Topic: Updates by National Medical Associations

14th May, 2022, Saturday

9.30-10.30am 

• Mandatory testing in the last 24 hours is required for traveling to the US though masks are not mandatory. Covid protocols like social distancing have to be followed.
• Canada does not require Covid testing to enter the country but masks during flight are mandatory. All mandatory travel information including vaccination certificate, test reports is to be submitted at the ArriveCAN app.
• No preboarding testing required for Europe, all Covid documents have to be uploaded online but masks are mandatory in-flight.
• Singapore had 3000 plus cases in the last 24 hours. Life is going back to normal. Masking is required only indoors; outdoors is not necessary. All restrictions on big events like churches, mosques, weddings, conferences are easing off. The health care system is overloaded but it is not because of Covid, but due to the pent-up demand over the last two years in the public sector spilling over to the private sector as well. There is a dengue outbreak with more than 6000 cases in the last two months. Travel restrictions to Singapore are minimal now. No predeparture Covid-19 test is required for entering Singapore. But vaccination is required with a WHO recognized vaccine.
• The numbers of cases have come down to 3000; recovery rate is more than 98% and active cases are less than 0.05%. All activities are back to normal & domestic air travel has picked up. India has developed its first indigenous mRNA vaccine technology. Animal experiments have shown that antigen build up is very good. The vaccine shows that protection from getting infection is high. The high incidence of thromboembolic episodes as part of the long covid particularly among the young is a concern.
• Situation in Pakistan is improving. There were no deaths in the last 24 hours. Testing is still going on. Vaccination is progressing well. There are lot of political rallies n where people do not wear masks. Only the fully vaccinated and boosted are allowed to travel. All international travelers have to upload their travel and medical information on the Pass Track Platform.
• Taiwan is in a transitional stage between tight control and free open for country. Yesterday there were 60,000 cases and 40 deaths. Life is chaotic. There is a shortage of screening test kits. At least 40% beds have to be made available for covid patients, which means that regular admissions, regular surgeries have to be put off. Masking is still required in public. In hospitals, N95 masks are required.
• South Africa was doing well but the situation has changed in the last few weeks. There have been 10,000 cases in the last few days. There were 8300 cases and 114 deaths day before yesterday. Recovery rate is 95.4%; yesterday the active cases were 76,274. Vaccination is slow. The government is trying for booster dose and vaccination for above 12 years. 35.5 million have received single dose of the vaccine. The borders are open; only vaccine certificate is required and no Covid test is needed. Indoor mask wearing is required, but outdoors people don’t wear masks. Hospital admissions are low in the public sector, while admissions in the private sector are not serious cases. Mostly unvaccinated senior citizens with comorbid conditions require hospitalization. New healthcare regulations have been declared in South Africa: wearing mask indoors, gathering of people and 72 hours prior PCR if coming into the country. If no PCR report, then travelers are tested at the airport with rapid tests. If positive but no symptoms, the person is allowed to go through, but if positive and also having symptoms, then the person has to isolate.
• Everything is normal in Bangladesh. Only 20-30 cases per day and no deaths. Only in one district in border area, the infection rate has gone up and is 20%. More than 80% population is vaccinated. A vaccination card is required for travel with gap of at least 14 days after the second dose.

Participants

Member National Medical Associations

Dr Yeh Woei Chong, Singapore, Chair of Council CMAAO

Dr Marthanda Pillai, India Member World Medical Council, Advisor CMAAO

Dr Wasiq Qazi, Pakistan President-elect CMAAO

Dr Heidi Stensmyren, President World Medical Association

Dr Akhtar Hussain, South Africa

Dr Angelique Coetzee, South Africa

Dr Muh-Yong Yen, Taiwan

Dr Md Jamaluddin Chowdhury, Bangladesh 

Invitees

Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group

Moderator

Mr Saurabh Aggarwal