The island’s ports of entry have been put on alert for travellers arriving from Mexico, the US and Canada where human cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said yesterday.

“We have put the airport on alert and we are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism to ensure that infected persons do not enter our borders,” Spencer told the Observer.

He said he would be meeting with health officials at the ministry today to assess the situation and decide if the alert is to be heightened. The ministry is expected to issue a statement following that meeting.

The North American cases of the human Swine Flu Virus reported so far have been spread by human to human contact. Its symptoms are similar to the Influenza Virus and include high fever, aches, coughing and congestion.

The Department of Homeland Security said it would release a quarter of the 50 million units of antiviral medicine it has on reserves to the affected stage and the White House has reported that the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has begun the process of manufacturing a vaccine against the

]]> http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2009/04/27/jamaica%e2%80%99s-ports-on-alert-against-swine-flu-spencer/feed/ 0 http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-fears-sweeping-the-world/ http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-fears-sweeping-the-world/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:46:59 +0000 RSS http://dresonic.wordpress.com/?p=659 ]]>

GENEVA (AP) – Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu Sunday as global health officials considered whether to raise the global pandemic alert level.

Nations from New Zealand to Spain also reported suspected cases and some warned citizens against travel to North America while others planned quarantines, tightened rules on pork imports and tested airline passengers for fevers.

Nova Scotia’s chief public health officer, Dr Robert Strang said the east coast Canadian province had confirmed four “very mild” cases of swine flu in students ranging in age from 12 to 17 or 18. All were recovering, he said, adding that it was acquired in Mexico, brought home and spread.

The western province of British Columbia confirmed two further cases.

The news follows the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decision Saturday to declare the outbreak first detected in Mexico and the United States a “public health emergency of international concern”.

A senior WHO official said the agency’s emergency committee would meet for a second time Tuesday to examine the extent to which the virus had spread before deciding whether to increase the pandemic alert beyond phase three.

The same strain of the A/H1N1 swine flu virus has been detected in several locations in Mexico and the United States, and it appears to be spreading directly from human to human, said Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director-general in charge of health security.

Mexico’s health minister said the disease had killed up to 86 people and likely sickened up to 1,400 since April 13. US officials said the virus had been found in New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio, but so far no fatalities had been reported there.

Governments including China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to put anyone with symptoms of the deadly virus under quarantine. Others were increasing their screening of pigs and pork imports from the Americas or banning them outright, despite health officials’ reassurances that it was safe to eat thoroughly cooked pork.

Some nations issued travel warnings for Mexico and the United States.

Symptoms of the flu-like illness include a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), body aches, coughing, a sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhoea.

The virus is usually contracted through direct contact with pigs, but Joseph Domenech, chief of animal health service at UN Food and Agriculture Agency in Rome, said all indications were that the virus was being spread through human-to-human transmission.

No vaccine specifically protects against swine flu, and it is unclear how much protection current human flu vaccines might offer.

WHO’s emergency committee was still trying to determine exactly how the virus had spread, Fukuda said. And the agency’s Director-General Margaret Chan called the outbreak a public health emergency of “pandemic potential” because the virus can pass from human to human.

Her agency was considering whether to issue nonbinding recommendations on travel and trade restrictions, and even border closures. It is up to governments to decide whether to follow the advice.

“Countries are encouraged to do anything that they feel would be a precautionary measure,” WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said. “All countries need to enhance their monitoring.”

New Zealand said that 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico “likely” had swine flu. Israel said a man who had recently visited Mexico had been hospitalised while authorities try to determine whether he had the disease. French Health Ministry officials investigated four possible cases of swine flu, but three were later found to be negative.
Spanish authorities said a total of seven suspected cases were under observation.

Hong Kong and Taiwan said visitors who came back from flu-affected areas with fevers would be quarantined. China said anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms within two weeks of arrival from an affected area had to report to authorities. A Russian health agency said any passenger from North America running a fever would be quarantined until the cause of the fever is determined.

With additional reporting by Associated Press writers around the

]]> http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2009/04/27/swine-flu-fears-sweeping-the-world/feed/ 0 http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2008/08/15/free-condoms-distributed-in-beijing-hotels/ http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2008/08/15/free-condoms-distributed-in-beijing-hotels/#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:25:23 +0000 RSS http://www.robladin.com/?p=675

Beijing’s health authorities distributed 400,000 free condoms in over 400 hotels in the Olympic city in a bid to raise awareness of safe sex and AIDS prevention, state media reported on Friday.
The condoms were placed in rooms in hotels rated three stars and above, Jin Dapeng, director of Beijing’s municipal health bureau, told the official Xinhua news agency.
According to Jin, thousands of Olympic volunteers have been trained in AIDS prevention for the Olympic Games, the news agency reported.
“Now 180 college students and 500 community volunteers are ready to publicise AIDS-related knowledge,” Jin was quoted as saying.
“We have opened 40 clinics in Beijing’s 18 districts and counties to offer free HIV tests and AIDS counselling.”
Health authorities also distributed 250,000 free pamphlets on AIDS prevention and control, Xinhua said.
The latest study by China’s health ministry, the WHO and the United Nations found that 700,000 people were HIV positive in China at the end of 2007, although campaigners have warned the figure could be up to 10 times higher.
Thousands were infected during the 1990s through tainted blood transfusions at illegal blood collection stations, but the focus of attention is now shifting to high risk groups such as gay men and sex workers.

from: afp.google.com

NEWS FLASH!! — China customs sieze package that was intended for the Jamaican Olympic team!!
A 200 kilo shipment of suspected PED’s (Performance Enhancing Drugs) addressed to the Jamaican track team at the Olympic Village in Beijing, was siezed by authorites at the Wong Hung Lo docks early this morning. Coming on the heels of the disclosure that a member of the Jamaican team has tested positive for a banned substance, the news has rocked the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) and cast an even greater shadow over the team’s preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior customs inspector told Reuters that suspicions were aroused by the bulky and lumpy shipment which was wrapped in rough, dirty burlap. Stenciled in bold letters on the bag, was the address of the Jamaican team at the Village and also the words:
DELIVER TO ASAFA, USAIN, VERONICA and the other Jamaican sprinters … DEM CYAAN RUN GOOD WITHOUT IT.
Upon opening the package, dozens and dozens of a dirty, tubular product were discovered and immediately sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) lab in Beijing for testing. Chinese customs are certain that they have intercepted a shipment of pure, unprocessed steroids, and have put the IAAF and the JAAA on notice that severe action will be taken as soon as WADA confirms their findings.
The picture below is of one of the mystery tubular ‘products’ from the shipment that was taken to the lab for testing.

Jamaican Yellow Yam (from Trelawny … Bolt country)

]]> http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2008/08/14/performance-enhancing-drugs-for-jamaicans-too-bad-we-can%e2%80%99t-get-rich-off-it/feed/ 0 http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2008/08/12/beijing-provides-100000-condoms-for-athletes/ http://olympics.myhackednews.com/2008/08/12/beijing-provides-100000-condoms-for-athletes/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:18:57 +0000 RSS http://www.robladin.com/?p=621 The Sydney Olympics ran out. Athens doubled the number. So organizers of the Beijing Games are hoping 100,000 condoms will satisfy the needs of Olympic athletes.

While sex is not an Olympic sport it is expected to be an activity in the Beijing village housing 10,500 athletes, all of whom are in great shape and with plenty of free time on their hands once knocked out of the Games.

Athletes have received free condoms at every Olympics since Barcelona in 1992 to help raise awareness of AIDS, and Beijing is no exception.

“There are many young, strong, single people in the athletes’ village and, like everywhere, some will fall in love or other things so we need to make condoms available,” Ole Hansen, spokesman for UNAIDS China, told Reuters.

“A lot of these young people are not married or in relationships so we want to make sure they have the information and tools to protect themselves if they have sexual encounters.”

The UNAIDS, the Beijing organising committee BOCOG and International Olympics Committee are providing 100,000 condoms as part of a campaign on HIV prevention and anti-discrimination.

At the Sydney Games in 2000 athletes quickly exhausted a supply of 70,000 and another 20,000 had to be brought in.

The Foundation for AIDS Research, amfAR, said 100,000 were distributed at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 after a plan to distribute 250,000 condoms met protests by religious groups and was scaled back.

At Athens in 2004 about 130,000 condoms were distributed.

Hansen said the number available at Beijing was based on previous Games’ experience and in keeping with previous Olympics would be available at medical centres at athletes’ centres in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong rather than put in rooms.

“We have people here from all religions and cultural backgrounds, some of whom may feel uncomfortable or offended with condoms in their room,” he said.

To be discreet, two condoms are tucked inside every a brochure about HIV that are available at medical centres.

“No one can see that you are carrying condoms to save any embarrassment,” said Hansen.

“People are encouraged to take the leaflets and to take as many as they like. They can use them or take them home for friends and spread the knowledge and awareness.”

Chinese condom makers have jumped on the Olympics bandwagon.

One manufacturer, Elasun, has come up with a set of cheeky advertisements featuring a stickman swimming over a rippled condom that looks like a wave, riding two condom rings like a bicycle, and using a condom as a basketball hoop.

Condoms depicting the five Olympics mascots are also for sale on various online sites although nowhere to be seen in official merchandise stories.

from: in.reuters.com

Olympic-themed condom adverts have been released in China to coincide with the start of the 2008 Beijing Games.

The cheeky adverts, which depict stick-man athletes using condoms as apparatus in Olympic events, have become a viral sensation in China.

The contraceptives prove themselves remarkably versatile, standing in as bicycle wheels, basketball nets, archery targets and gymnastic rings.

A ribbed condom is also used to illustrate choppy water in the swimming version of the campaign.

The adverts were made for Chinese condom-maker Elasun, with the broken English slogan “Sports make you health”.

The firm is by no means first to make the connection between the Games and sex, with Olympic villages reputed to be hotbeds of after-hours indulgence.

Earlier this week it emerged that the 16,000 competitors staying in the Beijing village will be able to purchase a wide variety of soft pornography, including erotic books featuring provocative pictures of naked women with titles such as “Drawing book for the Nude”.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics 130,000 free condoms were made available to athletes and officials.

In the Sydney 2000 Games, each competing athlete was given 51 condoms on arrival at the Olympic Village, but another 20,000 had to be shipped in when supplies began to run low.