UK - LOCKDOWN EASING POSTPONED AND MASKS TO BE MANDATORY IN ALL PUBLIC INDOOR SETTINGS

Sky News 31 July 2020

© PA Wire/PA Images Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by PA Video/PA Images via Getty Images)

The planned easing of lockdown restrictions has been postponed for at least a fortnight- with face masks to become mandatory by law in all public indoor settings on August 8.

It comes after new rules announced overnight saw separate households banned from meeting indoors from today, in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News the new restrictions were "absolutely necessary", adding: "When you face a pandemic like this, it is important to move quickly if that's what needed."

It followed the UK recording its highest daily total of COVID-19 cases for more than a month.

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13 TIPS FOR SAFE TRAVEL DURING COVID-19

Red 31 July 2020 - by Dr Shawn Nasseri ENT

© Rodney Hyett - Getty Images

Since the UK went into lockdown on 23 March, the UK government has advised people should stay home as much as possible and avoid all non-essential travel. However, for some people, travelling abroad is necessary. But is it safe to travel? And what precautions can you take to protect yourself from contracting coronavirus while flying on a plane?

We speak to 

How safe is flying during coronavirus?

The risk is all dependent on the density of passengers, the length of time of the travel exposure, and the hygiene of the cabin, vehicle, and its air handling/filtering system.

Low density options, which airlines have moved to in order to reduce the number of passengers, have been a great improvement.

Spacing out passengers on buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation with much more frequent cleaning regimens also help substantially.

How does coronavirus spread on an airplane?

COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets from passengers coughing or sneezing while on board. These droplets can last on surfaces for hours depending on how infectious they are, so they can infect anyone who is within two rows of one another. While many airlines are touting HEPA filters as a safety precaution, with the air being recirculated in flight, there is still a risk of being exposed before the droplets are filtered or vented out.

The 

Where is the safest place to sit on an airplane?

The window seat is the safest seat as you can better avoid passengers and flight crew walking up and down the isle. Many airlines are taking precautions and not filling every seat, or not filling the middle seat so there is space between passengers, which is helpful.

A 

A window seat may lower your risk of coming into contact with an infected person as the study found window seat passengers had 12 contacts on average, compared to the 58 and 64 respective contacts for middle and aisle seats.

What should you do before you fly?

Take a solid stress multivitamin which can help your immune response to viral and other respiratory infections with travel.

© MesquitaFMS - Getty Images

13 safety tips for flying during COVID-19

If you are flying for essential reasons, the following tips may help you to stay safer:

1. Make sure to wear your mask throughout the entire flight to help protect yourself from any airborne particles.

2. Practice social distancing as much as possible, both at the airport and on the flight.

3. Stick to carry-ons, as it will go through the least sets of hands/contact.

4. Keep purses and other small carry on bags closed and zipped up as much as possible, as this can be a source of exposure.

5. Use disinfecting wipes to sanitise your seat, seat belt, windows, and tray tables before being seated.

6. Use a wipe or paper towel to open and close high traffic, high touch areas like the overhead compartment, tray tables, restroom doors, etc.

7. Use hand sanitiser throughout the flight after touching any surfaces, including the overhead bin, tray table, arm rests, etc.

8. Try to avoid using the bathroom on the plane, but if you are on a longer flight and that isn’t possible, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly.

© Mongkol Chuewong - Getty Images

9. Stay hydrated! This will allow your mucous membranes to function more efficiently. After your flight, wash your hands right away and blow your nose. You can also use a saline spray to wash out your mucous membranes.

10. As mentioned above, take a protective vitamin with immune boost – doses of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals have shown definite improvement in immune response.

11. Bring your own freshly laundered or purchased travel pillow and blanket.

12. Wash your face and hands with soap for a minimum of twenty seconds after the flight.

13. You can also moisten or rinse your nose with a sterile saline spray in order to maintain a moist protective barrier.

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DEPORTED FOREIGN NATIONALS WERE ALL FROM 'SAFE' GEORGIA

Cyprus Mail 31 July 2020 - by Jonathan Shkurko

The operation that saw 169 foreign nationals who were staying illegally in Cyprus deported on Thursday were all from Georgia, police confirmed on Friday.

According to an announcement released by the authorities, all 169 Georgian nationals were flown to their country of origin, on Thursday afternoon.

The operation was carried out by the immigration service and police in coordination with European border and coast guard agency Frontex.

Another 107 persons, also Georgians, were also recently deported, the announcement said, while a similar operation is planned for the near future.

In mid-June Interior Minister Nicos Nouris unveiled new policies aimed at containing and managing the influx of asylum seekers, including a list of ‘safe countries’.

Asylum applications from these countries shall be considered manifestly unfounded and denied on a fast-track basis, unless the individual provides concrete proof he or she is truly at risk in their country of origin.

The initial list of 21 ‘safe’ countries, which may be revised from time to time, is as follows: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Ghana, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines, Nepal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Gambia, Egypt and Nigeria.

The list applies to all asylum seekers, no matter how they entered the Republic.

 

 

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ORANGE WARNING FOR THE THIRD DAY

Cyprus Mail 31 July 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Temperatures are forecast to climb to 43C on Friday, prompting the met office to issue an orange weather warning for the third consecutive day.

Temperatures reached 42C on Thursday.

Vulnerable groups are advised to stay indoors, especially during the hottest hours from 11am until 5pm.

On Saturday and Sunday temperatures will drop slightly but will remain above average for the time of the year.

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THIEF DETAINED AFTER TIDYING UP HOUSE

Cyprus Mail 31 July 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

A young man was arrested for stealing in Paphos on Thursday, but his tidy nature contributed to his capture.

He was arrested for an attempted burglary at a house in Lemba after first stealing a car in Kato Paphos after he arrived in Cyprus on July 26.

On Thursday, he entered the house in Lemba through a window and tried to escape with various objects.

Before he did, however, he reportedly watered the plants in the garden, tidied up the house, took a shower, and put on the owner’s clothes.

The daughter of the family, hearing noises, locked herself in a bedroom and notified the authorities.

The owner and police arrived at the house just as the man was leaving and detained him.

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LEGAL LOOPHOLE REGARDING THE REGISTRATION OF IMPORTED USED CARS CLOSED

in-cyprus 31 July 2020 by Maria Bitar

Another legal loophole that allowed importers of used beat up cars to repair and sell them on without the buyers knowing the previous condition of the car they were buying was closed by Minister of Transport Giannis Karousos and the Deputy Director of the Department of Road Transport Giannis Nikolaidis.

Specifically, it was found that after seeing that the previous state of used cars was being included on the title deed when said beat up cars were imported, the importers multiplied their applications to the Department of Road Transport for the issuance of a title deed in Cyprus based on the data they provided, because, as they claimed, the title deeds of these vehicles were lost in Britain when they purchased them – title deeds which indicate the state of the car like damage from an accident, floods, hail etc.

It should be noted that in recent years, the DRT had established this service, to assist used car importers in cases where the documents of an imported vehicle were lost in the process of being imported to an office, on ship, or in customs etc.

For this reason, the DRT contacted its counterpart in England, who explained that they no longer issue “Export Certificates” or new registration certificates (V5C) for a vehicle sold and shipped outside the United Kingdom.

The Ministry of Transport after also consulting with the British authorities, decided that it would not issue a title deed for a vehicle imported or transported used in the Republic of Cyprus from abroad.

Therefore, it is required to present an authentic vehicle registration certificate issued by the corresponding Vehicle Registration Authority of the country in which it was initially registered.

Vehicles imported or transported second hand/used to the Republic of Cyprus from September 1 onward, that are not accompanied by their original registration certificate will not be accepted for registration by the DRT.

For vehicles that will have been imported in Cyprus used without an authentic registration certificate before September 1, a letter must be sent by the importer to the DRT by September 30 with all the available details for the vehicle including invoice, other evidence for proof of purchase, shipment and customs clearance documents and inspection documents, to be checked so as to determine whether and by what procedure it will be possible to register the vehicles.

Source: Philenews

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SHOCKED HONG KONG IN A NEW ERA UNDER 'WHITE KNUCKLE' CHINA GRIP

Reuters 31 July 2020 

© Reuters/TYRONE SIU FILE PHOTO: Women walk past a government-sponsored advertisement promoting the new national security law as a meeting on national security legislation takes place in in Hong Kong

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - For 23 years Hong Kong was an anomaly.

A free and partially democratic city under Chinese rule, protected by a tradition of firm rule of law from the British colonial era, and a promise from Beijing of freedoms for its 7.5 million people that were unthinkable on the mainland.

On June 30, however, China imposed a harsh new paradigm on Hong Kong, marking an end to the liberal pledge, say government, political and diplomatic sources.

The national security legislation imposed by Beijing was a response to last year's protracted protests, that were preceded by years of smouldering discontent at what many Hong Kong people saw as China's creeping erosion of the city's freedoms.

© Reuters/TYRONE SIU

The legislation has been enacted ostensibly to tackle terrorism, collusion with foreign powers, secession and subversion. But its 66 articles carry far deeper implications for Hong Kong.

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the law would be a "sharp sword" hanging over the heads of a "tiny number of people" endangering national security.

At the same time, the law would be a "guardian" of the rights, freedoms and peaceful lives of the rest of Hong Kong's people, the office under China's State Council said.

The legislation has already had a significant impact on the financial hub as the city government responds to it, at times with China's involvement.

A Hong Kong government source familiar with Beijing's thinking said the law may have shocked many people but it had spelt out China's limits on what is tolerable and not: a political reality people must accept.

"It's no longer the old era," the government source said.

"The bottom line is much worse than we expected and people are shocked. But in terms of China's political bottom line, the situation is clearer now. No one has to guess any more."

The law has brought a chill and the pulling of pro-democracy books from library shelves, disqualifications of democrats from a city election and the arrests of three teenagers for Facebook posts deemed secessionist.

New arms of China's state security apparatus have been set up, including a National Security Office in a leafy neighbourhood on Hong Kong island.

In a few flare-ups of opposition to the law, protesters have been arrested for once legal banners and for shouting slogans now labelled subversive.

'ONLY THE START'

Foreign governments and rights groups describe the law in bleak terms: an assault on Western-style freedoms and a de facto dismantling of the "one country, two systems" formula that has underpinned Hong Kong's role as one of the world's financial centres.

China's Communist Party leaders have a starkly different view at a time of growing tension with the United States, seeing the restoration of order and the snuffing out of foreign meddling in the city as a priority.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office called the law a "milestone" and a "turning point" for Hong Kong to end chaos.

Some Asian and Western diplomats say they have been surprised by the law's reach and the speed at which it is changing Hong Kong.

"At a stroke it has shattered all the assumptions governing Hong Kong's place in the world as essentially a free, open and well-administered city," said a Western envoy.

"The overreach has been startling and many of us fear this is only the start."

Another government source who declined to be identified said more of Beijing's red lines would soon be revealed through its unrelenting "white-knuckle" grip on the city.

Chinese authorities are no longer restricted in their reach and can intervene in city affairs when they wish. The law can circumvent all local laws.

The new National Security Office enjoys investigative and enforcement powers and may make "proposals on major strategies and important policies for safeguarding national security".

RISKS

Running parallel with the legislation is a Beijing agenda to instil greater patriotism in Hong Kong and to address longstanding thorns in its side, including the city's free press, rights groups and the opposition, activists say.

For a timeline of the national security law, click [nL3N2F22I6]

But there are risks for Beijing.

International pressure has grown, and a few Western countries have offered passports to Hong Kong people, drawing China's ire and raising the risk of a brain-drain.

Some businesses are recalibrating their perceptions of Hong Kong, partly because of client and data confidentiality concerns given new powers under the law of surveillance, the freezing of assets and demands for information.

Hong Kong's financial markets have been largely positive though the U.S. withdrawal of Hong Kong's preferential trading status in response to the law will weigh economically.

The quelling of open dissent and the scrubbing of social media accounts do not mean convictions have changed, some say.

"If I fall back, if I quit, that means the regime wins," said activist Sunny Cheung.

"This is not just something very intangible or ontological ... We should try everything we can to protect the distinctiveness, the identity, the values of Hong Kong."

(Additional reporting by Greg Torode and Jessie Pang; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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GERMANY PUTS THREE VIRUS-HIT SPANISH REGIONS ON HIGH-RISK LIST

Reuters 31 July 2020

Map 31/7 showing reported infections in Spain

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will force people returning from three Spanish regions, including Catalonia - home to Barcelona - to go into quarantine or take a coronavirus test, in the latest blow to Europe's travel industry after months of lockdown.

With virus numbers ticking up in Germany, fears have grown that tourists returning from destinations experiencing a surge in new cases, like Spain, could sow the seeds of a second wave.

Germany reported 870 more confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number to 208,698 while 9,141 deaths have been recorded.

The Robert Koch Institute put Catalonia, Aragon, and Navarre in northern Spain on its list of places designated high-risk for coronavirus on Friday.

People returning from high-risk areas must go into quarantine for two weeks unless they can present a negative coronavirus test not older than 48 hours or are willing to take a test at an airport.

From next week, Germany plans to make coronavirus tests mandatory at airports for all returning holidaymakers from high-risk areas in order to slow the spread of infections.

The decision comes after Britain reimposed a 14-day quarantine period on people arriving from Spain and could deal a further blow to Spain's economy, which depends on tourism for 12.3% of its economic output.

Last week, Norway said it would re-impose a 10-day quarantine requirement for people arriving from Spain, while France advised people not to travel to Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Michelle Martin)

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THERE IS NO 'ZERO RISK' IN EASING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, WHO SAYS

Reuters 31 July 2020 

© Reuters/AXEL SCHMIDT

By Bhargav Acharya and Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - There is no "zero risk" strategy for countries easing international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and essential travel for emergencies should remain the priority, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

In a long-awaited update to its guidance on travel, the United Nations global health agency said cross-border trips for emergencies, humanitarian work, the transfer of essential personnel and repatriation would constitute essential travel.

© Reuters/Denis Balibouse

"There is no 'zero risk' when considering the potential importation or exportation of cases in the context of international travel," it said in the updated guidance posted on its website on Thursday.

A surge of new infections in many parts of the world has prompted some countries to reintroduce some travel restrictions, including testing and quarantining incoming passengers.

The WHO had said in June it would update its travel guidelines before the northern hemisphere summer holidays.

The WHO's guidance can be used by governments and industries to help shape policies, but is not enforceable.

The updated travel advice is little changed from previous guidance, which also included infection control advice applicable to other settings such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding touching the face.

The WHO urged each country to conduct its own risk-benefit analysis before lifting any or all travel restrictions. Authorities should take into account local epidemiology and transmission patterns, it said, as well as national health and social distancing measures already in place.

Countries that choose to quarantine all travellers on arrival should do so after assessing the risks and consider local circumstances, the WHO said.

"Countries should continuously plan for and assess their surge capacities for testing, tracking, isolating and managing imported cases and quarantine of contacts," it said.

The WHO said this week that international travel bans cannot stay in place indefinitely, and countries will have to do more to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus within their borders.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Writing by Kate Kelland, editing by Diane Craft, Marguerita Choy, Grant McCool and Timothy Heritage)

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CORONAVIRUS - ISRAELIS WHO ARRIVED BY BOAT FAILED TO SELF-ISOLATE

Cyprus Mail 31 July 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Two persons arriving from Israel – a category C country – by boat at the Limassol marina were caught moving around in public instead of isolating themselves, police said on Friday.

They have not been fined but will appear in court later.

Only Cypriot nationals and permanent residents from category C countries are allowed to enter Cyprus and must self-isolate for 14 days after their arrival.

They were among the violations of coronavirus measures caught by police during 24 hours from 7am on Thursday to 7am on Friday.

Premises and individuals in Limassol, Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos were booked for violating measures.

According to a police spokesman, 16 were booked in Limassol.

Customers at three bars and a café did not keep the required distance from each other, in 10 other businesses people were not using masks, while three owners did not display the necessary signage.

Nine premises were fined €500 and one €750.

Seven people at premises in Nicosia did not wear masks. One was fined €500 and the other six €300.

In Larnaca a cafeteria was slapped with a fine of €1,000, again for a violation of mask usage, in Paphos two were fined €500 each for the same reason, and in the Famagusta district one establishment was ordered to pay €300.

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