Hong Kong declares scarlet fever outbreak
Hong Kong has declared an outbreak of scarlet fever, an illness potentially fatal among children, after hundreds were infected in the teeming city, the government said on Tuesday.
A seven-year-old girl in the southern Chinese city died late last month while there have been more than 400 cases so far this year, a Centre for Health Protection spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.
Hong Kong's 419 scarlet fever infections in 2011 are already the highest annual total in the city, and more than three times the figure for the whole of last year. There were 142 cases in the first half of June.
"We have seen an unusually high number of infection cases this year," the spokesman said, describing the situation as an "outbreak".
Local scientists said the outbreak may be linked to a deadly new strain of the disease which could make it more contagious than in the past.
A unique gene fragment was present in the bacteria's genome "which might contribute to increased transmissibility of this strain," said the health protection centre statement, released late Monday.
The new strain, discovered by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, appears to be resistant to antibiotics traditionally used to fight the illness, the spokesman added.
Children under 10 made up 93 per cent of the reported cases and most of the infections were mild, the statement said.
Hong Kong is particularly nervous about infectious diseases following the 2003 SARS outbreak, which killed 300 people in the city and a further 500 worldwide.
The densely city populated city of seven million has also seen fatalities from multiple swine flu outbreaks.
Thomas Tsang, the health protection centre's controller, described the outbreak as an "epidemic", according to the South China Morning Post.
Mainland China and the former Portuguese enclave Macau, about an hour by ferry from Hong Kong, have also seen surges in scarlet fever cases "suggesting a regional phenomenon (is) at play," the government statement said.
Tse Hung-hing, former president and current board member of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said he expects more scarlet fever cases in the coming months.
"We are seeing a rising trend. We don't know how many more will come. We haven't seen the top yet," he told AFP.
"The bacteria is becoming more resistant to antibiotics traditionally used," Tse added.
Scarlet fever mainly affects children between the ages of two and eight.
Symptoms include fever, sore throat, rashes and a "strawberry coloured" tongue,
and usually subside within 48 hours with appropriate antibiotic treatment.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Qantas cancels all Sydney, Melbourne flights
Qantas cancels all Sydney, Melbourne flights on Wednesday
Australian flag carrier Qantas has cancelled all flights into and out of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra on Wednesday as the Chilean ash cloud wreaks havoc.
The decision followed the airline, along with Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger, halting services to Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide on Tuesday, stranding tens of thousands of passengers.
"We estimate that we will be cancelling in excess of 200 flights on Wednesday," Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth told reporters.
"The experts say we simply won't be able to operate in this situation."
Virgin followed suit, with services to Melbourne suspended until at least 1.00pm (0200 GMT) on Wednesday and flights into and out of Sydney and Canberra until 4.00pm (0500 GMT).
The cloud, created by the eruption of the Puyehue volcano high in the Andes more than two weeks ago, has looped the globe and made its way back Down Under.
It first entered Australian and New Zealand airspace just over a week ago, causing some airlines to ground all flights to affected areas while others chose to divert their planes under and around the plume.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Australian flag carrier Qantas has cancelled all flights into and out of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra on Wednesday as the Chilean ash cloud wreaks havoc.
The decision followed the airline, along with Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger, halting services to Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide on Tuesday, stranding tens of thousands of passengers.
"We estimate that we will be cancelling in excess of 200 flights on Wednesday," Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth told reporters.
"The experts say we simply won't be able to operate in this situation."
Virgin followed suit, with services to Melbourne suspended until at least 1.00pm (0200 GMT) on Wednesday and flights into and out of Sydney and Canberra until 4.00pm (0500 GMT).
The cloud, created by the eruption of the Puyehue volcano high in the Andes more than two weeks ago, has looped the globe and made its way back Down Under.
It first entered Australian and New Zealand airspace just over a week ago, causing some airlines to ground all flights to affected areas while others chose to divert their planes under and around the plume.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Flight chaos in Australia as ash cloud returns
Flight chaos in Australia as ash cloud returns
Thousands of passengers were grounded Tuesday as the Chilean ash cloud returned to Australia with a vengeance, forcing the cancellation of flights to Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.
The cloud, created by the eruption of the Puyehue volcano high in the Andes more than two weeks ago, has looped the globe and made its way back Down Under to wreak havoc again.
"The ash cloud is denser and larger than that which caused widespread disruption to flights last week," said Airservices Australia, adding that it was hovering between 20,000 and 40,000 feet (6-13 kilometres).
"It is also predicted to linger longer over southeast Australia. It is spread in a large band below the Australian continent and is predicted to continue to move to the northeast and east in coming days."
Qantas suspended services to and from the South Australian capital Adelaide as well as Canberra, and will halt flights to Sydney -- Australia's busiest airport -- from 3:00pm (0500 GMT).
Its discount airline Jetstar has also called off Adelaide and Sydney flights while Tiger Airways grounded its entire fleet, with services around the country on hold until at least 2:00pm.
Virgin, meanwhile, suspended flights to Adelaide and Canberra, with routes to major hubs Sydney and Melbourne not flying from 4:00pm (0600 GMT), with the disruption expected to spill into Wednesday.
"Volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Puyehue Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile continues to cause flight disruptions to the Qantas network," Qantas said.
"At Qantas safety is our first priority and a number of flights have been cancelled or re-routed to avoid the volcanic ash cloud."
It added that its morning services from Sydney to Bangkok, London, Singapore and Frankfurt were not affected, but international flights after 3pm were likely to be hit.
So far Qantas has grounded 73 domestic flights and six to New Zealand.
Meteorologists said that while the ash had thinned during its travels around the world it was still clearly visible on satellite images and was moving at an altitude where aircraft generally cruise.
"It is the same cloud that has gone right around the world. It is still dense and it is still hazardous to aviation," a spokesman at the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.
The cloud first entered Australian and New Zealand airspace just over a week ago, causing some airlines to ground all flights to affected areas while others chose to divert their planes under and around the plume.
Flights were also affected across Argentina and Uruguay.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre's director Andrew Tupper said the plume was a rare occurrence and a third loop back to Australia was not likely.
"A third time round would be unprecedented," he said, adding that it was a testing time for airlines.
"It is a very complex problem for the airlines to manage. Obviously they have to take a conservative approach."
Ash poses a significant threat to aircraft because once sucked into engines it can be converted into molten glass as a result of the high temperatures and potentially cause an engine to fail.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Thousands of passengers were grounded Tuesday as the Chilean ash cloud returned to Australia with a vengeance, forcing the cancellation of flights to Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.
The cloud, created by the eruption of the Puyehue volcano high in the Andes more than two weeks ago, has looped the globe and made its way back Down Under to wreak havoc again.
"The ash cloud is denser and larger than that which caused widespread disruption to flights last week," said Airservices Australia, adding that it was hovering between 20,000 and 40,000 feet (6-13 kilometres).
"It is also predicted to linger longer over southeast Australia. It is spread in a large band below the Australian continent and is predicted to continue to move to the northeast and east in coming days."
Qantas suspended services to and from the South Australian capital Adelaide as well as Canberra, and will halt flights to Sydney -- Australia's busiest airport -- from 3:00pm (0500 GMT).
Its discount airline Jetstar has also called off Adelaide and Sydney flights while Tiger Airways grounded its entire fleet, with services around the country on hold until at least 2:00pm.
Virgin, meanwhile, suspended flights to Adelaide and Canberra, with routes to major hubs Sydney and Melbourne not flying from 4:00pm (0600 GMT), with the disruption expected to spill into Wednesday.
"Volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Puyehue Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile continues to cause flight disruptions to the Qantas network," Qantas said.
"At Qantas safety is our first priority and a number of flights have been cancelled or re-routed to avoid the volcanic ash cloud."
It added that its morning services from Sydney to Bangkok, London, Singapore and Frankfurt were not affected, but international flights after 3pm were likely to be hit.
So far Qantas has grounded 73 domestic flights and six to New Zealand.
Meteorologists said that while the ash had thinned during its travels around the world it was still clearly visible on satellite images and was moving at an altitude where aircraft generally cruise.
"It is the same cloud that has gone right around the world. It is still dense and it is still hazardous to aviation," a spokesman at the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.
The cloud first entered Australian and New Zealand airspace just over a week ago, causing some airlines to ground all flights to affected areas while others chose to divert their planes under and around the plume.
Flights were also affected across Argentina and Uruguay.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre's director Andrew Tupper said the plume was a rare occurrence and a third loop back to Australia was not likely.
"A third time round would be unprecedented," he said, adding that it was a testing time for airlines.
"It is a very complex problem for the airlines to manage. Obviously they have to take a conservative approach."
Ash poses a significant threat to aircraft because once sucked into engines it can be converted into molten glass as a result of the high temperatures and potentially cause an engine to fail.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Travellers thinking twice about Johor trips
Travellers thinking twice about Johor trips
The traffic snarl plaguing the Causeway and the Second Link on weekends is causing some frequent travellers to hold back on trips up north.
Motorists have been locked in jams the last two weekends, with some reportedly taking up to seven hours to clear immigration.
This comes after Malaysia rolled out its biometric fingerprint system at the start of the month, which requires travellers to scan both index fingers in addition to getting their passports stamped.
46-year-old engineer, Rene Gorada, organises bi-monthly golf tournaments for people living in Singapore.
The group, which typically consists of 50 to 70 golfers, would travel to neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for their Sunday tournaments.
Mr Gorada said half their games are held in Johor Bahru.
He said: "You need to get to the golf course on time. Some of them are suggesting going somewhere else, maybe Batam. But (there are) some other concerns.....going to Batam, it's a whole-day affair because you have to take a ferry. So most of the golfers still prefer Malaysia, because it's nearer. The only thing is that you really have to plan and beat the traffic jam."
Mr Gorada said the group has to leave at 6am to make the 8am tee-off. This is an hour earlier than previously.
Another golfer living in Singapore, 51-year-old Ren Carino, said he drives to Johor three times a month to play golf.
But with the current congestion, he may move his game to another country. He said: "We would rather go to Batam now, or Bintan, Indonesia. It's a lot better now in terms of traffic jams.. there are no traffic jams (there)."
With Singaporeans avoiding the hassle of crossing the Causeway, businesses in Johor Bahru are reporting a drop in sales.
P. Sivakumar, president of the Malaysian Indian Business Association (MIBA), said the city heavily depends on business from Singaporeans.
"Most of them (Singaporeans) patronise all the eateries that have cropped up everywhere in Johor Bahru. And it's of great concern at the moment, because what we're receiving is that initially the jam was 7 hours, now it's around 5 hours, and it's not good for business," he said.
Mr Sivakumar said no formal survey has been conducted yet on how badly business has been affected, and his assessment is based on feedback received from merchants.
Malaysia's Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam has said it's "unfair to blame the biometric system for causing the congestion".
He said the congestion only happened at the Causeway and the Second Link, but not at any of the other 67 checkpoints across Malaysia.
He pinned the blame on the high volume of human traffic and daily movement between Johor Bahru and Singapore.
But MIBA's Mr Sivakumar disagrees.
He said there has always been high traffic flow at the Causeway, and the jams only started after the biometric system was implemented.
Mr Sivakumar said he plans to make another appeal to the Malaysian government to remove the system and revert back to just stamping of passports.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
The traffic snarl plaguing the Causeway and the Second Link on weekends is causing some frequent travellers to hold back on trips up north.
Motorists have been locked in jams the last two weekends, with some reportedly taking up to seven hours to clear immigration.
This comes after Malaysia rolled out its biometric fingerprint system at the start of the month, which requires travellers to scan both index fingers in addition to getting their passports stamped.
46-year-old engineer, Rene Gorada, organises bi-monthly golf tournaments for people living in Singapore.
The group, which typically consists of 50 to 70 golfers, would travel to neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for their Sunday tournaments.
Mr Gorada said half their games are held in Johor Bahru.
He said: "You need to get to the golf course on time. Some of them are suggesting going somewhere else, maybe Batam. But (there are) some other concerns.....going to Batam, it's a whole-day affair because you have to take a ferry. So most of the golfers still prefer Malaysia, because it's nearer. The only thing is that you really have to plan and beat the traffic jam."
Mr Gorada said the group has to leave at 6am to make the 8am tee-off. This is an hour earlier than previously.
Another golfer living in Singapore, 51-year-old Ren Carino, said he drives to Johor three times a month to play golf.
But with the current congestion, he may move his game to another country. He said: "We would rather go to Batam now, or Bintan, Indonesia. It's a lot better now in terms of traffic jams.. there are no traffic jams (there)."
With Singaporeans avoiding the hassle of crossing the Causeway, businesses in Johor Bahru are reporting a drop in sales.
P. Sivakumar, president of the Malaysian Indian Business Association (MIBA), said the city heavily depends on business from Singaporeans.
"Most of them (Singaporeans) patronise all the eateries that have cropped up everywhere in Johor Bahru. And it's of great concern at the moment, because what we're receiving is that initially the jam was 7 hours, now it's around 5 hours, and it's not good for business," he said.
Mr Sivakumar said no formal survey has been conducted yet on how badly business has been affected, and his assessment is based on feedback received from merchants.
Malaysia's Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam has said it's "unfair to blame the biometric system for causing the congestion".
He said the congestion only happened at the Causeway and the Second Link, but not at any of the other 67 checkpoints across Malaysia.
He pinned the blame on the high volume of human traffic and daily movement between Johor Bahru and Singapore.
But MIBA's Mr Sivakumar disagrees.
He said there has always been high traffic flow at the Causeway, and the jams only started after the biometric system was implemented.
Mr Sivakumar said he plans to make another appeal to the Malaysian government to remove the system and revert back to just stamping of passports.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Qantas flights affected by ash
Singapore-Melbourne Qantas flights affected by ash
Qantas flights between Singapore and Melbourne have been affected as a result of volcanic ash from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile.
QF9 from Melbourne will now only arrive in Singapore three hours later, at 12.05am on Tuesday, instead of its original scheduled arrival time of 9.20pm. This will in turn affect the connecting flight to Heathrow London, which has also been re-timed to 1.25am on Tuesday from 11.05pm earlier.
Qantas said one service, QF10 from Singapore to Melbourne was also diverted to Sydney on Monday morning. Qantas is trying to accommodate those passengers on services onward to Melbourne on Monday.
The airline also said passengers from Singapore flying from Australia to New Zealand will not be able to travel on Monday.
Qantas said it will either accommodate these passengers in hotels until the situation improves, or allow them to change their bookings. It said New Zealand and Tasmania services remain cancelled for the full day.
A decision on Tuesday's services will be made on Monday evening (Sydney/Melbourne time).
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
Qantas flights between Singapore and Melbourne have been affected as a result of volcanic ash from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Chile.
QF9 from Melbourne will now only arrive in Singapore three hours later, at 12.05am on Tuesday, instead of its original scheduled arrival time of 9.20pm. This will in turn affect the connecting flight to Heathrow London, which has also been re-timed to 1.25am on Tuesday from 11.05pm earlier.
Qantas said one service, QF10 from Singapore to Melbourne was also diverted to Sydney on Monday morning. Qantas is trying to accommodate those passengers on services onward to Melbourne on Monday.
The airline also said passengers from Singapore flying from Australia to New Zealand will not be able to travel on Monday.
Qantas said it will either accommodate these passengers in hotels until the situation improves, or allow them to change their bookings. It said New Zealand and Tasmania services remain cancelled for the full day.
A decision on Tuesday's services will be made on Monday evening (Sydney/Melbourne time).
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
智利火山灰影响 捷星取消纽航班
智利火山灰影响 捷星取消纽航班
智利普耶韦火山喷发的火山灰，昨天飘过太平洋，澳洲和纽西兰的航空交通受影响，本地捷星航空取消了今晚往返新加坡和纽西兰奥克兰的航班。
沉寂50年后，智利南部普耶韦（Puyehue）火山于本月4日再度爆发，滚滚浓烟笼罩天空，至今仍未消散。
火山爆发一个多星期后，强劲的风势推动火山灰飘流约9400公里，昨天越过了太平洋，飘到纽西兰和澳洲上空，导致两地之间以及两国国内众多航班被取消。
澳洲《每日电讯报》报道，截至昨晚，昆达士、捷星航空、维珍大西洋航空（Virgin Atlantic）和虎航，一共取消了200趟航班，估计3万名乘客受影响。
维珍今早已恢复了澳洲墨尔本、塔斯马尼亚和纽西兰的航班，但所有昆达士航班仍然停飞，而且今早更宣布取消了三趟分别飞往阿根廷首都布宜诺斯艾利斯（Buenos Aires）和洛杉矶的国际航班。
新航密切关注即时更新消息；狮城飞墨尔本，两航班准时飞。
《新明日报》
智利普耶韦火山喷发的火山灰，昨天飘过太平洋，澳洲和纽西兰的航空交通受影响，本地捷星航空取消了今晚往返新加坡和纽西兰奥克兰的航班。
沉寂50年后，智利南部普耶韦（Puyehue）火山于本月4日再度爆发，滚滚浓烟笼罩天空，至今仍未消散。
火山爆发一个多星期后，强劲的风势推动火山灰飘流约9400公里，昨天越过了太平洋，飘到纽西兰和澳洲上空，导致两地之间以及两国国内众多航班被取消。
澳洲《每日电讯报》报道，截至昨晚，昆达士、捷星航空、维珍大西洋航空（Virgin Atlantic）和虎航，一共取消了200趟航班，估计3万名乘客受影响。
维珍今早已恢复了澳洲墨尔本、塔斯马尼亚和纽西兰的航班，但所有昆达士航班仍然停飞，而且今早更宣布取消了三趟分别飞往阿根廷首都布宜诺斯艾利斯（Buenos Aires）和洛杉矶的国际航班。
新航密切关注即时更新消息；狮城飞墨尔本，两航班准时飞。
《新明日报》
Friday, June 3, 2011
Baby rats found on Qantas jet
Baby rats found on Qantas jet
Australian airline Qantas was forced to ground a plane after flight attendants found five rats in the cabin just minutes before passengers were due to board, it said yesterday.
The baby rodents were discovered on a Boeing 767 that was due to leave Sydney for Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman said, adding that an investigation was under way.
"We don't know how they got there. The aircraft was at the gate for some time before departure, and we are investigating," she told AFP.
"It is a rare occurrence. We have no record of it ever happening before."
The rats were found in the emergency medical-equipment storage area during a routine safety check, and the plane was immediately grounded.
Passengers were transferred to another aircraft, while staff "disposed of the animals".
Engineers inspected the plane on Wednesday but found no damage to the wiring systems, and the air- craft was due back in service yesterday, added the spokesman.
Qantas has been dogged by a series of recent set-backs, including one earlier this week when a Boeing 747 made an unscheduled stop in New Caledonia after running low on fuel on its new Australia-Dallas/Fort Worth service.
～News courtesy of Omy～
Australian airline Qantas was forced to ground a plane after flight attendants found five rats in the cabin just minutes before passengers were due to board, it said yesterday.
The baby rodents were discovered on a Boeing 767 that was due to leave Sydney for Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman said, adding that an investigation was under way.
"We don't know how they got there. The aircraft was at the gate for some time before departure, and we are investigating," she told AFP.
"It is a rare occurrence. We have no record of it ever happening before."
The rats were found in the emergency medical-equipment storage area during a routine safety check, and the plane was immediately grounded.
Passengers were transferred to another aircraft, while staff "disposed of the animals".
Engineers inspected the plane on Wednesday but found no damage to the wiring systems, and the air- craft was due back in service yesterday, added the spokesman.
Qantas has been dogged by a series of recent set-backs, including one earlier this week when a Boeing 747 made an unscheduled stop in New Caledonia after running low on fuel on its new Australia-Dallas/Fort Worth service.
～News courtesy of Omy～
Thursday, June 2, 2011
马来西亚禁台进口Sunkist5饮料
马来西亚禁台进口Sunkist5饮料
马来西亚卫生部长廖中莱证实，目前共有5项产品分别由台湾Uni President品牌的芦笋汁与由台湾家乡事业股份有限公司生产，并在马来西亚售卖的4种饮料含有塑化剂，目前已被指示立即从市场下架。
他说，台湾家乡事业股份有限公司生产的4项饮料包括Sunkist粒粒檸檬果汁飲（Sunkist Lemon Juice with pulps）、Sunkist柠檬果汁、Sunkist鲜橙汁、Sunkist橙汁。
至于被验出含有塑化剂Uni President品牌的芦笋汁,是该批食用期将于2012年5月18日截止的芦笋汁。
他说，政府也会立即启动食品安全资讯系统第6级戒备，全面禁止上述受塑化剂污染的台湾产品进入马来西亚。
卫生部将会密切监督入境处及市场上，其他由台湾入口的果汁、果冻、果酱、乳酸菌及运动饮料。
至于已购买上述产品的消费者，受促勿饮用有关饮料。
F&N Dairies公司声明，该公司的Sunkist产品与马来西亚卫生部禁售的台湾入口山奇士产品毫无关连，该公司属下Sunkist产品并没有遭到塑化剂的污染，可安全食用。
《联合晚报》
马来西亚卫生部长廖中莱证实，目前共有5项产品分别由台湾Uni President品牌的芦笋汁与由台湾家乡事业股份有限公司生产，并在马来西亚售卖的4种饮料含有塑化剂，目前已被指示立即从市场下架。
他说，台湾家乡事业股份有限公司生产的4项饮料包括Sunkist粒粒檸檬果汁飲（Sunkist Lemon Juice with pulps）、Sunkist柠檬果汁、Sunkist鲜橙汁、Sunkist橙汁。
至于被验出含有塑化剂Uni President品牌的芦笋汁,是该批食用期将于2012年5月18日截止的芦笋汁。
他说，政府也会立即启动食品安全资讯系统第6级戒备，全面禁止上述受塑化剂污染的台湾产品进入马来西亚。
卫生部将会密切监督入境处及市场上，其他由台湾入口的果汁、果冻、果酱、乳酸菌及运动饮料。
至于已购买上述产品的消费者，受促勿饮用有关饮料。
F&N Dairies公司声明，该公司的Sunkist产品与马来西亚卫生部禁售的台湾入口山奇士产品毫无关连，该公司属下Sunkist产品并没有遭到塑化剂的污染，可安全食用。
《联合晚报》
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)