ESFA Update: 15 July 2020
Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers
Iran admits fire at Natanz nuclear facility caused ‘significant damage’
Sun, 2020-07-05 20:06
DUBAI: A fire that broke out at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on Thursday has caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges, an Iranian nuclear official said on Sunday.
Iran’s top security body said on Friday that the cause of an incident and fire at Natanz had been determined and would be announced later. Some Iranian officials have said it may have been caused by cyber sabotage and one warned that Tehran would retaliate against any country carrying out such attacks.
“The incident could slow down the development and production of advanced centrifuges in the medium term … Iran will replace the damaged building with a bigger one that has more advanced equipment,” state news agency IRNA quoted the spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Behrouz Kamalvandi, as saying.
“The incident has caused significant damage but there were no casualties.”
Three Iranian officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity on Friday said they believed the fire was the result of a cyber attack but did not cite any evidence.
On Thursday, an article by Iran’s state news agency IRNA addressed what it called the possibility of sabotage by enemies such as Israel and the United States, although it stopped short of accusing either directly.
Israel’s defence minister said on Sunday it was not “necessarily” behind every mysterious incident in Iran.
In 2010, the Stuxnet computer virus, widely believed to have been developed by the United States and Israel, was discovered after it was used to attack Natanz.
The Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP), Iran’s main uranium enrichment site which is mostly underground, is one of several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.
The IAEA said on Friday the location of the fire did not contain nuclear materials and that none of its inspectors was present at the time.
Natanz is the centrepiece of Iran’s enrichment programme, which Tehran says is only for peaceful purposes. Western intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe it had a coordinated, clandestine nuclear arms programme that it halted in 2003.
Tehran denies ever seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions in a deal reached between Tehran and six world powers in 2015.
But Iran has gradually reduced its commitments to the accord since US President Donald Trump’s administration withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed and intensified sanctions that have battered Iran’s economy.
The deal only allows Iran to enrich uranium at its Natanz facility with just over 5,000 first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, but Iran has installed new cascades of advanced centrifuges.
Israel has backed Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy on Tehran aimed at forcing it to agree a new deal that puts stricter limits on its nuclear work, curbs its ballistic missile programme and ends its regional proxy wars.
Iran says it will not negotiate as long as sanctions remain in place.
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CHP investigates outbreak of red-eye syndrome at residential care home for the elderly
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (December 18) investigating an outbreak of acute infectious conjunctivitis (ACJ), commonly known as red-eye syndrome, at a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) in Sha Tin and hence appealed to members of the public to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against ACJ.
The outbreak involves 18 residents and two staff members (two men and 18 women) aged 48 to 103, who have presented with eye redness since November 15. All patients sought medical attention. Among them, one required hospitalisation and was discharged after treatment. All of them are in stable condition.
The conjunctival swab of one resident tested positive for adenovirus upon laboratory testing.
Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit to the RCHE and provided health advice to the staff. The institution has been placed under medical surveillance. Investigations are ongoing.
"ACJ is a contagious condition mostly caused by bacteria and viruses. The symptoms are irritation, tearing, pain and redness of the eyes. In most cases, full recovery can be expected within one to two weeks with proper treatment," a spokesman for the CHP explained.
Transmission usually occurs through direct contact with discharges from the eyes or upper respiratory tracts of infected people, or indirectly through contaminated fingers, clothing and other articles.
To prevent ACJ, the spokesman advised members of the public to take heed of the following measures:
* Do not share personal items such as towels and toilet articles;
* Do not share eye droppers, eye medicines, eye makeup, contact lenses and other items that may come into contact with eyes;
* Minimise hand-to-eye contact; and
* Wash hands frequently and before and after contact with eyes.
When suffering from ACJ symptoms, people should:
* Seek early medical attention;
* Refrain from going to child care centres, schools or workplaces until recovery;
* Avoid going to swimming pools;
* Avoid touching or rubbing the infected eyes;
* Wash hands often with soap and water;
* Wash personal items such as bed linen, pillowcases and towels in hot water and detergent;
* Properly dispose of items soiled with eye or respiratory secretions;
* Avoid wearing eye makeup or contact lenses; and
* Avoid sharing common articles such as towels and glasses.
The public may call the DH's Health Education Hotline (2833 0111) or visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/content/9/24/6529.html) for more relevant information on ACJ.