W.H.O DENIES ‘LYING’ TO ITALY OVER UN REPORT HONG KONG NOT TO MANDATE VAX FOR DOMESTIC STAFF

Rome, May 11: A top World Health Organisation official has strongly denied making false statements to Italian prosecutors about a spiked UN report into Italy’s Covid response, doubling down on his assertions in court documents.

Dr Ranieri Guerra, a WHO special adviser, outlined his position in a 40page response, with a 495page annex, to prosecutors who placed him under investigation last month for having allegedly made false statements to them when he was questioned November 5.

The prosecutors’ claims create a picture that is quite different from the reality of the facts and above all, are imprecise and don’t adhere to the reconstruction of events that Dr Guerra provided, said the response signed by his Romebased attorney.

Hong Kong, May 11: Hong Kong officials dropped a plan to mandate foreign domestic workers be vaccinated against the Coronavirus, after hearing international criticism the move would be discriminatory.

Most of Hong Kong’s approximately 370,000 domestic workers come from Indonesia and the Philippines, both severely impacted by the pandemic. Hong Kong officials initially proposed the mandate after a foreign domestic worker tested positive for a Coronavirus variant in April, with an unknown source of infection. Another worker arriving from the Philippines had also tested positive for a variant.

Those findings prompted the city to order domestic workers to be tested for the virus at the end of April. The plan for mandatory vaccinations was dropped after officials assessed public health needs and the potential legal issues, Hong Kong leader said.