Briefs | Guangdong sees first case of South African Covid-19 variant

On January 2, neighboring Guangdong Province recorded its first case of SARS-CoV-2 variant 501Y.V2, which first occurred in South Africa. State media Xinhua News Agency reported that a 55-year-old South African pilot tested positive for the coronavirus on December 8, 2020. The province’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention undertook genomic sequencing and identified the mutated strain. The variant first occurred in South Africa in mid-October and became a dominant strain there in early November.

Ho Iat Seng leads delegation to GBA

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng is leading a delegation to visit eight cities in the Greater Bay Area from today until January 11. During the four-day tour, Ho will visit Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, and Shenzhen. In each city, he will meet with local leaders, and visit local industrial projects, with the aim of accelerating the development of the Greater Bay Area. Ho’s Chief of Office, is in the delegation alongside tourism and economic officials.

Smart devices designed to monitor movements, prevent seniors from getting lost

Seniors’ residences are expected to have smart devices installed to help prevent residents from getting lost and to monitor daily lifestyle. A research team from the University of Macau (UM) is responsible for the design of the smart devices at future senior residences. The team has considered installing a sensor inside each residence. This sensor will not have camera-recording functions; it will only be used to detect the daily routine of seniors, to address safety concerns.