Taga Ormoc Daily

China approved its first COVID-19 vaccine for general public use on Thursday, a shot developed by an affiliate of state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, as it braces for greater transmission risks over the winter. No detailed efficacy data of the vaccine has been publicly released but its developer, Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group (CNBG), said on Wednesday its vaccine was 79.34% effective in preventing people from developing the disease based on interim data. The approval, announced by the National Medical Products Administration, comes after the United Arab Emirates this month became the first country to roll out the vaccine to the public, and as Pakistan announced a 1.2 million dose purchase deal with Sinopharm. While China has been slower than several other countries in approving COVID-19 vaccines, it has been inoculating some citizens for months with three different shots still undergoing late-stage trials.

A member of the House of Representatives said yesterday that the Philippines ranked the “second slowest” in internet speed among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and 110th among 139 countries. “Filipinos deserve faster internet speeds, which have been associated with higher economic productivity, stronger jobs creation and greater quality of life,” Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said. He cited as basis figures from The Speedtest Global Index, wherein Manila – with an average mobile internet speed of only 18.49 megabits per second (Mbps) – ranked 110th among 139 countries or territories as of November this year. The Speedtest Global Index analyzes web access performance metrics around the world based on millions of tests taken by real people using the internet. Campos, author of House Bill 7479 that aims to slap telcos that fail to reach a mandatory internet speed with a fine of P1 million daily until they fully comply, said there is a need for Congress to

Hong Kong said residents will be allowed to choose which Covid-19 vaccine they want to take, as the city added a third candidate to its arsenal with an agreement to buy shots from AstraZeneca. The city reached an agreement with AstraZeneca for 7.5 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a media briefing on Wednesday (Dec 23). The deal joins similar agreements with Pfizer-BioNTech and Chinese developer Sinovac Biotech, giving the city a total of 22.5 million potential doses of vaccines. Hong Kong is seeking a further 7.5 million doses and residents will be offered a choice of which vaccine they will take, according to Lam. While the move will address concerns from residents anxious about taking a Chinese vaccine, it also raises the prospect of a run on particular shots. The three candidates are widely different and none of them have been approved for use in the city yet, which is enduring its fourth wave of the pandemic. In a bid to encourage take-up of

16 NAMES POTENTIAL PH PRESIDENTIAL BETS IN 2022 POLLS NEWS UPDATE: With less than two years before the presidential elections, several politicians and private sector executives are among the potential candidates for the highest post in the land in the May 2022 national and local polls. According to the sentiment analysis in the social media platform-Facebook by research firm-BluePrint.PH, and its Singapore-based partner on Data Mining and Artificial Intelligence, 16 are likely candidates for the presidential post. Among them are Senators Bong Go, Manny Pacquiao, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe, Pia Cayetano, and Tito Sotto; and former senators Bongbong Marcos and Manny Villar. Others are Vice President Leni Robredo, former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres- Gomez. The names of Davao Mayor Sara Duterte, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, and businessman Ramon Ang are also in the list.  Eero Brillante

 The Electoral College has elected Joe Biden as the next President of the United States. Though Americans took to the polls in November, the Constitution states that the body of the Electoral College actually decides who will be president and vice president. Throughout the day, electors from each state represented the will of the people and cast their votes in accordance with the decision of voters in their respective states. The Electoral College vote is typically a formality, but Pres. Trump's continued efforts to overturn the election have made this year different. The next step is for Congress to count the Electoral College's votes on January 6. This also is typically a formality, but again could prove different as Republicans continue to support Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud. Six weeks after Election Day, just a small handful of Republican members of Congress have publicly acknowledged Biden as president-elect, let alone offered the customary congratulations f

Photo: Reuters  World Health Organization officials on Friday warned governments and citizens not to drop their guard over the COVID pandemic now a vaccination was close, saying healthcare systems could still buckle under pressure. “Progress on vaccines gives us all a lift and we can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, WHO is concerned that there is a growing perception that the COVID-19 pandemic is over,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a Geneva news conference. Tedros said the pandemic still had a long way to run and that decisions made by citizens and governments would determine its course in the short run and when the pandemic would ultimately end. “The truth is that at present, many places are witnessing very high transmission of the COVID-19 virus, which is putting enormous pressure on hospitals, intensive care units and health workers.” WHO’s top emergency expert Mike Ryan also cautioned on Friday against complacency in the wake of

 BREAKING: UK becomes the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use. British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe for roll out. Immunisations could start within days for people in high priority groups. The UK has already ordered 40m doses - enough to vaccinate 20m people, with two shots each. Around 10m doses should be available soon, with the first doses arriving in the UK in the coming days. It is the fastest ever vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same developmental steps that normally span a decade. Although vaccination can start, people still need to remain vigilant and follow coronavirus rules to stop the spread, say experts. - via BBC