FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo WEDNESDAY T. 27º/ 31º Air Quality Bad MOP 8.00 3803 “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” N.º 30 Jun 2021 HKD 10.00 THE HEALTH BUREAU SAID THAT THE SECRETARY ROSÁRIO THE JUDICIARY POLICE DISMANTLED RECOGNITION OF VACCINATION CERTIFICATES FOR THE OPERATION OF A GROUP DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS INOCULATED WITH SINOPHARM’S EXPRESSED SATISFACTION TO HELPING PEOPLE ILLEGALLY VACCINE SHOULD BE JUST ‘A MATTER OF TIME’ OVER SMG’S FORECASTS CROSS MACAU’S BORDER P2 P6 P4 AP PHOTO Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he may consider running for vice president next The SAR government is not ruling out the possibility of mandating the year when his term ends MIX AND MATCH “if there is a space for me,” although opponents administration of a ‘Covid-19 vaccine cocktail,’ with an Oxford study have described such a P2 prospect as “a joke of the showing that a mix-and-match approach can boost immunity worst kind.” Duterte’s televised remarks Monday night were the strongest sign that he is considering calls by governing PDP-Laban party allies for him to run for vice president to continue his government programs. AP PHOTO Australia is offering AstraZeneca to all adults in a bid to rapidly ramp up sluggish vaccination rates as more of the country on Tuesday locked down against the spread of Covid-19. The government yesterday agreed to indemnify doctors who administer the AstraZeneca vaccine that has been blamed for at least two fatalities from a rare blood clot complication in Australia since April. AP PHOTO Russian authorities yesterday morning raided the apartments of several investigative journalists and their family members, a move that comes amid mounting pressure on AP PHOTO Russia’s independent media outlets. Police Asian searched the apartments of Roman Badanin, American chief editor of the Proekt investigative online outlet, and Maria opposes Zholobova, one of its journalists. Officers also interference raided the home of the parents of Badanin’s of LVS in deputy, Mikhail Rubin. Rubin was detained near Zholobova’s residential company building. National spirit behind China’s success in fighting Covid-19 P8-9 liquidation More on backpage P3 page 2 www.macaudailytimes.com.mo MACAU 澳門 30.06.2021 wed MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER COVID-19 forward, showing that a mixed schedule gives people protective immunity against Covid-19 after Oxford’s study supports ‘mix-and- four weeks,” Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Pro- fessor, stated in the report. match’ vaccination schedule However, the most common interval for the AstraZeneca vac- HONEY TSANG displaying “the better immune cine is eight to 12 weeks. A longer response.” interval such as this creates a be- N the heels of the Macau SAR The AstraZeneca-first, Pfizer- tter immune response, according Ogovernment saying it has not -second approach is proven to in- to Matthew Snape, Associate Pro- ruled out the possibility of man- duce “higher antibodies and T-cell fessor in Paediatrics and Vaccino- dating the administration of a responses” than the reverse order, logy at the University of Oxford “Covid-19 vaccine cocktail,” — the report stated. and Chief Investigator of the stu- referring to the administration of More importantly, a mixed dy. different types of vaccines for the schedule of these two vaccines The study for the 12-week dose first and second shots — Oxford regardless of the order of admi- interval is underway, with results researchers announced later in the nistration was found to be more to be announced soon. day that the so-called “mix-and- effective and induce a higher anti- “The results for the 12-week match” approach can indeed body response than the standard interval, which are yet to come, boost immunity against the virus. two doses of the AstraZeneca vac- will have an instrumental role to “The preliminary data [by re- “However, it takes some more xed vaccine schedule involving cine alone. play in any decisions about the search conducted by other insti- time [for the government] to fully the Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) and Meanwhile, having two doses future of the U.K.’s vaccination tuions] shows that the efficiency, study the safety of such use,” Tai Oxford-AstraZeneca (AstraZe- of the Pfizer vaccine was found program,” Van-Tam said. or the antibody concentration, added. neca) vaccines, a mixed vaccine to generate the highest antibody The Oxford report is conside- is higher [for people taking the Oxford’s newly-published stu- schedule was found to “generate a response, and the completed do- red to offer much-needed confi- vaccine cocktail] when compa- dy, the Com-COV vaccination strong immune response” against ses produced the highest T cell dence to some European coun- red with taking a single type of trial, seems to offer greater hope coronavirus. response. tries, which have offered other vaccine,” Tai Wa Hou, coordinator for the cutting-edge vaccination However, researchers stressed This study investigated the vaccine types as an alternative of the Health Bureau’s Covid-19 approach to be practiced in Ma- that the order that these vaccines mix-and-match approach, with second shot to replace the Astra- Vaccination Operation, said on cau. are administered will give rise to two doses administered at a four- Zeneca vaccine, after the Astra- Monday before the release of the According to the study, which different immune responses, with week interval. Zeneca vaccine was found to be Oxford study. examined the potency of a mi- AstraZeneca followed by Pfizer “Today’s data is a vital step associated with rare blood clots. COVID-19 Acting head of Sinopharm recognition from city’s Taipei Office EU is just a ‘matter of time,’ departs as visa expires health authorities say OLLOWING the expiration stems from China’s insistence Fof his working visa, the acting that Taiwan is an inalienable RENATO MARQUES been certified by the medical vement within the EU for those director of the Taipei Economic part of China. community and published in in- vaccinated with one of the vac- and Cultural Office (TECO) in As Chen returned home, the HE recognition of vaccination ternational research journals. cines approved by the European Macau has left his post and re- TECO in Macau now only has Tcertificates for individuals Tai was asked about the fact Medicines Agency (EMA). turned home to Taiwan, Taiwa- four staff members to keep the inoculated with Sinopharm’s that the Sinopharm vaccine is the For the time being, the only nese news agency Focus Taiwan facility in operation, reported inactivated virus vaccine should vaccine which has been adminis- four vaccines recognized are the reported. the news agency while citing the be just a matter of time, Tai Wa tered in the majority of inocula- BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Vax- According to the report, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Hou, medical director of the Con- tions in Macau, and effect of this, zevria (formerly known as Astra- outgoing acting director, Chen of Taiwan. de de São Januário Hospital coor- given the recent exclusion of Si- Zeneca), and Janssen/Johnson & Chia-hung, could not get his The MAC further stated that dinator of the Health Bureau’s nopharm by the European Union Johnson vaccines. visa extended by the Macau go- pro-Beijing individuals protes- Covid-19 Vaccination Operation, (EU) for the establishment of the A total of 13 countries are vernment. Currently, the local ting at TECO Macau reflected said on Monday during the local so-called EU vaccination pass- already issuing the passports government requires Taiwanese an attitude of “disrespect and health authorities’ Covid-19 press port that will allow vaccinated in- ahead of the date established for officials at the Office sign an af- unfriendliness held by the go- briefing. dividuals to move freely through the official launch this tomorrow, fidavit that recognizes the “One vernment and people of Macau Questioned on the topic by the the EU countries without having July 1. China Principle,” which the of- towards Taiwan.” media, Tai said, “The WHO [Wor- to fulfil the Covid-19 test require- Not included in the list of ficials have not been authorized Several days ago, a group of ld Health Organization] already ments. eligible vaccines are currently by Taipei to sign. Macau residents held a demons- recognizes the Sinopharm vac- In mid-June, the EU announ- the CVnCoV (CureVac), NVX- Taipei, meanwhile, has accu- tration at the Office to complain cine. I believe that one-by-one, ced it had completed the legisla- -CoV2373 (Novavax), Sputnik V sed the Macau government of about Taiwan’s alleged inter- the [different] countries will also tive procedures for the establish- (Gam-COVID-Vac), and the Si- levying extra barriers in the in- ference with Macau and Hong recognize it.” ment of the EU Covid-19 vaccine nopharm Covid-19 (Vero Cell) teractions between Macau and Kong affairs. The official added that while passport. Inactivated. Taiwan with the affidavit requi- Taipei is making contingen- the vaccine is being used not only At that time, the presidents of According to EMA, these four rement, which is seen by Taipei cies for the future of the TECO within China but in a wide range the three main EU institutions, vaccines are currently under- as not being part of the original Macau. of countries all over the world, the Parliament, the Commission, going review, and there is no clear consensus on the establishment Macau closed its represen- the results from studies conduc- and the Council, co-signed a law timeframe as to when a final con- of the representative offices. tative office in Taipei on June ted on it are also known, having aiming to restore freedom of mo- clusion will be announced.