Manila: A community in the Philippines has been raffling off huge sacks of rice in exchange for getting vaccinated against Covid-19, after finding it hard to persuade people to get their shots.
Twenty weekly winners who get their shots in Sucat on the outskirts of the capital Manila have been taking home a 25 kg (55 pound) sack of rice each.
Local official Jeramel Mendoza said the initiative was targeting mainly poorer residents, who were not so keen on vaccinations.
"Initially, when we conducted our vaccination drive, there were very few people signing up. So we asked ourselves why?" he said.
"Why are those rich people or those who live in exclusive villages able to lead the vaccinations, but our poorer sectors do not to join in or participate?"
Sucat village officials said since starting the initiative at end-May, they have been administering their daily quota of vaccines of up to 2,000 doses, whereas before they were giving only about 400 doses a day.
"It's a nice initiative and I feel safer after being vaccinated. I'm happy I got vaccinated while winning some rice," said Almond Gregorio, a firefighter and holder of a winning raffle ticket.
Record breaker stranded in Nepal
KATHMANDU: Hong Kong resident Tsang Yin-Hung, who made the fastest ascent of Mount Everest by any woman, and dozens of other mountaineers from China are unable to get out of Nepal because of Covid-19 restrictions imposed by Beijing, they said.
Nepal has had a surge of infections including at the base camp of Everest, prompting several countries to block travel from there. The daily positive rate of infections in Nepal stands at more than 24 per cent, among the highest in the world at this time.
The travel restriction was imposed after the climbing season began and there were fresh outbreaks in Nepal.
Tsang, 44, who climbed Mount Everest in 25 hours and 50 minutes last month, said getting back home appeared harder than her ascent to the 8,848.86 metre (29,032 feet) peak.
"I think the summit climb for me was possible and achievable,” she told Reuters at her hotel in Kathmandu. "But going back home (looks) hopeless. There is no way to go back.”
Cyprus changes health, justice ministers
NICOSIA: Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday, replacing his health minister who wanted to bow out, and his justice minister who resigned last week.
Anastasiades, whose second five-year term ends in early 2023, replaced Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou who signalled he wished to step down, and Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis, who quit on June 17.
Ioannou led a team widely credited for effectively managing the coronavirus pandemic by introducing early lockdowns and widespread testing. He is replaced by Michalis Hadjipantelas, a chartered accountant.
Yiolitis, who quit after dispatching an angry resignation letter to the president in which she said he had accused her of tarnishing his image, was replaced with Stefi Drakou, a lawyer with a business background in the insurance industry.
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