Easing of travel restrictions soonest by April: scientists
out in the UK, which contributed to a substantial drop in infections, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID- 19. News of the UK recovery, the worst- hit country, combined with WHO’s report last week of plummeting COVID- 19 cases for a fifth consecutive week, seem to have sent encouraging signs to the world.
Possible tapering point
Several scientists believe that those positive signs point to a possible tapering- off of the global COVID- 19 pandemic. They pointed out that implementation of stronger public health measures, stricter adherence to the rules borne out of fear of faster- spreading variants, and the natural seasonality of coronavirus have all played a constructive part in the recent decline.
A Beijing- based immunologist even predicted that global travel restrictions will start to be eased in April, if the positive trend continues.
“Based on the current pace, most wealthy countries and countries with frequent people exchanges will realize mass inoculation by April or May this year, and would pave the way for international travel,” said the immunologist who spoke under the condition of anonymity.
According to a report filed by an independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response for the WHO Executive Board in January, coronavirus vaccines will be widely available in Western countries, China, and Russia as early as September this year.
Many Western countries, such as the US and the UK, are betting all their hopes on the vaccines, and encouraging their people to get vaccinated.
Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, said on Tuesday that a country would build a strong immunity barrier against the virus only when at least half of its population gets vaccinated.
“The UK may be on the right path, but the US is far from that goal,” said Yang.
Chen Xi, an assistant professor of public health at Yale University, said that the US is still facing a severe shortage of vaccines. “Only after July when 300 million people in the US get vaccinated will the country achieve herd immunity”
He said another warning sign in the US is the virus variants. According to US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention data, the country has reported 1,193 total cases of novel coronavirus variants across 40 US states as of February 14, 2021.
The new variants will account for at least half of US daily new cases by mid- March, which is likely to render the vaccine less effective, according to Chen.
A source at China’s leading vaccine producer Sinovac also shared encouraging news with the Global Times on Tuesday, saying that preliminary results showed antibodies given by Sinovac’s doses can neutralize the variants detected in the UK and South Africa, though a detailed report by scientists has not yet been published.
Apart from emergence of coronavirus variants, health experts believe an uneven vaccine rollout will also undermine global efforts to contain the virus, and they highlighted China’s role in contributing to the fair distribution of vaccines.
Chen noted that the shortage of vaccines in developing countries is a tricky problem, especially as the Southern Hemisphere, where some of the worst- hit countries are located, is going into its winter season. “Those countries must kick off mass inoculation before June and avoid a viral spread. Otherwise, the global pandemic will be prolonged,” said Chen.
More than 23 years after Hong Kong returned to the motherland, putting an end to its colonial past, the Hong Kong Police College held Chinesestyle foot drill trainings, taught by members of the People’s Liberation Army ( PLA) Hong Kong Garrison for the first time, after the Hong Kong Police Force ( HKPF) invited the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Honor Guard Battalion.
Some experts and representatives from the HKPF consider such training necessary, as the HKPF has continued to adopt the British- style foot drills after 1997, with strong colonial characteristics that need to change.
Local media in Hong Kong reported on Monday that the Hong Kong Police College held PLAstyle foot drills training at the parade grounds in Wong Chuk Hang, taught by members of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison. And the South China Morning Post, citing an unnamed government source, reported that the skills acquired from the unprecedented training sessions would be deployed at the handover parade on July 1, 2022 for the 25th anniversary celebrations for Hong Kong’s return to the motherland.
A spokesperson of the HKPF told Global Times that the HKPF’s current style foot drills remain unchanged, and will continue to be used in training and ceremonial work, and this was also the first time that the HKPF invited the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Honor Guard Battalion to the Hong Kong Police College to conduct such training and exchanges with the HKPF and Disciplined Services.
The moves in British- style foot drills are slower than those in the Chinese style. Members of the British honor guard hold assault rifles with their left hand while those in Chinese honor guards hold semi- automatic rifles with their right hand, according to experts.
The HKPF uses typical moves of British- style foot drills such as swinging their arms to the level of their shoulders and knee lifts to 90 degrees.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the HKPF continued to use British- style foot drills after 1997, which is a heritage of colonization.
“The custom will be changed gradually,” Song said.
Despite the HKPF said they do not plan to change current foot drills, the attempt they are making still deserves praise and support, an observer told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.
“The HKPF will keep up with the times and change. One of the key principles for development and change is de- colonization. Colonization marks should not be saved under the guise of diversification,” the anonymous observer said.