of these distinguished judges to participate in the work of the Hong Kong courts is the best evidence of Hong Kong's judicial independence. It is worth mentioning that Lord Sumption, one of the non-permanent judges from the United Kingdom, published an article in a British newspaper in March this year, pointing out that the Chinese and Hong Kong Governments have done nothing to interfere with the independence of the judiciary and that the National Security Law contains express guarantees of human rights. In addition, under the National Security Law, Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre has not wavered at all. In the past 12 months, the initial public offering funds raised in Hong Kong exceeded $500 billion, representing an increase of more than 50% compared to the previous 12 months. The linked exchange rate system has, as always, worked well. The Hong Kong dollar market recorded net capital inflows in 2020. In the four months from the implementation of the National Security Law in July to October last year, the amount of funds flowing into the Hong Kong dollar system exceeded $300 billion. The total deposits in the Hong Kong banking system have increased by more than 5% over last year, while the net asset value of funds management in Hong Kong at the end of last year also increased by some 20% over the end of 2019. These figures reflect that investors have not been deterred by the National Security Law. Rather, with social stability restored by the National Security Law, they are more interested in the Hong Kong market and have more confidence in the prospect of Hong Kong's financial development. At present, about 9,000 Mainland and overseas companies have set up offices in Hong Kong, with more than 40% of them using Hong Kong as their regional headquarters or regional offices. Through the contacts of the Government officials of the Hong Kong SAR and observations by relevant institutions, those early worries and concerns of the business community about the National Security Law have been easing continuously. Corporations and business people are now more interested in the opportunities brought about by the 14th Five-Year Plan, the latest developments of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the timing of the resumption of cross-boundary travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland as well as other places for their business activities. I have particularly noticed that the French Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Hong Kong pointed out in its recent publication that Hong Kong is an excellent place to do business and an international platform for access to the surrounding areas, with many French people in the business community sharing in the publication their success stories and pleasant living experiences in Hong Kong. The Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has also publicly said that he is very optimistic about the prospects of Hong Kong and the bay area, and the chamber hosted a summit recently, which I was also invited to attend, to share with the British enterprises how to seize the opportunities presented by the bay area. The words and deeds of these foreign business leaders fully demonstrate that the business environment in Hong Kong has not been undermined after the implementation of the National Security Law. On the contrary, it has become even better. Looking back to the past year, the Hong Kong SAR has established institutions and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in accordance with the National Security Law, including the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, which is chaired by me, to plan, enforce and co-ordinate work on safeguarding national security. The National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force has been taking resolute law enforcement actions. As of June 30 this year, 117 criminal suspects were arrested, of which 64 were prosecuted, and the first case involving the National Security Law is in the court for trial. In addition to imposing punishment on offenders, the National Security Law also serves the purpose of preventing and suppressing acts that endanger national security. In particular, Article 6 requires a Hong Kong resident who stands for election or assumes public office to confirm in writing or take an oath to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR. To further strengthen the upholding of this core value by the civil service, the Hong Kong SAR Government has completed the work to require all civil servants to sign the relevant declaration or take the oath. The Legislative Council also passed the legislation on May 12 this year, which stipulates the legal requirements and preconditions for upholding the Basic Law and bearing allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR, introduces the oath-taking requirements for members of the District Councils, and enhances the mechanism to deal with breach of oath and more. We also carried out public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to schools, social organisations, the media and the Internet, as required by the National Security Law. We have organised activities, such as the annual Constitution Day and the National Security Education Day to raise awareness of national security and the obligation to abide by the law among members of the public. The Education Bureau also adopts a multi-pronged and co-ordinated approach to provide guidelines on school administration and education to facilitate schools to promote national security education inside and outside the classroom, cultivating a strong sense of belonging towards the country and a sense of national identity as well as a sense of responsibility to safeguard national security among teachers and students. In the future, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to strengthen and deepen the work on safeguarding national security. We will take forward the work of safeguarding national security in Hong Kong according to the concept of overall national security, and ensure that the related work is fully understood and implemented at full steam and in a holistic manner, covering the areas including politics, society, economy, culture, technology, the Internet, finance, and public health. We will also continue to engage the whole community in our efforts to raise Hong Kong people's awareness of national security and the obligation to abide by the law, so as to make it everybody's responsibility to safeguard national security. In the National Security Law Legal Forum today, we are honored to have a host of elites in the legal profession at home and abroad to study and discuss together the provisions of the National Security Law and their implementation. Today's forum features a series of keynote speeches in relation to the National Security Law and three panel discussions to examine the substantive and procedural aspects of the National Security Law, and deliver a comparative study of national security laws of other overseas jurisdictions. I believe that the in-depth analysis by reputable legal experts from different perspectives will definitely enable all participants and people from various sectors in the community to have a deeper understanding of the National Security Law. This is the English translation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam's speech at the National Security Law Legal Forum - Security Brings Prosperity on July 5. This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: At least 50 dead in Philippines military plane crash Philippine security forces searched among coconut trees on a remote southern island Monday for the flight data boxes of an aircraft that crashed and killed 50 people in one of the country's worst military air disasters. The C-130 Hercules transport plane was carrying 96 people, most of them recent army graduates, when it overshot the runway on Sunday while trying to land on Jolo island in Sulu province a haven for Islamist militants. The plane "skidded" and burst into flames in a village, killing 50 people including 47 military personnel and three civilians, said military spokesman Major General Edgard Arevalo. Another 53 were injured, most of them soldiers. It was not clear if the pilots were among the survivors. "This is one of the worst tragic incidents that happened in our armed forces," Arevalo said. The three civilians killed were not on the flight and had been working in a quarry, village leader Tanda Hailid told AFP. Photos of the scene released by the military's Joint Task Force-Sulu showed the damaged tail and smoking wreckage scattered in a coconut grove. "We have people on the ground to make sure the integrity of the pieces of the evidence that we will retrieve, most particularly the flight data recorder," Arevalo said. "Aside from eyewitness accounts, we are also looking for recordings, radio conversation recordings between the pilot and the control tower." Arevalo said the military had secured the crash site and would ensure militants on the island do not disrupt search efforts. Dental records were being used to help identify the charred remains of victims. Most of the passengers recently graduated from basic military training and were being deployed to the restive island as part of a counter-insurgency effort in the Muslim-majority region. The second-hand Hercules that crashed Sunday was acquired from the United States and delivered to the Philippines earlier this year. It was one of four in the country's fleet and was in "very good condition", the military said. President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque said Monday the incidents would provide "impetus for further modernisation" of the armed forces. "The whole country is mourning," he said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Public called to keep rivers clean in honour of Madiba The Department of Water and Sanitation has called on South Africans to prevent the pollution of freshwater resources by cleaning up streams, wetlands, dams, canals and any freshwater source in honour of the late President Nelson Mandela. The call comes as South Africa observes Nelson Mandela Month in July, which celebrates the late statesmens life. The department will also this month kick start its annual Clear Rivers Campaign which serves as a call to action for ordinary members of the public to play an active role in cleaning up water resources. Departmental spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said the campaign aims to actively engage communities on the significance of protecting the health of rivers. What we ultimately aim to achieve is to foster volunteerism among communities as a proactive approach to protecting our rivers, streams, wetlands and other water ecosystems, Ratau said. Initiated in 2016 by the department, together with business and civil society, the campaign coincides with Nelson Mandela Month which encourages individual acts of kindness aimed to make an imprint and change the world around them. It is for this reason that as a department, we are calling on everyone to dedicate their 67 minutes of goodwill activities towards cleaning up water sources, Ratau said. He said the department is cognisant of the national COVID-19 regulations which do not allow people to go out in numbers to conduct such clean-ups, but urged them to make little changes. The benefits of healthy rivers are tantamount to the nations health and economy. Communities benefit from clean and healthy rivers. Clean and fresh water assists communities in their daily activities including consumption, cooking and washing, Ratau said. He added that benefits of healthy rivers also assists the countrys economy as different types of plants grow in and on the banks of rivers. Some of the plants provide communities with building materials such as roofing for huts and or houses. Communities also use reeds and other wetland vegetation to make baskets, mats, curtain blinds and handbags, thus encouraging economic activity, Ratau said. The public can report the pollution of rivers and fresh water ecosystems to the departments hotline on 0800 200 200. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Security sector vaccination programme rolls out with SAPS Governments COVID-19 vaccination programme reached a milestone on Monday, with government rolling out the inoculation of the security sector. Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police General Khehla Sitole were the first to receive their jabs at the launch of the programme at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, on Monday. The sector is the latest to join governments phased vaccination programme that started early this year. Healthcare workers were the first in March in the Johnson & Johnson Sisonke programme. A month later, government began administering jabs on the over 60 population. Two weeks ago, over 500 000 basic education workers began receiving their doses. Last week, the programme began focusing on those aged 50 and above. The launch of the security sector vaccination programme was part of governments tiered approach in an attempt to drive the country towards reaching herd immunity. In the past four months, over 3.1 million vaccinations had been administered. Speaking at the launch, at which 900 SAPS personnel were to receive doses, an elated Cele expressed delight. It has been a long walk [to reach this point] for us as the family of the SAPS. The sad part is that we reach this point when we have already lost about 672 of our members. We wish it could have been earlier so that we dont lose those members and those 32 500 of them who have been infected - we thank God that 30 000 of them have recovered, he said. The Minister said the jabs would assist the SAPS to work in a protected way. We have 180 000 plus members and we hope everyone will get the vaccine. It will start here with the rollout. The proper day of the rollout will be the 8th. We hope it will be finalised as soon as possible and we believe we will be much safer after that. I want to see things happen. Its a beautiful Monday its not every Monday that I am happy, he said. Speaking at the event, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi described the milestone as important. She said dates for correctional services and metro police staff would be communicated in due course. This is a milestone as we move towards herd immunity. The country, she said, had in recent days made inroads in its vaccination programme. The programme was expected to shift a gear higher with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) at the weekend announcing it had granted conditional use approval of the Sinovac vaccine. [This] boosts our moral and boosts positively towards our vaccination programme. It now means we have multiple vaccines that are available to us, she said. Behind the scenes, she said scientists continue to analyse developments around the use of the AstraZeneca vaccines in the country. South Africa in February temporarily suspended the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after studies showed that it was less effective against the mutated SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 variant (Beta), which was at the time common in South Africa. Currently we are still cautioned against AstraZeneca though we are seeing the Delta variant dominating or growing; we still have the Beta variant, which makes it difficult for us to move. Police are being vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in an attempt to ensure that the vaccination programme gained momentum. This is very critical, she said. Kubayi said the vaccination of the SAPS was important as police were critically assisting the Department of Health manage the pandemic. We are doing our best in terms of hospitalisation, in terms of recommending restrictions and all of that. It needs law enforcement in the forefront to ensure that what the NCCC has pronounced together with the President is implemented. So it is important for them to get this vaccine, she said. Police urged to get jabs Sitole urged police officers to get their jabs, saying it was important for the SAPS to fight crime with a healthy workforce. Today is a demonstration of this deliverable. It is important for us to show members of the SAPS force that we invest in their health and we want to make sure that, as they go out, they are safe. This is part of the safety strategy. As you see them here today, they are the ones in the frontline. Theyve been deployed to support the department of health in their endeavour to, firstly, ensure that we control the virus but also further make that we secure the vaccine. Illicit vaccines He said police had noted a new modus operandi pertaining to the virus. We have done take downs where vaccines were [illicitly] being brought into the country in other ways. There has been other ways to try and disrupt the vaccine programme, he said. He urged members to continue to rendering a patriotic and selfless service. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Mobile robot lends a hand at Steve Biko Academic Hospital The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) and Steve Biko Academic Hospital have welcomed a mobile robot called Stevie to help improve the treatment of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Named after Steve Biko - one of the most prominent leaders during South Africas anti-apartheid struggle Stevie works at the hospitals Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and will be vital in allowing for a bedside ward round attended by ICU teams across the globe. This will be done through instant live discussion and communication daily between German and South African intensive-care unit teams. Academic and Clinical Head of the Department of Critical Care at UP and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Professor Fathima Paruk, said the gender-neutral Stevie is the second robot to be employed by UP, following Libby the robotic library assistant who arrived in 2019. Stevie is now officially the much adored baby of our ICU team and is stimulating much excitement throughout the hospital, Paruk said. Stevie has a privacy handset which is a live phone to aid confidential communication during ward rounds; a stethoscope port where it can remotely relay information while a patient is being examined, and enables visualisation of detail for close-up diagnosis and patient care oversight with high-definition pan-tilt-zoom cameras. ICU specialists and their teams based in Germany at Charite University and Robert Koch Institute will join the South African ICU team in person through the robots digital screen. Both the South African and German teams, led by ICU specialists, will be able to interact virtually. This will enable the team from Germany to see the patient, look at the ICU monitors, and engage in discussions with patients. The ward round will involve discussing the medical condition and include a management plan over a secure line, Professor Paruk said. She said Stevie will be used for the benefit of all ICU patients, including COVID-19 patients as well as for exchanging of ideas, specialist training, global collaborations, webinars and educational workshops, especially for highly selective or niche specialties in critical care. Specialists will also be able to remotely advise upon and guide a bedside procedure. In the context of clinical healthcare medicine, Professor Paruk said evidence garnered from this collaboration has the potential to inform and shape future practices in South Africas local critical-care setting, considering that we struggle with a shortage of intensivists and ICU beds in South Africa. UPs Faculty of Health Sciences Dean, Professor Tiaan de Jager, said telemedicine plays a crucial role in encouraging long-distance patient and clinician care. He said COVID-19 has been a massive disruptor in especially healthcare and has inspired the sector to rethink its current systems and how they can be more efficient. This initiative is an interdisciplinary global telemedical collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Department of Critical Care at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, the Enhanced Recovery after Intensive Care (ERIC)-Tele ICU at Charite Medical University in Berlin, and the Robert Koch Institute. The Faculty takes pride in responding to the demands of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), which can aid patient care, enhance teaching and learning experience for students and support the university in conducting research that matters, thus leaving a positive impact on society. We are grateful to our collaborators and colleagues for ensuring that telemedicine can take centre stage and help us combat COVID-19, De Jager said. Country Relations Officer for the Centre for International Health Protection at Robert Koch Institute, Dr Evgeniya Boklage said telemedicine is the future and the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated this. We look forward to the exchange of experiences because each country has a different reality, which can bring forth various opportunities to learn from one another and improve patients lives, Boklage said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong: Duo sentenced for hiding health data Two people were sentenced by the courts today after being convicted for providing false information in relation to the Centre for Health Protections epidemiological investigation of COVID-19 cases. The duo were patients of COVID-19. They were charged with violating the Prevention & Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) Regulation. The 30-year-old man provided false information to authorised officers on six occasions between April 16 and 18 while the 31-year-old woman provided false information to an authorised officer on April 17. At the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts, the man was sentenced to immediate imprisonment for three months while the woman was sentenced to imprisonment for 20 days. The Department of Health said it is grossly irresponsible to conceal or provide false or misleading information to an authorised officer as such act may hinder the contact tracing process and pose a serious threat to public health. Resolute action will be taken against those who have breached the relevant regulations, the department added. Four people have been convicted so far for breaching the regulation. This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Elliotdale man arrested for girlfriends murder [Read] In an effort to ramp up the provinces vaccination programme, the Gauteng Provincial Government and civil society partners will this week launch #COVID19 mobile vaccination drives in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg https://tinyurl.com/83urwmt8 This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: Minister urges unions to return to the wage negotiations Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has appealed to labour unions that have left the public sector wage negotiations at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council to return to the table. Government, he said, respects all the unions represented at the chamber. Addressing the media virtually on Monday, Mchunu said government is doing everything in its power to have the matter resolved amicable. We want to appeal to them to reconsider their decisions. We have a country to run, at any given time we have to find a way to find one another, he said. Mchunu assured public servants that their jobs are secured and that there will be no salary cuts. Government is offering 1.5 percent increase and the unions are demanding a consumer price index (CPI) increase, which is projected at 3.1%, plus 4% across the board on the cost-of-living adjustment. Government is trying its best in these difficult financial conditions. We would like to urge all the unions to consider what we are offering now, this is a reasonable offer, Mchunu said, adding that there are no conditions attached to the offer. Government and Organised Labour in Council are trying to resolve the impasse through the constitutionally recognised process of collective bargaining. In April this year, talks between the government and the unions resumed at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council for the States negotiators to respond to workers demands. There are eight unions representing 1.2 million State employees in national and provincial government departments. These are Nehawu, Denosa, Hospersa, Naptosa, Popcru, PSA, Sadtu and Sapu. The Public Servant Association has opted not to participate in the ongoing facilitation process and has resorted to making public statements which are neither responsible nor constructive and not in the interests of the public servants in the public service. In April, Mchunu announced that government had appointed an independent facilitator to ensure that negotiations succeed. At the time, Mchunu urged both government and the unions involved in the negotiations to go beyond demands and arrive at solutions. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-07-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.