Note: A hyperlink is attached in each headlines for further reading of the original news.
Table of Contents:
1. United Kingdom News
2. Malaysia News
1. United Kingdom News
Headline: Coronavirus: Third of consumers forced to pay 'sky-high' prices for essential medical products
Date: 4th July 2020
Source: Yahoo Finance UK
Monthly Visitors: 609,089,730
Summary:
Customers are paying inflated prices for hygiene and medical products during the pandemic.
Amazon and eBay accounted for the majority of alleged profiteering listings.
Items such as Detail handwash was sold on Amazon for £14.99 (rather than £1.49).
Medical-grade face masks were 20 times the usual price via UK Meds website.
4 in 10 essential hygiene products' prices for hand sanitiser and soap were inflated.
Essential items have increased in price excessively - people considered this to be unfair and exploitative.
Date: 4th July 2020
Source: City A.M.
Monthly Visitors: 332,130
Summary:
Production of medical breathing devices has officially stopped.
In late March, the government feared the existing supply of ventilators will be overwhelmed by the COVID-19 crisis.
Private companies had to produce and design their own models for the NHS's use.
The government said around 14,000 devices were produce by UK private companies: Penlon, Babcock, and Breas Medical.
The forecast of 10,000 people requiring ventilators did not come true.
The ventilator scheme was controversial - and the government was accused of its missteps.
However, the government furiously defended the ventilator challenge, stating it intended to boost domestic ventilator production.
Now, the UK has over 25,000 devices available to the NHS.
Date: 3rd July 2020
Source: Express & Star
Monthly Visitors: 249,810
Summary:
The UK Government's 14-day quarantine rule for flight passengers arriving in the country, has no evidence it would protect public health to any extent.
British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair are taking legal action against Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Government barrister, Sir James Eadie QC, explains the 14 days requirement to self-isolate is founded on medical advice to prevent disease transmission.
Sir James stated that the Government is deciding whether to apply self-isolation rules to all countries, or exclude countries with low-level COVID-19.
Since 8th June, most international arrivals (including returning Britons) were required to be in quarantine for 14 days.
People failing to comply are fined £1,000 in England, and police are allowed to use "reasonable force" to ensure compliance.
Quarantine restrictions for Spanish, French, Italian, and German people visiting the UK will be lifted from 10th July.
Headline: What do the new lockdown rules say?
Date: 3rd July 2020
Source: Express & Star
Monthly Visitors: 249,810
Summary:
New COVID-19 lockdown rules were published on Friday. The rules came into force on Saturday.
What has changed? - Pubs are not allowed to reopen until 6AM. - Previous versions of this law is replaced by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020. - From Saturday, group meetings of up to 30 persons (indoors and outdoors) are allowed. - Bigger gatherings are banned (except for pubs, restaurants, cinemas, charities, public or political bodies). - Work or Education gatherings are allowed. - People of 2 households meeting indoors no longer applies. - Outdoor meetings of up to 6 people, and 2 household indoors should continue to be followed. - No legal requirement to provide names/contact details to venue owners when visiting.
Can People Play Cricket & Football With Friends and Family? - The law is silent on banning people from playing cricket/football together. - Professor Chris Whitty advised that games can be played, but must be done at a distance to avoid contact.
What places are still closed: - Nightclubs/night venues - Adult entertainment venues - Casinos - Bowling alleys - Conference centres - Exhibition halls - Trade shows - Beauty salons - Indoor skating rinks - Public swimming pools - Water parks - Indoor play areas - Indoor gyms & Sports facilities
Places that are opened: - Hairdressers & barbers (beauty treatments are not allowed) - Outdoor playgrounds - Blood donation buildings - Training elite athletes - Indoor sports, gym equipment & swimming pools, studios used by Professional dancers.
What Else Does the Legislation Say? - Health Secretary can order the closure of any public outdoor place (e.g parks) without writing it in law, when there is a serious and imminent threat to public health. - Health Secretary must consult chief medical officers before doing so. - People can only enter a restricted area with a reasonable excuse. - Local authorities must notify people of the restriction. - Officials must announce the restricted area and duration it is closed. - These decisions must be reviewed every 7 days.
Can I Still Get Fined? - People can still be fined with £100. - The fine will be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. - A maximum fine of £3,200 for repeat offences or be prosecuted. - Officers can disperse large groups or remove people from an area.
How Long Will The Rules Last? - Regulations will expire after 6 months (unless scrapped by Government). - Health Secretary Matt Hancock must terminate any restrictions/requirements once they are unnecessary, in order to prevent transmission of COVID-19. - The rules must be reviewed every 28 days (1st review takes place by 31st July).
What About Leicester? - Government published new lockdown rules for Leicester. - The rules came into force on Saturday. - The rules state: all non-essential businesses must shut and ban people from staying overnight at another household. - The rules will be reviewed every 2 weeks (1st review due 18th July).
2. Malaysia News
Headline: Travel with caution in Covid-19 era
Date: 4th July 2020
Source: The Star
Monthly Visitors: 3,465,270
Summary:
With interstate travel permitted, Malaysians are now supporting domestic tourism in the country.
As more people begin to travel again, travellers are advised to refer to the best sources of information for their protection.
Such reliable sources include: the World Travel and Tourism Council and Airbnb.
Airbnb recently launched its Enhanced Clean Programme - this is endorsed by the Malaysian Medical Association.
The guidelines provides necessary measures to be taken to prevent infection.
Date: 4th July 2020
Source: The Edge Markets
Monthly Visitors: 903,900
Summary:
There are 3 major trends in geopolitics for global health security.
1st Trend: Nationalist Instincts In Health Security - There is an increasing emphasis on national health security. - COVID-19 pandemic added health security as an important arena for international competition. - COVID-19 accelerated the trend towards nationalism. - Nationalist behaviour ensure health security is a short-term necessary but must be resisted in the long term.
2nd Trend: The US is appearing to relinquish global health leadership - The US previously funded about 15% of World Health Organization's (WHO) budget. - Recently, Donald Trump decided to stop funding the WHO. - Some believe that the US is not doing enough to maintain their responsibility to global health. - There are 2 additional issues: (1) US' ineffective domestic public health response to COVID-19, and (2) Black Lives Matter movement exposed health and social inequities in the US. - The US' receding global leadership in healthcare creates a vacuum for the EU, Japan, Australia and ASEAN to fill, and assure global health security.
3rd Trends: Global public goods increasingly underwritten by non-state actors - A new vaccine can change the way we fight COVID-19. - But the vaccines cannot be monopolised by any one country/region/company. - The vaccine is considered a global public product. But this comes with a free-rider problem on different scales. - Non-state actors are increasingly well-funded and active.
As Malaysia's COVID-19 situation becomes increasingly stable, local businesses should be aware of these global health trends affecting their business.
Headline: COVID-19: Malaysia reports five new cases today, all involving Malaysians, as active cases drop further to 81
Date: 3rd July 2020
Source: The Edge Markets
Monthly Visitors: 903,900
Summary:
Malaysia recorded 5 new COVID-19 cases on 3rd July.
3 imported cases (Malaysians returning from Qatar, Turkey & Oman), 2 local transmitted cases (Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah).
Total imported cases: 630
3rd July was the 5th day straight, Malaysia recorded a single-digit number of cases.
No local transmission among foreigners.
Cumulative Malaysian cases: 8,648.
Active number of cases fell to 81 from 85 on 2nd July (lowest since March 9).
9 COVID-19 patients discharged (total recovered patients: 8,446).
2 patients in intensive care (requiring ventilator support).
No death recorded for 19 days since 15th June.