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Govt to convene special Covid-19 meeting tomorrow to discuss further measures

JOHOR BARU: The government will convene a special Covid-19 meeting tomorrow to discuss further measures needed to contain infections, following the spike in cases to a total of 428 recorded until noon today, since the beginning of infections in the country.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba (pix) said apart from Health Ministry representatives, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and representatives of the Defence Ministry are also expected to attend.

“We (Malaysia) have now entered the ‘late containment’ phase”, he said, in view of the 428 cases recorded so far.

He told reporters this after observing the situation at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar here today. Also present was Johor Health Director Dr Aman Rabu and state Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan.

Adham said initial investigations indicated that most of the latest cases were linked to the ‘tabligh’ rally cluster – the rally had taken place at Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling in Kuala Lumpur, from Feb 27 to March 1.

He said a total of 190 new cases of the coronavirus had been reported until noon today, bringing the total number of cases to 428.

Adham added that the Health Ministry would invoke section 15 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 to track down and enforce health screening on rally participants who have refused to come forward to health authorities for testing.

“The ministry calls on those who were at the Sri Petaling mosque to contact the nearest District Health Office for further action,“ he said.

The minister added that from Jan 5 until today, a total of 6.8 million people comprising foreigners and Malaysians had undergone health screening at all entry points in Johor, and so far, no positive Covid-19 cases had been detected through the screening.

He also stressed that premises with individuals who have been confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19, should be closed by operators without waiting for instructions from the ministry. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/govt-to-convene-special-covid-19-meeting-tomorrow-to-discuss-further-measures-XI2129022

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March 15, 2020
E-wallet scammers offer cash as latest modus operandi

ALOR STAR: E-wallet scammers are now resorting to offering cash amounting to RM100-RM300 to those who submit their identity cards to open their e-wallet accounts

Kedah Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) head Supt Elias Omar said the scammer-appointed agents would prey on victims from low-income groups or drug addicts before asking for their identity cards to help register e-wallet accounts.

“Prior to that, the victims will be promised instant cash of between RM100 and RM300 if their e-wallet registration application is successful, thus compelling the victims to handover their identity cards willingly.

“The agent will fill out the application form using the victim’s name and identity card while the phone number and address will be filled with the scammer’s information. This is to make it easier for scammers to obtain their victim’s Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) number and have access to the victim’s bank account,” he told a media conference here today.

He said the scammer would then contact another victim and impersonate the police or the court before directing the victim to transfer some money into an e-wallet account that was opened using an identity card obtained from the previous victim.

“The scammer will contact the victims and inform them that they are involved in a drug case and to avoid having their assets frozen, the victims will have to transfer all their money into the e-wallet accounts provided. The scammers use this e-wallet method because it is difficult for the police to detect.

“From Jan 1 to Feb 29, 25 investigation papers involving such cases have been opened involving a loss of RM600,000,“ he said.

He said up to 50 individuals had provided their identity cards for e-wallet account registration but were unaware that their identity cards and personal information have been misused by scammers out for a profit.

Meanwhile, Elias said acting on information, police have arrested two 23-year-old men who were soliciting public identification cards in early March in the Kuala Muda district.

“One of them is a scammer-appointed agent and for each successful identification card, the agent received RM50 as payment. Six mobile phones, 13 telco sim cards and six ATM cards were also seized.

“We are looking for another 34-year-old who is believed to be able to assist with the case and people with information can also contact the Kedah JSJK or the Kuala Muda JSJK. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,“ he said. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/e-wallet-scammers-offer-cash-as-latest-modus-operandi-HJ2128999

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March 15, 2020
BREAKING: 190 new coronavirus cases reported today, most linked to mosque event

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has recorded a sudden spike in the number of patients who have tested positive for Covid-19, with 190 positive cases recorded in one day as of 12pm today.

Health Minster Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said based on early

investigations, all 190 cases are related to a tabligh gathering that

was conducted at the Seri Petaling mosque.

“This brings the total number of cases since the Covid-19 outbreak

started to 428 cases, with nine people in the intensive care unit

(ICU) and we are currently on the late containment stage,“ he said at

a press conference after visiting the CIQ complex in Johor today.

He also said with the situation now, he will discuss with the Prime

Minister and Defence Ministry on the next move.

Adham also said that seven people have since recovered from Covid-19

and have been discharged, bringing the total of those discharged to 42

people.

He also said that as of Jan 5 until now, 6.8 million people have

gone through the immigration gates bordering Johor and Malaysia, and

there has not been any positive case detected so far.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/breaking-190-new-coronavirus-cases-reported-today-most-linked-to-mosque-event-NJ2128708

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March 15, 2020
Covid-19: 41 new cases reported, tally now 238

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 41 new COVID-19 cases were reported as at noon today, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 238, Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

He said all 41 new cases were linked to the tabligh religious gathering, and they involved 37 patient under investigation (PUI) cases while four more are close contact cases.

“To date, a total 203 cases are still being treated, with five in the intensive care unit (ICU) and requiring ventilator support. The five are also being given anti-viral treatment.

“Also, as of today, a total 1,321 samples from influenza-like-illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) have been tested at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), all public health laboratories and hospitals. Of those, three samples tested positive for COVID-19,” he said in a statement, here today.

In another development, two earlier cases (case 35 and 61) have recovered and have been discharged from the Sungai Buloh hospital, he said.

This brings the number of recovered cases to 35 so far.

Dr Noor Hisham also advised the public to remain calm and not to spread inaccurate information with regard to the tabligh religious gathering that took place from Feb 28-March 1.

Also, to prevent risk of infection on those from the vulnerable communities and those prone to infection, especially the Orang Asli community, the Health Ministry (MOH) is advising organisations or groups who have plans to conduct activities with these communities to postpone them, he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry will continue to provide health services to rural communities through outreach activities.

“The ministry also welcomes any form of medical aid, contributions or collaborations from any party, including non-governmental organisations,” he said, adding that offers or inquiries can be submitted through the ministry’s email cprc@moh.gov.my.

Meanwhile in an updated statement issued at 7pm, the MOH said a total 4,942 participants from the tabligh event at the Sri Petaling mosque have been identified.

Of these, 3,069 reported themselves in at Health Clinics for examination and screening while another 137 were referred to hospitals.

“Only 1,634 of them experienced respiratory tract infection symptoms and samples were taken, while 2,932 of them were asked to undergo home surveillance for 14 days from the last day of the gathering. Investigations and tracking of the event participants is ongoing,” the statement read. — Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/covid-19-41-new-cases-reported-tally-now-238-EC2127446

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March 14, 2020
Premier League ‘may not finish’, says FA chief

LONDON: Football Association chairman Greg Clarke has reportedly told the Premier League he does not believe the domestic football season will be completed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Premier League suspended all fixtures at an emergency meeting on Friday. Matches in the English Football League, FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship are also on hold.

“It was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on April 4, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time,“ the Premier League said in a statement.

Clarke said at the meeting that he did not think it was feasible for the season to be completed, according to a report in the Times.

The virus is not expected to peak in Britain for many weeks, raising doubts over an early April re-start for the Premier League.

The Times said it is understood that Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber also questioned the brevity of the suspension.

Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, is reported to have said it would at least allow time to consider the potential consequences and debate the possible solutions.

The decision was taken after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for Covid-19.

Arteta welcomed the move to put the season on hold.

“Feeling better already,“ he tweeted. “We’re all facing a huge & unprecedented challenge. Everyone’s health is all that matters right now.”

Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League with nine games remaining, chasing their first English top-flight title for 30 years.

If results had gone their way this weekend they could have wrapped up the title at Everton on Monday but manager Jurgen Klopp said he supported the move to suspend football.

He said in a club statement: “If it’s a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it’s no contest. Really, it isn’t.”

Financial hit

Football clubs at all levels face enormous losses if the season is not completed.

One senior figure in broadcasting told the Times: “The commercial reality for the Premier League and (European governing body) UEFA is that if they don’t complete their seasons then they are in breach of their broadcasting contracts.

“You would have broadcasters from all around the world saying, ‘In that case we are not paying for the season.’ For the Premier League you are talking around £3 billion (RM15.75 billion) income a year from overseas and domestic TV rights. There would also be financial implications if the competitions were squeezed so fewer matches were played.”

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told the BBC that clubs, especially in the lower divisions, would be hit hard by the disruption.

“I think many clubs are going to struggle significantly,“ he said. “Many clubs are surviving on a match-to-match basis and are reliant on the loyal few thousand turning up.

“We have to consider the staff at clubs, they are reliant on the income they get from football clubs to pay their own bills as well.”

The Premier League clubs are reportedly due to meet again next Thursday.

There are matches taking place on Saturday in the National League – the fifth tier of English football – but a number of games have been postponed, including the Yeovil v Barnet fixture.

“We currently have four staff that are showing symptoms of Covid-19 who are following government advice and self-isolating,“ Barnet said in a statement.

“As a consequence, we have taken measures to put all first-team staff into self-isolation.” — AFP

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https://www.thesundaily.my/sport/premier-league-may-not-finish-says-fa-chief-DC2127566

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March 14, 2020
How secure are four and six-digit mobile phone PINs?

A German-American team of IT security researchers has investigated how users choose the PIN for their mobile phones and how they can be convinced to use a more secure number combination. They found that six-digit PINs actually provide little more security than four-digit ones. They also showed that the blacklist used by Apple to prevent particularly frequent PINs could be optimised and that it would make even greater sense to implement one on Android devices.

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March 11, 2020
Medical Product Alert N° 1/2020 (English version)
Falsified antimalarials in West and Central Africa displaying an outdated WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo

This Medical Product Alert relates to a series of confirmed falsified antimalarials circulating in West and Central Africa. Medicines subject of this alert display a similar logo to the outdated
WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo.

Since 2013, different falsified medicines, all displaying the outdated WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo, have been reported to the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System by various stakeholders. The continued and widespread availability of these falsified medicines highlights a strong need for additional vigilance. WHO previously published two alerts on this issue (No.132 in Oct 2014, and No.131 in March 2014)

This WHO medical product alert N°1/2020 refers to falsified Quinine Sulphate 300mg presented in six different combinations of batch numbers, expiry and manufacturing dates (see Table 1). The fraudulent use of the outdated WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo may create a false sense of product quality.

Table 1: List of identified falsified Quinine Sulphate 300mg, subject of WHO Alert N°1/2020

Recently received results of analysed samples show they do not contain any of the expected active ingredients.

Quinine sulphate is referenced on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, to manage and treat severe malaria. At this stage, no adverse reactions attributed to these falsified products have been reported to WHO.

All the above falsified products claim to be manufactured by REMEDICA LTD – Cyprus and to contain 300mg of quinine sulphate. Remedica Ltd has confirmed that:
- they did not manufacture the above falsified products; and
- the variable data (batch number and dates) on the above products has never been used by Remedica.
These falsified medicines display the following common characteristics (please see photographs):
- grey or white plastic containers which contain 1000 loose circular tablets each;
- display the outdated WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo;
- English and French labelling with mistakes and inconsistencies; and
- discovered at patient level in both regulated and unregulated outlets.
Product details, photographs and advice to the public are available on the following pages.

Outdated WHO Essential Drugs Programme logo

Photographs of confirmed falsified Quinine Sulphate 300mg tablets subject of
Medical Product Alert N°1/2020

1. Falsified
Quinine Sulphate Tablets B.P 300mg identified
in Chad (Batch 44680)

WHO requests increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries likely to be affected by these falsified products. Increased vigilance should include hospitals, clinics, health centres, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies and any other suppliers of medical products.

If you are in possession of the above products, please do not use. If you have used these falsified products, or if you suffer an adverse event having used these products, please seek immediate advice from a qualified healthcare professional, and ensure they report the incident to your local Ministry of Health/National Medicines Regulatory Authorities/National Pharmacovigilance Centre.

All medical products must be obtained from authentic and reliable sources. Their authenticity and condition should be carefully checked. Seek advice from a healthcare professional in case of doubt.

National health authorities are asked to immediately notify WHO if these falsified products are discovered in their country. If you have any information concerning the manufacture, distribution, or supply of these products, please contact rapidalert@who.int .

WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System

for Substandard and Falsified Medical Products

For further information, please visit our website: www.who.int/medicines/regulation/ssffc/en/

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/09-03-2020-medical-product-alert-n-1-2020-english-version

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March 10, 2020
Ryanair cuts more Italy flights amid virus fears

Ryanair announced Monday another big cut in the number of flights to and from northern Italy in response to the Italian government’s lockdown of the coronavirus hit region.

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March 9, 2020
WHO statement on cases of COVID-19 surpassing 100 000

As of today’s reports, the global number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has surpassed 100 000. As we mark this sombre moment, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds all countries and communities that the spread of this virus can be significantly slowed or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities.

China and other countries are demonstrating that spread of the virus can be slowed and impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, such as working across society to identify people who are sick, bringing them to care, following up on contacts, preparing hospitals and clinics to manage a surge in patients, and training health workers.

WHO calls on all countries to continue efforts that have been effective in limiting the number of cases and slowing the spread of the virus.

Every effort to contain the virus and slow the spread saves lives. These efforts give health systems and all of society much needed time to prepare, and researchers more time to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines.

Allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any government, as it will harm not only the citizens of that country but affect other countries as well.

We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity. Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the health care system, the work place or the transport system.

Leaders at all levels and in all walks of life must step forward to bring about this commitment across society.

WHO will continue to work with all countries, our partners and expert networks to coordinate the international response, develop guidance, distribute supplies, share knowledge and provide people with the information they need to protect themselves and others.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-03-2020-who-statement-on-cases-of-covid-19-surpassing-100-000

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March 8, 2020
Discovery of accurate and far more efficient algorithm for point set registration problems

A point set registration problem is a task using two shapes, each consisting of a set of points, to estimate the relationship of individual points between the two shapes. Here, a “shape” is like a human body or face, which is similar to another body or face but exhibits morphological diversity. Taking the face as an example: the center position of the pupil of an eye varies depending on individuals but can be thought to have a correspondence with that of another person. Such a correspondence can be estimated by gradually deforming one shape to be superimposable on the other. Estimation of the correspondence of a point on one shape to a point on another is the point set registration problem. Since the number of points of one shape could be millions, estimation of correspondence is calculated by a computer. Nonetheless, up to now, even when the fastest conventional method was used, it took a lot of time for calculation for registration of ca. 100,000 points. Thus, algorithms that could find a solution far faster without affecting accuracy have been sought. Furthermore, preliminary registration before automated estimation was a prerequisite for the conventional calculation method, so algorithms that do not need preliminary registration are desirable.

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March 6, 2020