MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Even "American Idols" are not exempted from swine flu checks.
Philippine health authorities had to chase down David Cook and David Archuleta, the winner and the runner-up of last season's TV singing contest, to have them fill out a health checklist and report their temperatures at least twice a day before their open-air concert Saturday.
Edgardo Sabitsana, director of the quarantine bureau, said the celebrities rushed through the airport Wednesday without completing health checks that are mandatory for everyone entering the country.
Officials caught up with them in their hotel rooms Thursday and reminded them that they can be arrested if they do not cooperate, Sabitsana told The Associated Press.
"We had to mention the authority of the quarantine bureau ... that we can do something if they refuse," he said.
The singers were "very receptive, they were very cooperative," Sabitsana said.
He said they were briefed about keeping a distance of six feet from other people, what to do if they exhibit flu-like symptoms, urged to use hand sanitizers and other "little things that their handlers may forget."
Swine flu, a new human strain of influenza, has so far seen more than 6,600 cases in 33 countries and killed at least 69 people. Health officials have warned the virus could spark a pandemic, infecting millions of people with no natural immunity.
The Philippines has reported no case of swine flu, but authorities are taking no chances, especially with celebrities in contact with large numbers of fans.
The health secretary last week advised boxing star Manny Pacquiao to delay his return from the U.S. for fear he could infect huge crowds if he had fallen ill. But Pacquiao brushed aside the suggestion, saying he had no flu symptoms.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Pfizer Starts Free Drug Program for Newly Unemployed
Pfizer Inc. is offering as much as a year of free medicine, such as the Lipitor cholesterol pill and Viagra for sexual dysfunction, to Americans who lost jobs and health insurance.
The program covers more than 70 medicines for people who can demonstrate unemployment since Jan. 1, have no drug insurance and were taking a Pfizer product for at least three months before the job loss, the New York-based drugmaker said today in a statement.
Jorge Puente, regional president for worldwide pharmaceuticals, suggested the program a month ago to help the 46 million Americans without health insurance, Pfizer said. The number of people collecting unemployment insurance was 6.56 million last week and the jobless rate has climbed to 8.9 percent, the highest since 1983, according to U.S. Department of Labor.
“The current economic environment has added considerable new stress to the daily life of millions of hard-working Americans, and our colleagues are responding to help their neighbors in the communities where they reside,” said Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler. “We are doing what we can to ensure that recent loss of employment does not preclude people from managing their health.”
A Pfizer spokesman, Ray Kerins, declined to say how much the program would cost Pfizer or how many people may be eligible.
Patients have been switching from brand-name drugs to generic copies that cost a fraction of the price, according to IMS Health Inc., a research company based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Generic Zocor
Pfizer has said sales of Lipitor have declined since generic copies of Zocor, a rival cholesterol pill made by Merck & Co. of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, came on the market in 2006. Lipitor costs about $4 a pill compared with less than $1 for generic Zocor, or simvastatin.
To get free Pfizer drugs, patients must “attest to financial hardship.” The medicines are available free for as much as a year or until the patient finds a job. Pfizer said people who are interested in enrolling in the program should go to www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com.
The program covers more than 70 medicines for people who can demonstrate unemployment since Jan. 1, have no drug insurance and were taking a Pfizer product for at least three months before the job loss, the New York-based drugmaker said today in a statement.
Jorge Puente, regional president for worldwide pharmaceuticals, suggested the program a month ago to help the 46 million Americans without health insurance, Pfizer said. The number of people collecting unemployment insurance was 6.56 million last week and the jobless rate has climbed to 8.9 percent, the highest since 1983, according to U.S. Department of Labor.
“The current economic environment has added considerable new stress to the daily life of millions of hard-working Americans, and our colleagues are responding to help their neighbors in the communities where they reside,” said Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Kindler. “We are doing what we can to ensure that recent loss of employment does not preclude people from managing their health.”
A Pfizer spokesman, Ray Kerins, declined to say how much the program would cost Pfizer or how many people may be eligible.
Patients have been switching from brand-name drugs to generic copies that cost a fraction of the price, according to IMS Health Inc., a research company based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Generic Zocor
Pfizer has said sales of Lipitor have declined since generic copies of Zocor, a rival cholesterol pill made by Merck & Co. of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, came on the market in 2006. Lipitor costs about $4 a pill compared with less than $1 for generic Zocor, or simvastatin.
To get free Pfizer drugs, patients must “attest to financial hardship.” The medicines are available free for as much as a year or until the patient finds a job. Pfizer said people who are interested in enrolling in the program should go to www.PfizerHelpfulAnswers.com.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Q+A: How serious is swine flu?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Just how bad is this new flu strain, how far will it go and how long will the outbreak last?
Here are some questions and answers about the outbreak:
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED? HOW MANY ARE INFECTED?
All deaths so far have been in Mexico, where 20 of the 149 reported fatalities have been confirmed to be from the H1N1 swine flu virus. There are 1,600 suspected cases in Mexico and 64 confirmed cases in the United States, and a few cases in Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Spain and Israel.
WHY ARE THERE ONLY DEATHS IN MEXICO?
No one is sure. It is important to remember that health officials are now taking a snapshot of the past -- they are not reporting on new infections at this point, just tracking down old infections and they are only finding them where they are looking. The Mexican authorities looked in hospitals, where serious cases will, of course, be found. U.S. health officials found their cases during routine screening of people with flu-like symptoms, most in walk-in clinics, so they have naturally found milder cases.
Influenza experts say they fully expect to find deaths in other places, including the United States and elsewhere, as the search goes on. One problem is that people die of respiratory diseases regularly and the cause is often not determined.
WHY WOULD IT KILL SOME AND NOT OTHERS?
Seasonal influenza kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year in a normal year and all sorts of factors determine who dies. Elderly people often die but sometimes perfectly healthy adults and children die. Sometimes flu makes people susceptible to bacterial infections, called secondary infections, and if the virus and the bacteria are circulating at the same time in the same place there can be clusters of deaths.
Here are some questions and answers about the outbreak:
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED? HOW MANY ARE INFECTED?
All deaths so far have been in Mexico, where 20 of the 149 reported fatalities have been confirmed to be from the H1N1 swine flu virus. There are 1,600 suspected cases in Mexico and 64 confirmed cases in the United States, and a few cases in Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Spain and Israel.
WHY ARE THERE ONLY DEATHS IN MEXICO?
No one is sure. It is important to remember that health officials are now taking a snapshot of the past -- they are not reporting on new infections at this point, just tracking down old infections and they are only finding them where they are looking. The Mexican authorities looked in hospitals, where serious cases will, of course, be found. U.S. health officials found their cases during routine screening of people with flu-like symptoms, most in walk-in clinics, so they have naturally found milder cases.
Influenza experts say they fully expect to find deaths in other places, including the United States and elsewhere, as the search goes on. One problem is that people die of respiratory diseases regularly and the cause is often not determined.
WHY WOULD IT KILL SOME AND NOT OTHERS?
Seasonal influenza kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year in a normal year and all sorts of factors determine who dies. Elderly people often die but sometimes perfectly healthy adults and children die. Sometimes flu makes people susceptible to bacterial infections, called secondary infections, and if the virus and the bacteria are circulating at the same time in the same place there can be clusters of deaths.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
China takes US chicken ban to the WTO
A World Trade Organisation dispute has erupted over the US ban on imports of Chinese chicken.
The countries banned each other's chicken meat imports after the outbreak of bird flu in China in 2004.
China has since lifted the ban, and now imports millions of tonnes of American product, such as chicken feet.
In a submission to the WTO, the Chinese Government says the US is violating the basic commerce rules.
China's trade challenge starts a 60-day period of consultation, and then it can ask the WTO to begin a formal investigation.
The countries banned each other's chicken meat imports after the outbreak of bird flu in China in 2004.
China has since lifted the ban, and now imports millions of tonnes of American product, such as chicken feet.
In a submission to the WTO, the Chinese Government says the US is violating the basic commerce rules.
China's trade challenge starts a 60-day period of consultation, and then it can ask the WTO to begin a formal investigation.
Iran Orders ’Quick and Fair’ Appeal for Jailed US Journalist
The head of Iran’s judiciary has ordered a "quick" and "fair" appeal for jailed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi.
A judiciary statement Monday said that Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi issued the decree to Tehran’s court system two days after Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Sunday Iran’s president called on the judiciary to ensure that the journalist will be allowed a full defense during the appeal process.
Iranian state media say President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Tehran’s chief prosecutor instructing him to guarantee that Saberi will be able to defend herself to the full extent of the law.
Mr. Ahmadinejad made the request amid mounting international criticism of a one-day trial of Saberi on charges of espionage. The trial was held Saturday behind closed doors.
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed grave concern about Saberi’s safety and well being. He said Sunday that Washington is working to make sure she is properly treated.
Saberi’s case comes at a time when Mr. Obama is seeking a dialogue with Iran to ease decades of mistrust between the two countries.
President Ahmadinejad’s letter also called for full legal rights to be granted to detained Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan. Derakhshan was detained in Iran last November on charges of insulting religious figures. He is known as the "father" of the Iranian blogging revolution for posting instructions on how to create online journals.
Saberi worked as a freelance journalist in Iran for several U.S. and British news outlets. She was arrested in late January for allegedly working in the country without valid press credentials. Her father says she was tricked into making incriminating statements by Iranian officials who told her that doing so would enable her release.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
A judiciary statement Monday said that Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi issued the decree to Tehran’s court system two days after Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Sunday Iran’s president called on the judiciary to ensure that the journalist will be allowed a full defense during the appeal process.
Iranian state media say President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Tehran’s chief prosecutor instructing him to guarantee that Saberi will be able to defend herself to the full extent of the law.
Mr. Ahmadinejad made the request amid mounting international criticism of a one-day trial of Saberi on charges of espionage. The trial was held Saturday behind closed doors.
U.S. President Barack Obama expressed grave concern about Saberi’s safety and well being. He said Sunday that Washington is working to make sure she is properly treated.
Saberi’s case comes at a time when Mr. Obama is seeking a dialogue with Iran to ease decades of mistrust between the two countries.
President Ahmadinejad’s letter also called for full legal rights to be granted to detained Iranian-Canadian blogger Hossein Derakhshan. Derakhshan was detained in Iran last November on charges of insulting religious figures. He is known as the "father" of the Iranian blogging revolution for posting instructions on how to create online journals.
Saberi worked as a freelance journalist in Iran for several U.S. and British news outlets. She was arrested in late January for allegedly working in the country without valid press credentials. Her father says she was tricked into making incriminating statements by Iranian officials who told her that doing so would enable her release.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Assembly Committee to Vote on KORUS FTA Motion Wednesday
A governing Grand National Party (GNP) floor leader said Monday that the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee would vote on a motion to forward a free trade pact signed with the U.S. government to the full Assembly for ratification.
GNP lawmakers are going to vote on the motion, April 22, as agreed upon by negotiators of the ruling and opposition parties in January,’’ said floor leader Rep. Hong Joon-pyo during a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will not participate in the vote as its members oppose ratification before the U.S. government makes clear its posture. The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party also opposes ratification.
Negotiators of the GNP and the DP reached an agreement on voting on the motion during inter-party talks in January after U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration took office.
Obama called the KORUS FTA ``badly flawed’’ during the U.S. presidential campaign.
According to the presidential office, President Lee Myung-bak and Obama reached a consensus on the need for cooperation to move the trade pact forward during the G20 financial summit. But Obama has not elaborated if that means his genuine support for the trade pact without modification.
The GNP contends that the Korean legislature’s approval would play a role in pressing the U.S. Congress to ratify the agreement.
But the DP expressed skepticism, saying Korea’s ratification of the motion would not have a profound effect on ratification by the U.S. side.
The GNP has 17 members in the 29-member committee, enough to pass the motion on its own.
If approved, the motion will be submitted to a plenary session where a final vote will take place. The GNP has 170 seats in the 299-member legislature, while the DP has 83.
GNP lawmakers are going to vote on the motion, April 22, as agreed upon by negotiators of the ruling and opposition parties in January,’’ said floor leader Rep. Hong Joon-pyo during a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will not participate in the vote as its members oppose ratification before the U.S. government makes clear its posture. The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party also opposes ratification.
Negotiators of the GNP and the DP reached an agreement on voting on the motion during inter-party talks in January after U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration took office.
Obama called the KORUS FTA ``badly flawed’’ during the U.S. presidential campaign.
According to the presidential office, President Lee Myung-bak and Obama reached a consensus on the need for cooperation to move the trade pact forward during the G20 financial summit. But Obama has not elaborated if that means his genuine support for the trade pact without modification.
The GNP contends that the Korean legislature’s approval would play a role in pressing the U.S. Congress to ratify the agreement.
But the DP expressed skepticism, saying Korea’s ratification of the motion would not have a profound effect on ratification by the U.S. side.
The GNP has 17 members in the 29-member committee, enough to pass the motion on its own.
If approved, the motion will be submitted to a plenary session where a final vote will take place. The GNP has 170 seats in the 299-member legislature, while the DP has 83.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Free Trade Alliance forms new Cross Border Trucking Coalition
Free Trade Alliance forms new Cross Border Trucking Coalition
by Tamarind Phinisee
The Free Trade Alliance is launching a group called the Cross Border Trucking Coalition.
The coalition will be comprised of companies, industry organizations, trade associations, and business chambers that support trade, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and cross-border trucking efforts, projects and programs. The Free Trade Alliance is currently soliciting members throughout the United States and Mexico.
The coalition is being formed to address the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent cancellation of its Cross Border Trucking Demonstration Project. Mexico has responded with new tariff on U.S. goods. Free Trade Alliance officials say these actions are heavily affecting the U.S. agriculture and industrial sectors.
The original goal of the demonstration project was to allow qualified Mexican trucking companies to travel on U.S. highways to deliver goods to their destinations. The project sought to alleviate the bottleneck that exists along the border. Current law allows Mexican trucking companies to only travel within a 25-mile commercial zone north of the U.S.-Mexico border before drivers submit their trailers to customs and inspections.
The Free Trade Alliance is a public-private partnership with a mission of developing and enhancing the international trade-related economic development of San Antonio and the region through foreign investment, trade development and advocacy.
by Tamarind Phinisee
The Free Trade Alliance is launching a group called the Cross Border Trucking Coalition.
The coalition will be comprised of companies, industry organizations, trade associations, and business chambers that support trade, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and cross-border trucking efforts, projects and programs. The Free Trade Alliance is currently soliciting members throughout the United States and Mexico.
The coalition is being formed to address the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recent cancellation of its Cross Border Trucking Demonstration Project. Mexico has responded with new tariff on U.S. goods. Free Trade Alliance officials say these actions are heavily affecting the U.S. agriculture and industrial sectors.
The original goal of the demonstration project was to allow qualified Mexican trucking companies to travel on U.S. highways to deliver goods to their destinations. The project sought to alleviate the bottleneck that exists along the border. Current law allows Mexican trucking companies to only travel within a 25-mile commercial zone north of the U.S.-Mexico border before drivers submit their trailers to customs and inspections.
The Free Trade Alliance is a public-private partnership with a mission of developing and enhancing the international trade-related economic development of San Antonio and the region through foreign investment, trade development and advocacy.
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