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China ends COVID-19 travel restrictions for incoming passengers
China will lift its quarantine requirement for inbound travellers starting from January 8. It will also resume issuing visas for residents to travel overseas.
ANI:China will lift its quarantine requirement for inbound travellers starting from January 8. It will also resume issuing visas for residents to travel overseas.China’s immigration authorities have said that they will start receiving applications for issuing passports for tourism and visits abroad beginning January 8, NHK World reported. The easing came days after mainland China diluted its harsh COVID zero policy and slightly lifted its restrictions on international travellers.
Earlier, the Chinese government announced plans to ease border restrictions and resume overseas visits in an orderly manner as per the international COVID-19 situation.
As per the NHK World report, Chinese media had said that access to major online travel sites for bookings to popular destinations, including Japan and Thailand increased ten-fold after the government’s announcement.Meanwhile, China has imposed a ban on such agencies from accepting bookings of group tours and giving sales of package tours, according to NHK World. China will lift the travel restrictions from January 8, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Wednesday.
The CAAC said that it will resume international passenger traffic, according to Global Times. According to the new policies released on the official website of the CAAC, China will stop designating inbound high-risk flights and call an end to the 75 per cent restriction for passenger capacity on inbound flights.Chinese and foreign airlines will arrange scheduled passenger flights in line with bilateral agreements. The CAAC said that it will gradually resume applications for chartered international passenger flights, as per the Global Times report.
It will also cancel measures impacting inbound flights, including closed-loop management of domestic and overseas crews, COVID testing and quarantine.According to Global Times, new measures have been introduced to optimize anti-COVID management, as the government downgraded management of COVID-19 to Class B, and cancelled quarantine requirements on inbound travellers from January 8, 2023.
However, people coming to China will still need a negative virus test within 48 hours and passengers will be required to wear protective masks on board, an online post from the National Health Commission said.World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has once again asked China for reliable data on Covid hospitalizations and deaths in the country.
“We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing,” Tedros said at a media briefing in Geneva Wednesday, according to the script of the media briefing posted on the WHO website.
This comes as WHO held a high-level meeting with counterparts in China last week to discuss the surge in cases and hospitalisations. Subsequently, WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution and the COVID-19 clinical management expert network groups both met with Chinese experts.The WHO chief said that the UN agency is concerned about the risk to life in China and has reiterated the importance of vaccination, including booster doses, to protect against hospitalization, and death.
Last week, a number of countries imposed mandatory Covid testing for travellers from China amid a “rapidly developing situation” in the country. They made the Covid-19 test mandatory for flyers coming from mainland China due to a surge in coronavirus infections after the country rolled back its stringent “zero-Covid” policy.On Tuesday, Beijing accused these countries are imposing COVID-19 entry restrictions without the presence of a scientific basis to support such measures.
“Some of these measures are disproportionate and simply unacceptable. We firmly reject using COVID measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in response to varying situations based on the principle of reciprocity,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference on January 3.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
