Asia
China toll leaps past 1,600 as first death reported outside Asia
by Jing Xuan Teng and Laurent Thomet
The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak surpassed 1,600 in China on Sunday, with the first fatality reported outside Asia fuelling global concerns.
More than 68,000 people have now been infected in China from a virus that emerged in central Hubei province in December before spreading across the country and some two dozen countries.
Amid criticism over the handling of the crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for tighter policing to protect social stability, while Beijing ordered people returning to the capital to self-quarantine for 14 days in the latest drastic measure aimed at containing the virus.
An 80-year-old Chinese tourist died from the new coronavirus, French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said Saturday.
Only three other deaths have been recorded outside mainland China — in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan.
The death toll in China, meanwhile, rose to 1,662 Sunday after Hubei reported 139 new deaths.
Several countries have banned arrivals from China and major airlines have cut services to the country.
The biggest cluster outside China is on a quarantined cruise ship off Japan, with 285 infections now as dozens more cases were confirmed.
A US State Department spokesperson said Americans stranded on the vessel would be evacuated, and would face a further quarantine of two weeks in the United States.
More police
The virus spread last month as millions travelled across the country for the Lunar New Year holiday, which was extended by three days — more than a week in some cities — in an effort to prevent further contagion.
People have slowly started to return to work in the past two weeks, though many are doing their jobs from home and schools remain closed.
Beijing’s municipal government enacted a rule on Friday requiring all people coming to the capital to quarantine themselves for 14 days, warning that violators would be punished, according to official media.
It was unclear how authorities would enforce the measure.
Chinese authorities have placed some 56 million people in Hubei and its capital Wuhan under quarantine, virtually sealing off the province from the rest of the country in an unprecedented effort to contain the virus.
A number of cities far from the epicentre have also imposed tough measures limiting the number of people who can leave their homes.
The government must “increase use of police force and strengthen the visible use of police”, to ensure stability during the crisis, Xi said in a February 3 speech published by state media on Saturday.
In another drastic preventive measure, China’s central bank said Saturday that used banknotes were being disinfected with ultraviolet light or high temperatures, and stored for up to 14 days before they are put back into circulation.
The scale of the epidemic ballooned this week after authorities in Hubei changed their criteria for counting cases, retroactively adding thousands of new patients to their tally.
New cases fall
Hubei added more than 14,000 cases in a single day this week after officials there started counting people clinically diagnosed through lung imaging, in addition to those with a positive lab test result.
On Saturday, the National Health Commission reported 2,641 new cases of the COVID-19 strain, with the vast majority in Hubei.
The number, however, was almost half those reported the previous day, and World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the body has asked China for details on how diagnoses were being made.
“China has bought the world time. We don’t know how much time,” he said.
“We ask all governments, companies, and news organisations to work with us to sound the appropriate level of alarm without fanning the flames of hysteria.”
He said he was concerned by the continued increase of cases in China as well as “the lack of urgency in funding the response from the international community”.
The number of new confirmed cases has been steadily falling outside Hubei.
A top Chinese scientist had predicted that the epidemic could peak by the end of this month after the number of new cases had fallen earlier in the week.
But the WHO has cautioned that it was “way too early” to make any predictions about the disease’s trajectory.
An international team of WHO experts will arrive in Beijing this weekend for a joint mission with Chinese counterparts.
– AFP
Asia
Up to 200 athletes tested for doping so far at Asian Games
Between 150 and 200 Asian Games athletes tested for doping, yielding no positive results. Anti-doping efforts emphasized for a clean event, focusing on record-breakers.
HANGZHOU, CHINA — Between 150 and 200 Asian Games athletes have already been tested for doping, the Olympic Council of Asia said on Monday, with no positive results so far.
Speaking at an anti-doping press conference on the second full day of the Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, the OCA said dope-testing was “gaining momentum” at the event.
Mani Jegathesan, an adviser to the OCA anti-doping committee, warned that drug cheats would be rooted out.
Up to 200 athletes have been tested so far, he said, but any positive results will take several days to come through.
“Every athlete participating in these Games must understand that they could be picked at any time,” Jegathesan warned.
“That is the best step to ensuring we have a clean event.”
There are about 12,000 athletes at the 19th Asian Games, more competitors than the Olympics, and Jegathesan admitted it would be impossible to test them all.
Instead, they will prioritise, including picking out those who break world or Asian records.
— AFP
Asia
Foodpanda’s restructuring amid sale speculations
Food delivery giant Foodpanda, a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, announces staff layoffs in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming for increased efficiency. This move coincides with ongoing talks about potentially selling parts of its 11-year-old business.
Foodpanda, a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, is initiating undisclosed staff reductions in the Asia-Pacific region, as discussions continue regarding the potential sale of a portion of its 11-year-old food delivery business.
In a memorandum circulated to employees on 21 September, Foodpanda CEO Jakob Angele conveyed the company’s intent to become more streamlined, efficient, and agile.
Although the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, the emphasis was on enhancing operational efficiency for the future.
No mention was made in the memo regarding the reports of Foodpanda’s potential sale in Singapore and six other Southeast Asian markets, possibly to Grab or other interested buyers.
Foodpanda had previously conducted staff layoffs in February and September 2022. These actions come as the company faces mounting pressure to achieve profitability, particularly in challenging economic conditions.
The regulatory filings of Foodpanda’s Singapore entity for the fiscal year 2022, ending on 31 Dec, indicated a loss of S$42.7 million despite generating revenue of S$256.7 million.
Angele further explained that Foodpanda intends to review its organizational structure, including both regional and country teams, with some reporting lines being reassigned to different leaders. Additionally, certain functions will be consolidated into regional teams.
Expressing regret over the challenging decisions, Angele assured affected employees of a severance package, paid gardening leave, and extended medical insurance coverage where feasible.
Foodpanda will also forego the usual waiting period for long-term incentive plan grants, and vesting will continue until the last employment date. Employees will retain all vested shares as of their last day of employment.
Foodpanda, established in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, became a part of Delivery Hero in 2016. The company operates in 11 markets across the Asia-Pacific region, excluding its exit from the Japanese market last year.
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