Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has asked China for help in getting access to a coronavirus vaccine as governments around the world make arrangements to secure supply for their citizens ahead of what is expected to be a global scramble for the much-awaited shots.
新冠肺炎疫情发生以来，中菲双方同舟共济、守望相助，抗疫合作已成为两国关系的新亮点。菲律宾是中国的友好邻邦，我们愿在疫苗方面优先考虑菲方需求。
香港新冠肺炎确诊病例不断飙升。卫生署卫生防护中心传染病处主任张竹君23日公布，截至当天凌晨零时，香港新增118例确诊病例，创单日新增病例新高，其中7例为输入个案，其余111例都是本地个案。香港累计确诊病例达2250例，另外23日一名63岁确诊男病人去世，香港至今已有15名新冠肺炎患者去世。
医院管理局公布，23日又有一名献血人士被确诊染疫，其红血球已经输给医院一名病人。另据东方日报网报道，近日有6艘货船安排船员从外国来港，但每艘船均有一名船员确诊，导致这批货船需要在南丫岛附近海面停泊隔离。
随着疫情出现急剧变化，香港医管局的负压病床使用率已达七成，因此决定24日起启用鲤鱼门公园度假村作为社区隔离设施，约30名康复中的新冠肺炎患者将入住。这是香港新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来，首次启用社区隔离设施接收新冠肺炎轻症患者。
香港护士协会23日通过脸书发声明称，有消息指特首因香港新冠肺炎疫情持续恶化，向中央求助，协调内地医务来港提供紧急施援。香港护士协会对上述传闻深表“震惊”。
香港护士协会认为，本地及境外受训护士在港执业都必须符合香港护士管理局的既定程序、规定和要求，并获发有效执业证明书才能在香港从事护士专业工作。
香港护士协会“强烈认为”，国内医护人员来港提供医务紧急施援一事，并不符合香港法例和专业守则的规定，也未能确切提供适合本地专业标准的护理服务。
声明还称，香港护士协会已去信特首，促请特区政府须确保所有在港执业的医护人员必须按现行的法定规管及注册制度的规定，方能在香港从事护士专业。。
香港医学会会长：我们讲英语，他们讲普通话
香港学会今日召开记者会，对于有传大陆医护来港协助对抗疫情，香港医学会会长蔡坚称，香港经训练的医生均全部曾在医管局工作，无论病历、药物等均是以英文与其他医生沟通，相反大陆医护则是说普通话及写简体字，担心一旦来港后会造成“混乱”，他甚至表示，如果大陆医护只是去方舱医院做事不是不可以，他不会表示强烈反对（如果剩系方舱医院做嘢系未尚不可，但系我唔会话‘Over my dead body’呢啲咁激烈嘅语句）。
值得注意的是, Gabriel Choi 蔡坚的理由与“港独”团体“医管局员工阵线”此前反对内地医护来港理由极其相似。“医管局员工阵线”22日曾表示，内地病患的临床纪录、报告都是以简体字撰写。一般香港培训的医护人员都是以英文为学习语言，粤语与英文为工作时的沟通语言。他们认为，“两地文化及语言不同，当中造成的沟通障碍，实在令香港医疗人员浪费时间与所谓有经验团队沟通，更会拖延患者的治疗时间”。
而且，“医管局员工阵线”曾在疫情早期发动数千香港医护罢工，要求港府“完全封关”，彻底断绝与内地联系。受罢工影响，当时香港多间公营医院专科门诊服务只能提供有限度服务。特首林郑严正指出，“任何人如果认为用这些极端手段，可以威逼特区政府或医管局做一些我们理性上不应做的事，或者公众利益有害无益的事，都不会得逞。”
內地核酸檢測支援隊7人先遣隊 內地周五（7日31日）宣布派檢測人員到香港協助開展大規模核酸檢測篩查。國家衞健委官網周六（8日1日）公布，首支「內地核酸檢測支援隊」將由廣東省衞生健康委從省內20多家公立醫院，選派約60名臨床檢驗技術人員，其中7名先遣隊隊員將於下周日（8月2日）赴香港。消息又指，內地核酸檢測支援隊隊長來自廣東省衞生健康委，曾擔任廣東省支援武漢醫療隊總指揮。這是首批中央政府派出支持香港抗疫的內地專業隊伍。國家衞生健康委後續將根據香港特區抗擊疫情需要，隨時調集內地醫療資源給予更多支持。同時，國家衞生健康委也已組建「內地方艙醫院支援隊」，由湖北省武漢市選派6名有方艙醫院實戰經驗的專家，包括醫院院長、護理、建築和設計專家，為香港亞洲國際博覽館改建為方艙醫院提供設計、運營和管理經驗的技術支持。
SinoPharm said its COVID 19 vaccine could be on the market by the end of 2020, after the company was approved in late June to begin int’l phase III clinical trials. Results of phase I and II trials were very positive and without serious side effects.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6928a5.htm
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted sentinel surveillance of influenza-like symptoms (ILS) and genetic sequencing to characterize community transmission and determine the geographic origin of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Among 544 specimens tested from persons with ILS and negative influenza test results, 36 (6.6%) were positive. Genetically sequenced positive specimens most closely resembled sequences circulating in Europe. Trump’s lie collapses.
The world’s first phase three clinical trials for an inactivated COVID19 vaccine formally began in the UAE Thurs, the result of cooperation between China’s Sinopharm and the UAE’s G42 Healthcare. The first group of up to 15,000 volunteers received the vaccine in Abu Dhabi. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-emirates-vaccine/chinas-sinopharm-begins-late-stage-trial-of-covid-19-vaccine-in-abu-dhabi-idUSKCN24H14T
The human trial is a partnership between Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG), Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Group 42 (G42) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health.
The study, which began on Wednesday, is the world’s first Phase III trial of an inactivated vaccine, G42 Healthcare CEO Ashish Koshy said. Inactivated vaccines are well known and have been used against diseases such as influenza and measles.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1194396.shtml?fbclid=IwAR0DXA0TdUqfkSqCXxNGdXvqtrODNM5jyEacmke9ETbscrbke9DOtJA1uPs Construction started on the first COVID-19 vaccine production base in East China’s Zhejiang Province on Saturday in the Ningbo Free Trade Zone, and the facility is expected to be put in use in March next year.
Total investment is estimated at 2.5 billion yuan ($357 million), of which 550 million yuan will be used in the research, development and production of an effective vaccine, according to the Administrative Committee of Ningbo Free Trade Zone (NFTZ) on Monday.
“Under the premise of ensuring quality, we will accelerate the construction of the vaccine workshop and strive to put it into use next March. We will also strive to realize COVID-19 vaccine production in Ningbo in the first half of next year,” said Yan Rongjie, director of the administrative committee.
The project will be implemented in three phases, with the first phase costing 1.3 billion yuan to commercialize the production of a COVID-19 vaccine as well as a new rabies vaccine for human use, while also building a high-level biological laboratory.
China’s Can Sino Biologics is holding talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia on starting phase III trials of COVID19 vaccine (AD5-NCOV), planning to enroll 40,000 participants. This came after the vaccine was approved for use in army. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-vaccine/chinas-cansino-in-talks-for-covid-vaccine-phase-iii-trial-overseas-idUSKCN24C0HS
Chinese Embassy warns of unknown pneumonia deadlier than COVID-19 in Kazakhstan The Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan on Thursday warned Chinese citizens living in the country of a local pneumonia of unknown cause, which has a “much higher” fatality rate than COVID-19.
The unknown pneumonia in Kazakhstan caused 1,772 deaths in the first six months of the year, including 628 people in June alone, including Chinese citizens, the embassy said in a statement on its WeChat platform on Thursday.
