Mar 1, 2021 | Health and Wellness, International
In response to media enquiries on booking for vaccination under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, a government spokesman said today (February 28) that when booking commences again at 9am tomorrow (March 1), members of the public can make reservation for vaccination of the Sinovac vaccine at the eight Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and the 18 general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority for the period until March 28. (A list of the eight CVCs is at the Annex).
For the Comirnaty vaccine, online booking for vaccination will open by the middle of this week. Detailed arrangements will be announced shortly.
Feb 27, 2021 | Business, Health and Wellness, Lifestyle
The idea of GoodLives was born when Sakshi Shah and Lawrence Lovedeep, the cofounders of GoodLives; encountered people with emotional issues in their personal life journey and realized how essential it was to have someone you can share your problems with. They comprehended that a lot of people suffered in silence because they were hesitant to express their sentiments clearly. Also, they were unable to locate the right help at the right time and in the right manner. Hence, the motto of GoodLives is to make mental health services ‘affordable’ and ‘accessible’ across the globe. It will make sure that you always have someone who will calm your nerves down and most importantly, TALK to you!
Having sound mental health means being able to cope with your emotions well while realizing your full potential, maintaining healthy relationships, and also being able to handle daily stress with positivity. However, the problem arises when people struggle with the above and feel embarrassed to seek help. GoodLives thus comes with a promise to live up to its name & helps individuals lead good lives via a therapeutic process. What is the main idea behind the startup? Adopting and adapting to destigmatizing therapy where mental health discussions are normalized and you embrace various forms of therapy like expressive art therapy and music therapy with grace. GoodLives will make sure that you are connected to a therapist who is right for you and hence advises you accordingly.
This was a brilliant initiative taken by the IIT Kharagpur alumni for making the world a happier and healthier place to live in. We face a lot of problems in the present situation of today where the connections are slowly being lost. Society is in dire need of solution-makers and GoodLives provides solutions for all your mental health complications. Awareness is also created among corporate employees to ask for help when troubled. The psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors will address your tangled web of emotions and help you view life from a fresh perspective. The beautifully curated therapy toolbox of GoodLives also comprises self-evaluation tests, workshops, and webinars to help further your mental health journey. All in the end to empower people to embark on life with a simple takeaway, “Don’t let your struggle become your identity”.
Feb 26, 2021 | Health and Wellness, International
The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme started today (February 26) for members of the public to get vaccinated.
A total of about 6 000 persons received their first doses of the vaccine today, while a cumulative total of about 6 600 persons have been vaccinated since February 22.
“Getting vaccinated can not only protect oneself, but also family members and friends, and will help reduce the risk of a community outbreak. We call on the citizens in the five priority groups to get vaccinated early so that our economy and way of life could return to normal as soon as possible,” a Government spokesman said.
Feb 26, 2021 | Health and Wellness, International
The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme was officially launched today (February 26), with people belonging to the priority groups who have made appointments receiving the Sinovac vaccine at five Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and 18 general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority (HA).
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, inspected the operation of the CVCs at the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Central Library and Kwun Chung Sports Centre. They said they were pleased to know that the centres have been operating smoothly.
The public response to the programme has been enthusiastic. On the first day of online appointment booking, all booking slots for the first two weeks were taken up. The online booking system in the designated website (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk) will be open again for members of the public to make appointments starting from 9am on March 1 (Monday).
Apart from the five CVCs and the 18 general out-patient clinics of the HA, members of the public can also make appointments to receive the Sinovac vaccine at three newly added CVCs, namely Tseung Kwan O Sports Centre, Osman Ramju Sadick Memorial Sports Centre in Kwai Tsing and Yau Oi Sports Centre in Tuen Mun. These centres will operate for a period of 56 days starting from March 6. The Government will review the situation including the supply of the vaccine and the public demand and make updated arrangements at suitable junctures. The locations of the eight CVCs are detailed in the Annex.
Starting from 9am on March 1, members of the public can book the timeslots available up to March 26 through the online booking system for receiving the Sinovac vaccine at the eight CVCs and 18 general out-patient clinics of the HA.
If necessary, people can seek assistance for making online bookings from about 120 post offices or the 180 estate management offices of the public housing estates they reside in.
Apart from the CVCs, people belonging to the priority groups can also receive Sinovac vaccine at clinics of private doctors participating in the programme from mid next week. Information about these clinics will be uploaded to the designated website.
The Government has procured three vaccines from different technology platforms with a total of 22.5 million doses, which would be sufficient for vaccinating all of the people in Hong Kong. The programme has also been implementing in a safe and orderly manner. Members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated early so as to enable Hong Kong to successfully fight the epidemic as soon as possible.
For information about the vaccination, please visit the designated website at www.covidvaccine.gov.hk .
Feb 26, 2021 | Health and Wellness, International
The Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure more people in Canada are vaccinated more quickly, and continues to work to give Canadians access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.
Following Health Canada’s authorization of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced today that Canada has secured 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through an agreement with Verity Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc./Serum Institute of India.
AstraZeneca has licensed the manufacture of its ChAdOx1 vaccine to the Serum Institute. The first 500,000 doses will be delivered to Canada in the coming weeks and will quickly be ready for distribution to the provinces and territories. The remaining 1.5 million doses will arrive by mid-May.
The 2 million doses secured through this agreement are in addition to the 20 million doses already secured through an earlier agreement with AstraZeneca. Health Canada’s authorization of the AstraZeneca vaccine allows the Government of Canada to advance its work with AstraZeneca to finalize delivery schedules for the 20 million doses.
This announcement further solidifies Canada’s plan to be able to provide a vaccine to everyone in Canada for whom these COVID-19 vaccines are recommended, by the end of September.
“The Government of Canada continues to do everything possible to protect Canadians from COVID-19. This includes securing a highly diverse and extensive portfolio of vaccines and taking all necessary measures to ready the country to receive them. We remain fully on track to ensure that there will be a sufficient supply so that every eligible Canadian who wants a vaccine will have access to one by the end of September. I am grateful for the collaboration of our partners in India to finalize this agreement, and I look forward to continuing to work closely together in the weeks ahead.”
Feb 26, 2021 | Health and Wellness, International
While Canada’s natural resource industries have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, they remain resilient and innovative as they seek ways to contribute to efforts to keep us safe. The forest sector, in particular, has been at the forefront of the fight by supplying Canadians with vital personal protective equipment. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, with the help of our natural resources sectors, the Government of Canada continues to take action to protect Canadians, support our industries, and strengthen our economy.
That’s why today, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., announced the results of a $3.3-million investment to FPInnovations for a COVID-19 response project to develop non-medical biodegradable and eco-friendly single-use masks to reduce non-biodegradable waste. FPInnovations has developed a certifiable, three-ply biodegradable mask manufactured with material made from sustainably produced Canadian forest fibre and biodegradable plastic, offering 85 percent filtration performance and biodegradability — near the top of what is currently on the market.
As demand for PPE increases, the waste resulting from non-biodegradable products such as masks remains an environmental concern. This made-in-Canada solution means that these masks can be disposed of in an industrial composting environment, where local guidelines permit. FPInnovations is ready to transfer technology for production of this eco and cost-friendly solution to Canadian mask manufacturers.
This investment is part of the contribution agreement Natural Resources Canada has with FPInnovations through the Forest Innovation Program, which promotes research and development on new technologies and products across Canada’s forest sector.
The importance of Canada’s resource sectors — to our economy, our natural environment and our everyday lives — has been magnified during the pandemic. Canada’s forest sector continues to innovate and implement unique technologies and processes to manufacture new products, contributing to Canada’s pandemic response.
“The development of biodegradable masks clearly shows that stimulating the bioeconomy can contribute to a cleaner environment in Canada. The outstanding collective scientific and technological expertise of the forest sector has been key to the success and speed of this project and is proof that, together, we are capable of bringing eco-friendly, bio-sourced products through the pipeline from research to market within just months!”
