Singapore scientists study genes to fast track coronavirus vaccine

Australia's COVID-19 winter outbreak fuelled by the new Omicron sub-variants BA.4/5 may have peaked early, Health Minister Mark Butler said on Thursday, as hospitals reported a steady fall in admissions over the past week. Australia is battling one of its worst flare-ups of the coronavirus driven by the fast-moving new Omicron sub-variants, putting severe strain on hospitals and retirement homes. But Health Minister Mark Butler flagged the worst could be over. "That is what I'm hearing but we're not calling it yet," Butler told Nine News . "We are quietly hoping that we have reached the peak earlier than we expected to." Health officials predicted the latest wave could peak only later this month, with some states expecting the spike in infection rates and hospital admissions to ease by late August. "It does seem clear cases are starting to peak and maybe drop off in some states and very pleasingly, hospital numbers have dropped off," Butler said. Hospital admissions from … [Read more...] about Australia’s winter COVID wave may have peaked early, health minister says

The pandemic has accelerated an already strong shift towards digital across the world, redrawing how we live, work, and pay. Visa’s Consumer Payment Attitudes 2021 study shows that over half of Vietnamese consumers now regularly shop online and expect to be able to pay by card or mobile even in small physical stores. “As the architect of many of the solutions enabling this change, Visa is leveraging its world-leading digital expertise to make sure this transformation is inclusive and equitable,” said Dung Dang, Visa country manager of Vietnam. “We believe the digital economy will create global prosperity because economies that include everyone everywhere.” Innovation Workable strategies to go digital and embrace innovation are becoming essential. Around 90 per cent of small businesses with a digital presence attributed their pandemic survival to e-commerce, according to the 2022 Visa Global Back to Business Study. Visa is heavily invested in creating an ecosystem of … [Read more...] about Visa paving the way to an inclusive digital economy

Visa last week announced the launch of Eco Benefits in Asia-Pacific. It is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments. Over half of Vietnamese consumers now regularly shop online and expect to be able to pay by card Banks that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet the growing demand for sustainable financial services. According to a new Visa/YouGov survey, 66 per cent of consumers in Asia-Pacific expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions. Over half (52 per cent) would switch banks in order to access a product or service that helps them understand the carbon footprint of their spending. In Vietnam, Eco Benefits aligns with the National Green Growth Strategy for 2011-2030 by promoting greener lifestyles and sustainable production. The new product is also in line with the … [Read more...] about ECO-FRIENDLY payment initiative launched by Visa