The New Virus Vaccine Nationalism

Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask if you have breathing problems; work

from home,but go back to work as early as possible; start to enjoy life 

once again, but with the restrictions imposed; but... ..do not go on

holiday to Spain if you can; come back from your holiday in Spain

and be quarantined for 14 days on your return, without pay; 

all these and many, many odd  restrictions have made life difficult,

if not impossible.

This is partly a function of a fast moving and an unprecedented situation

caused by the pandemic.Families are singing the new melody: “oh my

darling! oh my darling Quarantine?” To go or not to go is the question.

But more simply, it is where and when to go?

The public in Britain and in many other parts of the world, are slowly 

but stealthily,becoming risk averse. Psychologists are of the opinion

that in days and months to follow, the pandemic would have created

a new psychosis.

The Second Coming

There is much frustration over the new and sudden quarantine rules

imposed on holidaying. The question is whether the rules are fair, 

with very little notice given.Holidays must be pre planned, booked

in advance to suit the work schedule, family finances, among other

 considerations.

We are told that there was a sudden change of mind by authorities,

by “follow the science experts,” about the spike in Europe and

perhaps, a fear a second coming of the Coronavirus infection, 

could well spread in the UK.

What will a second coming look like?

Will the “second coming” of the COVID-19 virus look like

more “lockdowns,”more remote working, more “track, trace and

incubate”?Will we have to shut down Boroughs instead of Cities,

Streets instead of whole Towns,and even individual business offices. 

We are assured, it may never come to that.

We have experienced the first phase of action which was “Protection,”

second phase:“Job preservation,” the third phase, “to rebuild the

economy”.

Of course, the NHS has now more capacity, medics are now better

equipped to treat the virus, Britain is stockpiling upon PPE, new field 

hospitals and ICU’s are in operation, the economy and social activity 

having adapted to the new normal in the past 4 months to deal with

containing the virus spread.

Would it be not as devastating to our physical, psychological, social,

and economic health as the first wave, when we were thoroughly

unprepared?

Could it be going “over the top” to think of what we have had to go

through in the first “homecoming”?

Could we afford a second coming?

These are some of the considerations of governments and the

public.

£31.7 billion has been claimed for 9.5 million “furloughed” 

employees on Government paid leave of absence from work. 

This is alongside £7.6 billion for 2.7 million self-employed.

Meanwhile,more than a million businesses have claimed 

£33.7 billion in “Bounce Back”loans, and many have made 

workers redundant,but many more have “gone under,”....

not to Australia.

The furlough scheme prevented major rise in unemployment,

but it is hoped to be “wound down” from August 20,2020 and 

completely removed at the end of October 2020 with losses 

climbing and set to hit almost 10%of UK’s workforce  by the

end of the year.Further, the British economy has contracted by 

25%within four (4) months.Researchers say.the economy has

reverted to the position 18 years ago.

What is the new virus nationalism?

One of the by products of the Coronavirus pandemic is the need 

for vaccine development. It is eagerly awaited by all. But no one

really knows if will cure all our worries? Will this Vaccine have 

the potential to be clinically effective against relapse? Will the 

vaccine have to be administered annually?

There are so many questions which need answers? 

There appears to be a "new nationalism" on the horizon. Will the

new vaccine against immunisation be ethically distributed around 

the world for the betterment of mankind?

Are nations keeping this development within their own borders?

Will it be a new form of " colonialism"  of the 21 Century? 

The UK Government we are told, is considering restrictions not

only on distribution of this vaccine, but simultaneous targeting 

regions within countries, to enforce stringent quarantine for 

travel to areas, like Catalonia, Aragon, and Navarre, in Spain, 

until a vaccine is developed? 

Although in everybody’s knowledge, Sri Lanka is on the

excluded list for UK holiday makers, but Ministers we are told

are also looking at the spike in Luxembourg, Belgium,and 

now Croatia. Everything about the ethical use of the vaccine 

and the new restrictions on the free movement of people on

holiday is kept under wraps. Why the silence, perhaps, it is not

to disappoint a credulous public?

Besides, the fear is that the wealthy countries are able well in

advance to sign deals for vaccines that have yet to be approved 

and may not even work.

Just because Stage 3 Trials of the Vaccine have started, it does

not naturally follow that the product is safe, that what is

produced is immune free, more so free of other medical

complications. That is no doubt the reason why drugs and 

vaccines have to be given thorough testing over years, but

now we are all in a hurry to make money out of this pandemic?

The latest contract already signed by UK is with British 

Pharmaceutical company,Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and its

partner Sanofi Pasteur in France for 60 million doses of the

COVID-19 vaccine that they are developing. UK has already

a deal for 100 million doses of the Oxford University/Astra

Zeneca vaccine and for 90 million doses of two other Company

platforms.

We are informed that the Government accepts the gamble, it 

could lose taxpayers money on some deals, if they do not work. 

Reports in medical journals have highlighted that Russia will be

able to produce a clinically viable vaccine by September 2020. 

The race for primacy is on!  But,the claim by Vaccine 

researchers in UK is that: “we will be

the world.”.Until a tried,tested and dusted vaccine vial

is manufactured for mankind's use no one can be sure?

The United States’ policy too is to prohibit US companies from 

supplying their  research vaccine elsewhere in the world until its 

own needs are met first.We note that there are promising results

recently from Moderna Inc, in Cambridge, Mass. USA, which has

begun large scale Phase  rials and is expecting a breakthrough by

Thanksgiving Day 2020. Moderna’s share price has increased 

over the few months from $50 to $79.69 today buoyed by US

Government support.

The European Union too is working as a bloc to buy vaccines 

that are not produced in the US, with preference for 400 million

doses of the AstraZeneca developed vaccine.

China is keeping quiet until it can deliver a vaccine that is proven

effective,without the hype. 

What can Sri Lanka and other countries now do?
Instead of awaiting for a vaccine for COVID-19, which will be rationed

on basis of Vaccine Nationalism, by the wealthy developed national

candidates, Sri Lanka and many small nations, like Vietnam, can take 

adequate precautions to prevent the spread of a second wave of 

COVID-19 by researching a “Track and Trace” Smart Phone App
by our Universities.

Track and Trace App uses Bluetooth technology to log all those who

have been in close contact with a positive case, and alert them to take 

a test or self-isolate for14 days.

This is one key part of the surveillance programme going forward.

Germany has “Corona Warn App” which has now been installed by 

around 16 million people but with 83 million Germans in total, experts

say more than half the population need to have an “App” before it is

truly effective.

Testing is the only viable way of doing a “Check-In” on Coronavirus, 

in the absence of a difficult to get vaccine. We have no doubt that this

possibility will be pursued by the Health Authorities and the

Government of Sri Lanka, without the fear of a “Second Coming”.

Containing the virus relies on good systems for detecting cases and 

for the public to play its support role by social distancing and engage

with the "test and trace" system.

Clearly any weakness leaves countries like Sri Lanka susceptible,as

the virus can be transmitted even if people are not displaying symptoms.

One thing in our favour, is that the "R" or reproduction rate is nowhere

near the level seen during the peak period of the pandemic.

Victor Cherubim

"The Boris Bridge over Troubled Waters"

The British public are fully aware that Prime Minister,Boris Johnson is keen to sign on a series of bold projects during his time in office, but particularly to uplift the economy which has gone into a tail-spin after the Coronavirus pandemic. 

He is in Scotland today ahead of his one year anniversary as Prime Minister of all of United Kingdom on Friday 24 July 2020. We are told he has no plans to meet the Scottish First Minister,Ms.Nicola Sturgeon,but instead meet with businesses hit by the pandemic,especially those working in green energy, and military personnel to thank them for their efforts in response to the Coronavirus.

Yesterday 22 July 2020 he used his first-in person Cabinet meeting to inform his Ministers to "be more visible" in Scotland and engage more with the Scottish media,as he tried hard to mend tensions over Brexit.

As Foreign Secretary,Mr.Johnson had insisted:"What we need to do is build a bridge between our islands.Why don't we?" He did not however say that if the Chinese can build the longest combined Tunnel  bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge 55 kilometres (35 miles) long opened on 6 February 2018, Britain has also the engineering capacity to follow suit.  

The Boris Bridge 

The plan is to build,build,build- a way out of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

It is estimated a bridge made of steel and concrete,would consist of two levels - one for vehicle traffic and one for a railway, similar to the road-rail bridge in Europe - the Oresund Bridge (8 km;5 miles) connecting Malmo Sweden and the Danish capital,Copenhagen, perhaps, not as ambitious as the Euro Tunnel between Dover and Calais.

Boris Johnson seriously believes it would ease the strain on air routes, but that seems to be not the real reason. He has seen through the advantage of such a bridge for future trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union, even though Brexit is on the brink in December 2020.

It is anybody's guess if Boris Johnson will invite the Hong Kong Chinese to help him build this bridge?

One thing is certain,Boris is set to announce funding for a study to explore the viability of linking Scotland to Northern Ireland.

It is part of the P.M.'s £5 billion "build,build,build" strategy to help UK recover from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The Bridge envisaged between Portpatrick, Scotland and Larne,Northern Ireland would span 28 miles and estimated to cost in the region of £20 billion to build.

                                                                                                               

The Cost - the opportunity cost?

 

Critics have hit out at the enormous cost of this bridge project. Some have said the money would be better off spent tackling existing issues within Northern Ireland,a view echoed by N.Ireland's Unionist Party (UUP) Leader,Steve Aiken. The Democratic Unionist Party has said,"the bridge is a cracking idea. However,First Minister of Scotland,Nicola Sturgeon who has taken Scotland a  different route out of lock down from England, has previously dismissed the idea of a bridge as "a vanity project."

Besides, there are hidden risks in the unspoken World War II munitions still to be unearthed in the Irish Sea. This appears not to have been cleared for a reason, perhaps, a security reason, no one knows.

Victor Cherubim

" Not giving the elbow, "but taking the knee

Throughout history, the bending of the knee has always been a mark of respect and humility. People bend the knee,sometimes kneeling and genuflecting before royalty,also Buddhist or other Prelates, even seniors as a sign of homage and respect. 

More commonly to "take the knee" refers to a play in American football,also called the "quarterback knee" or victory formation, resulting in running out of the clock,thus increasing the odds of victory for the lead or winning team,even though the game is not yet officially over.

In recent parlance,"Taking the Knee" has come into vogue,especially after George Floyd ,the Afro American from Minneapolis,USA died with the Police officer Derek Chauvin facing criminal charges, accused of kneeling on his neck as he grasped for breathe in May 2020.

                                                           

                                                    

"To Take the knee" has sparked waves of unrest across the U.S. and around the globe as the  "Black Lives Matter" marches have called for Police reform and conversations about systemic racism. Besides, Police hatred has been stirred up in UK causing 26 White Police Officer Cops in hospital.

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked on a London Radio Show recently, whether he was "a Dominic Raab,UK Foreign Secretary (against taking the knee) or a Keir Stammer,UK's Opposition Leader, (for it)", he said very cautiously: "I don't know what I want to do, but I believe in substance. I have done much for more young blacks going to universities. Of course there is prejudice,no doubt, but I want to champion justice, to champion success."

                                                    

How about then "taking the elbow"?

"Taking the elbow" is a term that has come into the act since Coronavirus pandemic.Often a friend or a family member in the UK may not shake hands,but touch your elbow instead to avoid so called physical hand contact.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has had a good press when "taking the elbow" .He luckily has not hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons any more,for using his elbow as a mark of greeting. He has been given the "cold shoulder," he perhaps has had the "tennis elbow" and the press finger pointed all him all the time. But he has never been"refused the elbow". Whether he has been refused the "nose kissing" in the Maori tradition in New Zealand is anyone's guess?   

                                                   

                                                   

Body Language in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka however, even before the sanitising aspect for Coronavirus, body language played a major role. We always greet each other with clasped hands. We give a sheaf of beetle leaves to a dignitary, as a mark of respect. We are generally forced by habit to touch an elbow of a friend or neighbour to draw attention. We point our fore finger at a political rally or an election gathering, to make or emphasise a point of interest to convince our opponents. 

It has become an overgrown habit and we think much of ourselves for it? Even before and after the pandemic, body language has become one of the safer areas of emphasis of communication among friends and foe. To touch another without feeling offended or upset has become our second nature. This has been questioned after the virus, where we are told to keep our "cotton picking hands" off our faces, noses,our mouth or our eyes. This has been a difficult or an impossible choice, as body language is the medium of our communication channel.

Our hands or even our fingers can say a lot about what we are thinking and feeling. Open palms is shown as a sign that someone feels honest,open and interested. Alternatively, clasped even closed fist or wrist may signify another feature of our idiosyncrasy.

Why do we use hand gesture in Sri Lanka? In everyday life you see examples of hand gestures all the time. Is it because we are afraid? Is it because we want to show others, that we especially at Election time, are in control? 

However, when now after the pandemic in Sri Lanka, anyone touching "anybody" is viewed with suspicion, perhaps, we fear or even with contempt. What a sea change has taken over us after the Coronavirus? 

What does anyone mean in Sri Lanka,"to take the elbow?" Do they view you as a friend or do they want something more, as  key to their relationship?

Has Coronavirus changed our habits, or has it changed our body language?

Victor Cherubim

Is Sri Lanka drowning in responsibility?

Sri Lanka is where our home lies. Home is where our heart is is a adage for the many,not the few.

We have had a raw deal in our recent history, with one calamity after another putting our people on the threshold of endurance, if not tolerance. A sequence of events  has kept Sri Lanka on the boil.                                                          

We had the tsunami on 26 December 2004 with 30,000 confirmed deaths, the 30 years war with over 90,000 killed, ended on 9 March 2009 and with a mountain of  accumulated debt on international borrowing for infrastructure projects which were generally considered as misadventure. Then we had the massacre of the innocents on 21 April 2019 on Easter Sunday.Three Churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa and three luxury hotels in the commercial  capital,Colombo, were the scene of suicide bombings claimed by jihadist terrorists. 259 people died including at least 45 foreign nationals and three Police officers and at least 500 more injured.

Governments of all shades and colours came and went, with lengthy debates and legal challenges on fundamental rights based issues thrashed out by the Supreme Court judgements on matters ranging from individual rights of citizens to the interpretation of the Constitution.  None could deliver on promises to uplift the plight of the people, other than peripheral changes.

Following the landslide victory of President Gothabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential elections  on 17 November 2019, Parliament was dissolved on 2 March 2020 with the 16th Parliamentary elections to be held on 25 April 2020, which was further postponed to 20 June and still further put off till 5 August 2020, due the lockdown of the Corona virus pandemic.

The people of Sri Lanka are eagerly waiting with excitement to exercise their democratic right to elect the legislature as the national budget has not been presented during the past financial year with a Caretaker Government in office.

The power of the franchise

Sri Lanka's ruling Podujana Party on Sunday 12 July 2020 have called off their election rallies and delayed the  reopening of the international Bandaranaike  Colombo airport over a surge in the Coronavirus cases.

In a multi-ethnic,multi-lingual, and multi-religious society in Sri Lanka, with Buddhism as the foremost religion and Sinhala as the main language, there appear to be several issues at stake at this election,among which constructive power to the people is paramount.

Drowning under the weight of issues

At the recent UN Geneva Conference, Sri Lanka's Representative Dayani Mendis has stated as follows:

"A key challenge for democratic, rules-based societies lies in their ability to strike an equitable balance between competing human rights. Therefore, just as the rights to peaceful assembly and association are vital, it is equally important that they are exercised responsibly, in a manner that does not violate the rights of other persons or groups. It is this key consideration, which, in our view, underpins the restrictions on assembly/association in Articles 21 and 22 of the ICCPR, namely, "in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others". It is this same consideration that forms the basis for limitations to these rights under the Sri Lankan Constitution, including in the interests of ‘racial or religious harmony’ and ‘national economy’, particularly as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious developing nation".

A strong democratic system, not an autocratic system that would deliver a fairer future,peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka is the wish of the majority of the people of the country. Unbridled power of either the Executive, or Parliament or even the Judiciary together with control of bribery and corruption,drug dealing, self censoring of free speech or of the media, legislative interference of the judiciary functions,unfair persecution of minority communities,freedom of religion should never be allowed to rear its head in Sri Lanka.

This is a prerogative to prevent Sri Lanka not only drowning in responsibility, but also in overseas debt in the foreseeable future".

This assurance by the Government has to be taken as a guarantee and be monitored by all at the Parliamentary Election.

Can Sri Lanka be given a life raft?

There is without doubt a lifeline which Sri Lanka already has at the forthcoming Parliamentary election from preventing it drowning. The hope of the people of Sri Lanka is this historic duty to exercise their vote in a manner to keep the long term best interests of the country at heart. This will fundamentally shape our society,our economy, our future and the future of generations to follow, for years to come.

                                                           

We cannot allow this opportunity to pass by without the exercise of the vote and many, if not all know it. It would be folly on our part to miss is opportunity of a lifetime to give the life-raft that Sri Lanka so urgently needs today.

Victor Cherubim  

The New Now

Employees working from home,workers on furlough, governments around the world wanting to kick start their economy,businesses hoping to reinvent them,people generally hoping for change of mindset, that and much more, is the scene today. 

The realisation after Covid-19 is that your body needs work outs and your brain needs work-in's. After 10 weeks of indoor life during the lockdown, there is a thirst for the outdoors, for getting out and about,for enjoining nature, but a lot depends on your mindset and how you feed you brain. There was no prompting for people to flock to the beach, to rush to pubs when the "sluice gates" were open.

"Brain train" is the new mantra for many to move on after the pandemic shock. 

A "Cure for death" is on the cards with a vaccine, but till that is rolled out,how to really "trick"people to be happy is the medicine that is being pursued and pushed.The picture below shows how the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, donning as a waiter in a restaurant,to leave no one without hope,with the overarching aim : protect and promote jobs.

                                                            

Rishi Sunak,UK Chancellor spent £30 billion in 30 minutes pushing UK's deficit to £300 billion during his Summer Statement to Parliament on 8 July 2020 to uplift the public mood. But who will pay for it in the end? Will it be government or the public?

The Bank of England is printing money,perhaps to prop up the economy in "Quantitative Easing",but what happens when it stops?

Everywhere there is hype,bias and perhaps cajolery in Science. Questions are now being asked not only by the public but even by Scientists, of the many who accepted to "follow the science" guidelines?

Can Words change your brain?

There are types of people, in fact types of messages which they convey, which you can trust  and others you can not? This is understandable. 

Research has shown that people who constantly compare themselves to others who are far better off than themselves, are the most likely to be unhappy. We know that there is little point in comparison of either governments or people who have succeeded; alike multi-millionaire businessmen and feel inwardly frustrated.We also know that the breakthrough in life is through hard work, through effort and persistence,sometimes having to go out on a limb to make an inspiration out of achievement.

Achievement is hardly to rely on fate, but is a combination of planning,hard work and perhaps,fate or circumstance? But at the present, the one thing that is uppermost in everyone's mind is gainful employment - jobs, jobs, jobs.

Despite 2020's disruptive circumstances, it has been a ground breaking and transformation  year. If we look back we are sure to see our own personal evolution,even if it has come with a painful lesson. 

How will the jobs of the future be created?

The world of work is undoubtedly going to be different. Like what happened after the Industrial Revolution, a sea change is taking place in the jobs market. What are some of these features.

1. Watch the Clock.

Quarantining and "work from home life", has thrown many people's schedules for a loop.    We are no longer dominated by timelines in quite the same way we have been in years        past. Simultaneously, the virus has made time feel more precious than ever before as we      confront the pandemic.

2. The need to ground ourselves with structure.

Without teeth gritting discipline in the future,without some structure, there cannot be any creativity or freedom for the long term.During moments when we feel stuck or need to break things down into feasible action steps to get through the impasse we are in, we need to open up our Calendar App and plug in tasks for the foreseeable future, whether it be for next week, or next month. We need to action bite size action plans to get us one step closer to our work goal.

3. The need to design our dream job.

Are our goals in life manifesting in a way that brings us joy? It could be that we were not enjoying the work we were doing before the pandemic and we stayed put in our job not sure where to turn next?We now have to start by identifying milestones during our life, to mark how we progressed when we had similar road blocks, like redundancies, job change, marriage,moving home,childbirth and then sketch out a list of actionable items how we overcame them and moved on.This precedent can now be our guide.

Victor Cherubim

Taking the biscuit, Britain or China?

China has drawn international condemnation for passing a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong, says the Financial Times,days ago.

Although nominally designated to protect the national security of Hong Kong, reporters state it may increase Beijing's grip on the territory. 

Hong Kong had a higher degree of autonomy under the the deal of handover from Britain to China in 1997, the new rules embodied in the new law seems to have an effect at least for the immediate present, with small groups of protesters supporting Hong Kong independence getting the message and immediately throwing in their towel into the ring to dissolve rather than risk being officially broken up by the authorities.

To many western observers, the new law which has come into force in Hong Kong without even being ratified in the territory, means China has buried "the idea of one country, two systems".                                           

Vandalism in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has had seven straight months of protests starting in June 2019 sparked by an eventually abandoned plan to allow extradition to China mainland.These pro democracy protests and unlawful demonstrations have buffeted Hong Kong for too long that it had become necessary to maintain law and order in the territory.

Will the new law which came into force at 11.00 p.m local time on 30 June 2020 stifle criticism of Beijing or will it bring law and order to Hong Kong?

The National Security law was primarily aimed at vandalism against government buildings, public transport and disruption of the economy. China insists that it is necessary to maintain order and rightly aimed at criminals who want to destroy the life of ordinary citizens and to destroy the economy of Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong Chief Executive,Carrie Lam strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking the 23rd anniversary of handover on 1 July 1997. She said that the decision was necessary to maintain Hong Kong's stability. 

Britain called it a "clear and serious violation" of the treaty which led to the 1997 handover.

Britain has gone further in interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong although it had handed over power to China and  relinquished its control by stating it was willing "to provide a pathway to citizenship" for millions of Hong Kong residents. It offered 3 million residents of the former colony right to settle in the United Kingdom after the imposition of the security law. Is it a new form of "colonialism"? 

China has raised the prospect of preventing Hong Kong citizens taking up British residency,

as with a total Hong Kong population of just over 7 million, only two million took to the streets on 16 June 2019 in protest and vandalism.

                                       

 

Will the security law be used to stifle criticism of Beijing?

China has every right to urge the international community to respect its right to safeguard

national security, stability and harmony for the majority of the people of Hong Kong.

But analysts continue to maintain the security law radically restricts the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong.

Law and order has to be maintained in Hong Kong.Only time will tell is this new security measure will restore business confidence after more than a year of turmoil and historic unease in the territory belonging to China.

Victor Cherubim