Day: August 13, 2021

The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to provide billions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funding to help rural communities battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money will be targeted to assist rural hospitals and health care providers, according to a White House news release. The money will also be used to expand access to testing and vaccines as well as to train more health care workers.

The statement said 138 rural hospitals have shuttered since 2010, with 19 hospitals closing in 2020 alone.

“For many rural communities, keeping rural hospitals open means the difference between life or death for community members.”

Some of the money will be used to pay health care workers who were not able to work because of the pandemic.

“These funds will help ensure that providers can effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and will place them on a stable financial footing to continue serving their communities into the future,” the statement said.

Funding will also be used to increase access to telehealth services.

Source: Voice of America

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel Friday recommended a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for some people with weakened immune systems following a Thursday authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 11-0 on the matter. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky must give a final sign-off.

The CDC said those seeking a booster will not need a prescription or proof from a health care provider saying they are immunocompromised, Reuters reported.

“It will be a patient’s attestation, and there will be no requirement for proof or prescription or a recommendation from an individual’s health care provider,” CDC official Dr. Amanda Cohn said, speaking before the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice vote.

“The FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease,” the agency’s acting commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock, said in a statement late Thursday.

“Other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected,” Woodcock said, “and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time.”

Scientists have been debating whether to offer extra doses of COVID-19 vaccines to certain immunocompromised people, such as organ transplant recipients or cancer patients. A recent study by Johns Hopkins University found that many transplant patients had little to no antibody protections after receiving the full two doses of a vaccine, but a third shot boosted their protection.

People eligible for a third shot should wait at least 28 days after their second shot.

It remains unclear if or when a third dose could be recommended for all Americans.

“We believe sooner or later you will need a booster for durability of protection” – but not yet, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, told reporters this week.

Source: Voice of America

Luanda – Angolan constitutionalist Carlos Feijó has considered “unconstitutional the Constitutional Court (TC)” ruling on preventive inspection process of Draft revision of Constitution, forwarded by President of Republic João Lourenço.

In an interview with TV Zimbo on Thursday in Luanda, the university professor explained that the decision 688/2021 “violates the principles of limits and consistency which must prevail in the action” of this Court.

CC judges returned this week the text to the President of the Republic, declaring that the bill approved by the Parliament “complies with the principles and limits established in articles 232, 234, 235 and 237 of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola (CRA), with the exception of paragraphs 5 of article 181, 4 of article 182, 4 of article 183 and 6 of 184, which flout the material limits of the Magna law “.

In their ruling, the Constitutional Court’s judges suggest that the respective bill be sent back to the Parliament in order to scrap these articles.

The constitutional expert is of the view that in obedience to the principles of self-limitation, the institution, within the framework of the preventive inspection, should be limited to “jurisdictional matters, and avoid justice” in political matters.

He accused the Court of also abusing the principle of non-control of the legislative power, saying that it does not have the power to decide the merits or demerits of the political options of the legislator and of violating the principle of congruence, by going beyond the material requested.

Faced with an unconstitutional decision of the Constitutional Court, without further institution of appeal, he said that the President of the Republic must submit the document to the National Assembly (AN), which has the legislative power to strike out what is considered as unconstitutional.

Maintenance of the standard by the National Assembly

He stressed that if he were a MP, he would maintain the norm, adding that the National Assembly has the power to maintain the norm as it approved it, since the Constitutional Court is a passive body and cannot take the initiative to review the amendments to the Constitution.

Asked about the reasons for the inconsistency of a body in charge of controlling the Constitution, he replied that the Courts have argumentative legitimacy for decisions, while the legislative power has popular legitimacy.

The coordinator of the technical commission that prepared the 2010 Constitution qualified as unfounded the fact that the CC considers unconstitutional the obligation to report to the National Assembly, because there is a theory of public accountability in the exercise of the sovereign function of the state.

The former head of the Civil Affairs Office to the President of the Republic clarified that the responsibility, expressed in the draft revision of the Constitution, does not violate the principle of the separation of powers, because in a democratic regime no sovereign body is free of public control by the National Assembly, which represents the people.

This is a report on the state of justice and not on specific judicial decisions, he said in his interview with TV Zimbo.

According to Carlos Feijó, the delay in the response to the preventive inspection of the constitutional revision by the CC should lead to civil and public liability, warning that the act could delay the electoral preparation process and the logistics necessary for the election.

Approval of the electoral law without completion of the constitutional revision

Opening a parenthesis he considered odd the fact that the National Assembly approved the electoral law without completing the process of constitutional revision, recalling that the primary legislative power belongs to the AN. “There is no legal obligation to consult, and if so, it is not binding,” he said.

The constitutional expert declared that there is no hierarchical relationship between the Higher Courts, although the Constitutional has the power to refute the decisions of other Courts.

According to Carlos Feijó, the judiciary is a technical career, in which the performance is evaluated, while in the political career, the candidate depends on popular acceptance in the ballot box, which legitimizes him.

As for the resignation of the President of the Constitutional Court, he declared that it was foreseeable, due, according to the constitutional expert, to the difficulties in reaching a consensus, stressing that in his place he would have already resigned a year ago.

Manuel Aragão expressed to the President of the Republic on Thursday his desire to cease the functions as President of the Constitutional Court, a request accepted by the President João Lourenço.

Manuel Aragão made the request two days after voting against the partial revision of the Constitution, arguing that there were setbacks in some issues concerning the separation of powers.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – National Assembly approved the second deliberation of the Draft Constitutional Revision Law, under the terms of the ruling of the Constitutional Court, the body responsible for the preventive inspection of the Constitution.

The draft resolution was approved with 149 votes in favour, five against and 49 abstentions, during the 11th Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of the 4th Legislative Session of the IV Legislature of the National Assembly.

The Parliament scraped from the Constitutional Revision Bill the norms declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court (TC).

They include the obligation of sending reports to the President and Parliament by the High Courts (Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Audit Court and Military Supreme Court) and Superior Council of Judiciary.

The TC states that the requirement for the submission, by the Superior Courts and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ), of annual reports of their activities to the President and the National Assembly, violates the principle of separation and interdependence of the sovereign bodies, which is within the material limits of constitutional revision.

The remittances of the reports are expressed in articles 181, number 5, 182, number 4, 183, number 4 and 184 number 6, of the Constitutional Revision Law.

The Constitutional Court clarifies that the principle of separation of powers determines the specialty of functions of the sovereign bodies, without submission to one another.

In its judgment, the TC maintains, however, the other aspects contemplated in the Constitutional review process intact.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Government of Luanda province, this Friday announced the start of a massive vaccination campaign against Covid-19, in the country’s capital.

The campaign, due to start next Friday, 20, in all the municipalities of Luanda, will have five new high performance posts, following the existing ones, namely Paz Flor, Mutu Ya Kevela, Cidadela Desportiva and Casa da Juventude in Viana.

Speaking to the press, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, said that MINSA intends to increase vaccination coverage in Luanda.

The Cabinet minister explained that this campaign aims to provide conditions for the opening of the health fence in Luanda province, but, for that, it is necessary to increase vaccination capacity in Luanda.

Silvia Lutucuta said that the Ministry has enough doses of Jonshon&Jonshon and that they should be used immediately, as they have a very short shelf life.

The minister added that the aim was to reach up to 50 posts in Luanda and gradually increase them, depending on demand.

In her turn, the provincial governor of Luanda, Ana Paula de Carvalho, said that the main aim was to remove the sanitary fence, but it should be done safely, and the mass vaccination campaign is one of the safety measures.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Multinational mining company Anglo American this Friday started prospecting for mineral resources in the provinces of Cunene and Moxico, located in southern and eastern Angola, respectively.

The activity is the result of the signing, in November 2019, of five investment contracts in that sector, between the multinational company and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET), three of which are for Cunene province and two for Moxico.

In the southern region, the company will exploit basic metals (copper, cobalt and nickel), whilst in the east it will focus on copper, cobalt and silver, according to a note from the Geological Institute of Angola (IGEO), which ANGOP received today.

“At first aerogeophysical surveys are being carried out, which result from the referred to mining investment contract, signed by Anglo American and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas,” the document said.

According to the chairman of the board of IGEO, Canga Xiaquivuila, cited in the note, “a group of pilots travelled today from Luanda to Cunene and on Wednesday (18 August) they will be in Moxico.

As the result, the note said, IGEO will continue to be available to provide institutional support for contacts with local authorities and other necessary aspects.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – National Assembly Speaker (AN) Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos highlighted Friday in Luanda the commitment of the MPs to the process of constitutional revision, under the initiative of the Head of State, João Lourenço.

Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos stressed the MPs commitment at the closing ceremony of the Fourth Legislative Session of the 4th Legislature of the National Assembly.

The Speaker said the process that led to the approval of the revision was thoroughly discussed in the Parliament.

Despite some political differences, the debate was held in a democratic and healthy environment, he said.

In order to find best legal and constitutional solutions of the Revision of the Constitution, a process of listening to several political institutions and justice administration as well as the public and private universities was launched, having contributed to the solution to the final text.

The Speaker also highlighted the interaction with the Executive on institutional interdependence based on the Law.

He recalled that the process that led to debate and approval of the State General Budget (OGE), the Parliament has been exercising its supervisory function.

The Speaker also encouraged the MPs to follow up the recommendations made by the Executive.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Angola head of State João Lourenço Friday promulgated the Constitutional Revision Law approved by National Assembly (AN), following the ruling of the Constitutional Court (TC).

The Law was approved with 149 votes in favour, 5 against and 49 abstentions.

The Parliament scraped the norms considered unconstitutional by the Court.

They include the obligation of sending reports to the President and Parliament by the High Courts (Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Audit Court and Military Supreme Court) and Superior Council of Judiciary.

The TC states that the requirement for the submission, by the Superior Courts and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ), of annual reports of their activities to the President and the National Assembly, violates the principle of separation and interdependence of the sovereign bodies, which is within the material limits of constitutional revision.

Among other matters, the revision clarifies that the difficulties in the interpretation on supervision of the Executive by the National Assembly.

The revision also guarantees the exercise of the votes for those residing abroad and scraps from the Constitution the principle of gradualism in the implementation of the local elections.

The approved changes also feature the structure of positioning of institutions such as the Central Bank of Angola (BNA), which now has the constitutional statutes and a new way to appoint its governor.

The Constitution assigns to the Head of State and to one third of the 220 MPs of National Assembly, in full exercise of their functions, the initiative of constitutional revision.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Luanda – Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced Friday plans to start the registration of the population aged 18 years and over for Covid-19 vaccination.

The announcement was made by Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, at the usual data update session.

He spoke of on-line registration to avoid overcrowding and long queues at vaccination posts.

“Every citizen aged 18 years and over can get registered online and show up at the vaccination posts to get their dose”, explained the official.

So far, 1.7 million Angolans have been vaccinated, including 10,393 immunised on Friday, 13 August.

In Angola, the vaccination process started in March this year, with the administration of the first dose of the AstraZenica vaccine.

The ongoing vaccination campaign is expected to achieve about 15.7 million Angolans, aged 16 years and over.

Source: Angola Press News Agency