September 23, 2021

SPDB and Huawei Launch the SPDB Finwarehouse, Incorporating Digital Finance into Warehousing

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPD Bank) and Huawei presented the SPDB Finwarehouse Solution at HUAWEI CONNECT 2021. The solution is one of the biggest milestones in joint innovation for financial digitalization. It is also a step towards consolidating the Bank of Things, as the solution uses IoT to secure movable property pledges, making every object identifiable, every alarm traceable, and every item trustworthy.

Last year, SPD Bank and Huawei released the Bank of Things White Paper, which proposes a new financial services model and system. Following this, SPD Bank began to apply innovative digital technologies to promote the Bank of Things, partnering with Huawei to “dive into digital”. SPDB Finwarehouse is one of the important initiatives that has resulted from this partnership and direction.

The solution is designed for industrial supply chains and is an innovative way to manage pledges for movable warehousing properties. Previously an area of financial services that wasn’t seeing extensive digitalization, movable properties represent an innovation market space worth billions of yuan.

SPDB Finwarehouse: Secure and Easy Management of Movable Properties

Often, movable properties are subject to several risks. For example, ownership may not be clear, so property is pledged several times. At the same time, supervision companies may not always be completely ethical, which is why adulteration is likely to occur. Even if supervision is precise, it is costly without digital means. And without a disposal platform, goods are difficult to monetize.

In response to these issues, SPD Bank has designed a more precise and trustworthy solution. SPDB Finwarehouse uses RFID, weighing devices, and blockchain PDA devices to record objective information directly at the warehouse. Inbound goods are matched with financing and lending, while outbound goods are linked with repayment. This makes goods supervision a lot easier and more effective.

The solution also helps accurately determine the value of goods. It integrates verified trade, perception, and market information, and uses it to determine ownership, valuation, and efficient disposal. Essentially, logistics, commercial, capital, and information flows become centralized, providing the necessary data to properly valuate movable assets. Both upstream and downstream enterprises can now access accurate financial services, which cover the entirety of the supply chain.

Illustration: SPDB Finwarehouse: Trustworthy, manageable, and easy-to-dispose movable properties

Trustworthy Asset Pool Powered by Smart IoT

Logistics and warehouses frequently use digital technologies. As such, Huawei and SPD Bank are deploying intelligent IoT devices at warehouses along with introducing AI capabilities and multi-dimensional data verification. This transforms regular warehouses into financial ones, integrating financial services into management and business processes.

Based on the HUAWEI CLOUD platform, SPDB Finwarehouse makes every object identifiable, every alarm traceable, and every item trustworthy. The solution features the following technologies:

Distributed RFID positions objects within meters, takes stock automatically, and tracks items in real time.
With Pangu models, most models can be reused, reducing the number of samples required for training and shortening the project development period.
The Huawei IoT platform implements GUI-assisted modeling, flexibly defines and builds models, and centrally manages them. It cross-validates data through digital twin technology, and performs comprehensive risk analysis on the goods, processes, personnel, and environment of the warehouse.

Monitoring Center Ensures Authenticity of Inbound Goods

In the SPDB Finwarehouse Monitoring Center, operators can easily verify the authenticity of inbound goods. They can count cargo stacks through Pangu models and verify them using the scanning code, weight data, and trade background data.

“SPDB Finwarehouse is a pilot digital finance project. We have performed an in-depth evaluation on the needs of the enterprise service market. Now, we need to continue looking for ways to transform our business logic and rebuild our technical capabilities in order to keep up digitalization.” — said by Mr. Chen Haining, GM of the IT Department at SPD Bank. He added, “By integrating digital technologies into industries, we can use digital capabilities to drill down into the supply chain scenarios of various real economy industries. SPD Bank looks forward to working with Huawei to integrate finance with the real economy.”

In a world where everything is connected, new scenarios and business models will continue to emerge.

“Huawei and SPD Bank will continue to innovate, providing leading technology products and full-stack cloud infrastructure solutions for digital finance upgrades. We will use technology innovation for faster financial services upgrades, working together to further interconnect industries with tailored financial innovation.” — said by Mr. Jason Cao, President of Global Financial Business Unit, Huawei Enterprise BG, “Huawei has contributed its full-stack technologies to work on SPDB Finwarehouse with SPD Bank. With our customers, we are diving into digital and promoting the upgrade of digital finance. We hope to drive the real economy forward with the power of finance. Huawei is committed to helping financial institutions as they constantly upgrade their agility, intelligence, industry services, and ecosystem construction. We are helping financial institutions along their digital transformation journey and building a fully connected, intelligent, and ecosystem-based finance industry together.”

SPD Bank and Huawei set up a joint innovation lab in 2018, which has led to several successful projects. In August 2020, they signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement, and together published The Bank of Things White Paper — a major milestone. SPD Bank will focus on user experience, apply digital technologies, and innovate with industries such as retail, communications, transportation, and healthcare, to boost the digital economy.

In a world where everything is connected, finance, technology, and industry will be closely linked. Huawei and SPD Bank are drawing on the power of cloud-based FinTech to serve the community, enable customers, and create new industry value.

Huawei hosts HUAWEI CONNECT 2021 online from September 23 to October 31. The theme of this year’s event is Dive into Digital. We’re going to dive deep into the practical application of technologies like cloud, AI, and 5G in all industries, and how they can make organizations of all shapes and sizes more efficient, more versatile, and ultimately more resilient as we move towards economic recovery.

For more information, please contact our local team or check out https://www.huawei.com/en/events/huaweiconnect

September 23, 2021

Laserfiche annonce le lancement de sa solution cloud de gestion de documents et d’automatisation des processus dans la région EMEA, et soutient les stratégies de résilience numérique

LONDRES, 23 septembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Laserfiche a annoncé aujourd’hui la disponibilité de Laserfiche Cloud dans la région Europe, Moyen-Orient et Afrique (EMEA). L’offre cloud du principal fournisseur SaaS de gestion intelligente de contenu et d’automatisation des processus métier propose un système innovant et fiable pour gérer en toute sécurité le contenu et automatiser les processus métier dans toute l’entreprise. Grâce aux flux de travail numériques, aux formulaires électroniques, à la gestion des documents et aux analyses, Laserfiche Cloud connecte les personnes, les plateformes et les processus pour accélérer la transformation numérique et améliorer les expériences des employés et des clients.

« Pour réussir dans un environnement de plus en plus numérique, les entreprises doivent accélérer la transformation numérique en mettant l’accent sur l’autonomisation de leur personnel, la bonne gestion de leurs informations et l’automatisation de leurs processus », a déclaré Karl Chan, président de Laserfiche. « Après plus d’un an d’interruption sans précédent des activités commerciales, Laserfiche Cloud permet aux chefs d’entreprise de se concentrer sur l’amélioration de l’expérience du personnel et des clients grâce à l’innovation technologique, qu’ils travaillent en personne, dans un environnement hybride ou complètement à distance. »

Laserfiche Cloud offre aux utilisateurs un contrôle total du contenu et des processus à l’échelle de l’entreprise, accélérant ainsi l’innovation grâce à des outils qui aident les entreprises à gérer l’information en toute sécurité et à permettre la collaboration. Développée avec des fonctions de contrôle d’accès granulaire, de conformité réglementaire, de sécurité des données, de collaboration numérique et de gestion des documents, la solution sert de centre de commande centralisé pour les entreprises de tous les secteurs. Les entreprises du monde entier qui traitent régulièrement des données personnelles pour des clients basés en Europe peuvent mettre en œuvre Laserfiche Cloud pour répondre aux besoins de conformité aux réglementations régionales telles que le RGPD.

En outre, les modèles de solutions préétablis et les formulaires et processus électroniques personnalisables favorisent la résilience et l’agilité numériques, car de plus en plus d’entreprises se transforment numériquement pour répondre à des perturbations telles que le COVID-19.

Laserfiche a été reconnu comme le choix des clients de Gartner Peer Insights pour les plateformes de services de contenu en 2020 et comme le gagnant du prix du produit de l’année en 2021 par Cloud Computing Magazine.

Pour en savoir plus sur Laserfiche Cloud, consultez le site Web de Laserfiche.

À propos de Laserfiche

Laserfiche est le principal fournisseur SaaS de gestion intelligente de contenu et d’automatisation des processus commerciaux. Grâce à des flux de travail performants, des formulaires électroniques, une gestion des documents et des analyses, la plateforme Laserfiche^® accélère la manière dont les affaires sont menées, permettant aux dirigeants de se concentrer sur la croissance de l’entreprise.

Laserfiche est une société pionnière en matière de gestion du contenu des entreprises dans un environnement sans papier. Aujourd’hui, son approche de développement axée sur le cloud intègre des innovations en matière d’apprentissage machine et d’IA, afin de permettre aux entreprises de plus de 80 pays de passer au numérique. Des clients de tous les secteurs d’activité – notamment les administrations publiques, l’éducation, les services financiers, la santé et l’industrie manufacturière – utilisent Laserfiche pour stimuler la productivité, faire évoluer leur entreprise et offrir des expériences client digital-first.

Basés dans différents bureaux aux quatre coins du globe, les employés de Laserfiche s’engagent à respecter la vision de l’entreprise, qui consiste à donner aux clients les moyens d’agir et à inciter les gens à revoir la manière dont la technologie peut transformer leurs vies.

Pour communiquer avec Laserfiche :

Blog de Laserfiche | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/626078/Laserfiche_Logo.jpg

September 23, 2021

Upfield announces commitments to reduce world hunger by supporting smallholder farmers

At the same time the world’s largest plant-based foods company launches its first ESG report

Amsterdam, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit in New York City, Upfield, the world’s leading producer of plant-based butters, margarines, creams and cheeses, has announced its commitment to enhance the livelihoods of 140,000 smallholder farmers and plant-based entrepreneurs. As part of this commitment, Upfield has become a signatory of the Zero Hunger Pledge, led by the Global Alliance for Improve Nutrition (GAIN). This coordinated private sector pledge aims to tackle the global hunger crisis which is unfortunately rising unabated with up to 811 million¹ hungry people in the world in 2020 – that’s one in ten people suffering because they did not have access to a most basic need and fundamental right of food. COVID-19 health crisis has made the issue even worse.

As part of its pledge commitments, Upfield is investing in two projects in rural Kenya – focusing on the peanut and canola (rapeseed) supply chains. These projects support the ambition of the Zero Hunger Pledge; to eradicate world hunger by 2030.

Commenting on Upfield’s commitment to the Zero Hunger Pledge, David Haines, CEO Upfield Group said, “Transforming food systems is essential to achieve food security, improve nutrition and put healthy diets within reach of all. At Upfield, we believe that a collective shift to a more plant-based diet is the shift we need to achieve food system transformation and improve access to affordable nutritious foods. That’s why our newly launched ESG report addresses the areas where we believe we can make the biggest impact, at pace.”

Increasing the resilience of canola supply chains

Upfield is expanding its support for local Kenyan smallholders by helping them to grow canola as a rotational crop, which increases their incomes and improves the resilience of their supply chains. The project has grown from 500 farmers in 2015 to 7,500 farmers today and is still expanding. The project includes a training programme for farmers on climate-smart agriculture to secure their livelihoods amidst the challenge of global warming. Canola oil is a core ingredient in Upfield’s Blue Band™ spreads. Currently, 80% of the canola oil in Upfield’s Blue Band spreads in East Africa comes from this local sourcing initiative, and Upfield has a goal to achieve 100% in 2023.

Supporting farmers to grow high-quality peanuts

Upfield supports NAFAKA, a Kenyan farmer co-operative, providing a new source of income in peanut growing and helping to supply the resources needed to successfully grow high-quality peanuts. In Kenya, a common problem with growing peanuts is Aflatoxins, which can damage peanut yields. Upfield is working to provide a discounted rate for the agricultural inputs needed to achieve aflatoxin-free supply chains and guarantees an income in peanut-sourcing for the smallholder farmers involved. The high-quality peanuts produced by NAFAKA Co-operative are to be used in Upfield’s Blue Band™ Peanut Butter product, which is popular in Kenya and other East African markets.

Both projects form part of Upfield’s broader ESG strategy, which outlines a suite of other initiatives and targets all designed to support the sustainable transition to ‘A Better Plant-Based Future’, with the aims of:

Encouraging 1 billion people choose delicious plant-based products by committing to driving plant-based adoption through investment in purposeful brands, innovation, naturalness and category expansion.
Positively impacting 200 million lives by providing healthier, more affordable and more accessible products that are equivalent, if not better than their dairy counterparts in both taste and performance.
Enhancing 140,000 livelihoods and reaching 5 million chefs by committing to programs, grants and initiatives that will support them to drive towards a plant-based future.
Achieving “Better than net zero” by 2050 and committing to 95% of our packaging being free from plastic by 2030, as well as responsibly sourcing 100% of our ingredients with no deforestation or exploitation.

You can read more about Upfield’s commitments at www.upfield.com/purpose

Notes for Editors

ABOUT UPFIELD

At Upfield, we make people healthier and happier with great tasting, plant-based nutrition products that are better for the planet. As a global plant-based company, Upfield is the #1 producer of plant-based spreads and cheeses with more than 100 brands, including iconic brands FLORA, RAMA, BLUEBAND, PROACTIV, BECEL, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUTTER, COUNTRY CROCK, and VIOLIFE. With headquarters in Amsterdam, we sell our products in over 95 countries and have 14 manufacturing sites throughout the world. The company employs over 4200 Associates. Since 1871, we have been the authority in the spreads category which gives us unmatched experience, know-how and inspiration. We are focused on leading in this new era focused on delivering healthier products that are great tasting, have superior quality and help us deliver on our vision to create “A Better Plant-Based Future.” For more information, please visit our website at www.Upfield.com.

About the pledge

The Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge is a multi-stakeholder platform of cooperation and action with a single objective of ending hunger for good. It involves businesses supported by civil society, member state governments, and international organisations. Each of the actors provides a commitment within the remit of its organisation. The flexible and voluntary character of the Pledge is its strength as it creates a platform for cooperation for actors who wouldn’t have necessarily worked together in the past.

¹ State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2021) report

Susannah Moore
Upfield Europe BV
07909686870
susannah.moore@upfield.com

September 23, 2021

Global Leader Group Expands to United Kingdom, Middle East and Africa

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Global Leader Group is pleased to announce the launch of its new entity for the European, Middle Eastern & African Regions, Global Leader Group EMEA. The growing demand of our international clients in these constituencies has driven our expansion from our foundation, which is currently based in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The goal is to continue to provide local support and expertise in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Richard Knight will head up the new division of the Global Leader Group.

Global Leader Group will now bring its unparalleled experience at the senior level in some of the world’s largest, most complex organizations, sharing that knowledge and our proven leadership performance strategies within a part of the world that is seeing huge transformational growth in the areas we address. Although we have a robust record servicing large corporations, we are committed to being the company that helps small, medium and large institutions build and execute best practices of leadership.

Richard Knight will head the new Division and has amassed a substantial record of success over the course of his 30 year career. Additionally, his international experience spans nearly two decades. Knight says, “We at the Global Leader Group are excited at the opportunity to continue pursuing our passion of elevating careers and helping leaders develop and thrive through transformational experiences.”

“With a talented roster that has experience working alongside heads of state as well as heads of multi-national corporations, our team is more than ready for the opportunity and challenge in working with leaders from the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa,” says Jonathan Nabrotzky, founder and CEO, Global Leader Group.

Knight also added, “I am passionate about authentic leadership and partnering with organizations to help them build their leaders, execute their strategy, and meet the needs of their customers. This has been at the very heart of my career, and I look forward to continuing this journey leading Global Leader Group EMEA.”

Global Leader Group is a global professional leadership development and management consultancy firm. We are committed to inspiring leaders to live and lead deliberately. A firm of authentic, relationship-led practitioners, Global Leader Group services include practitioner consulting, leadership development, executive search, sales training, and organizational development & strategic HR.

Media contact: Elizabeth@globalleadergroup.com www.globalleadergroup.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1632431/Global_Leader_Group_Richard_Knight.jpg

September 23, 2021

‫”فلاير لابس” تخصص 150 مليون دولار كتمويل للسلسلة C بقيادة “ويستكاب”

رائدة البرمجيات لنظام تشغيل الإيرادات (™Revenue Operating System) تقوم بتسريع النمو من أجل تلبية الطلب القوي وتوسيع عروضها منتجاتها وخدماتها؛ ويستكاب تنضم إلى مجلس إدارة فلاير

سان فرانسيسكو، 22 سبتمبر 2021 — /PRNewswire/ أعلنت اليوم فلاير لابس (FLYR Labs)، رائدة نظام تشغيل الإيرادات المدعوم بالبيانات والمدفوع بالذكاء الاصطناعي من أجل شركات الطيران والسفر والنقل، أنها قد حصلت على 150 مليون دولار كتمويل للسلسلة C بقيادة ويستكاب، وهي شركة لأسهم النمو أسسها لورانس توسي، المدير المالي السابق لشركتي Airbnb وبلاكستون (Blackstone)، بمشاركة من شركتي سيلفر ليك ووترمان (Silver Lake Waterman)، ووندركو (WndrCo)، جنبًا إلى جنب مع المطلعين الداخليين بيتر ثيل وستريملايند فينشرز (Streamlined Ventures) وجيت بلو تكنولوجي فينشرز (JetBlue Technology Ventures) وجوفر لإدارة الأصول (Gopher Asset Management). وسيتم استخدام هذا التمويل لتوسيع عروض منتجات الشركة، وتوسيع نطاق القدرة على التسليم، ودعم عمليات الاستحواذ الاستراتيجية، وتطوير فِرَق عملاء عالمية المستوى من أجل تلبية الطلب المتزايد.

قال مؤسس ويستكاب لورانس توسي، “اعتمد عدد كبير جدًا من شركات السفر الرائدة على التوقعات الثابتة أو اليدوية ومنهجيات التسعير التي لا تتكيف مع بيئة الوقت الحقيقي الديناميكية في العصر الحالي، مما يؤدي إلى عدم الكفاءة والفرص الضائعة”. “وبصفتنا مستثمرين ومشغلين في صناعة السفر منذ فترة طويلة، ما زلنا معجبين برؤية مؤسس فلاير، أليكس مانز وفريقه، للشراكة مع رواد السفر العالميين وشركات النقل لمنحهم التحكم والرؤى المستنيرة التي يحتاجون إليها لتحسين أعمالهم. وقد نَفذَّت فلاير هذه الرؤية من خلال تطوير تحليلات بيانات في الوقت الحقيقي خاصة بها تم إنشاؤها باستخدام الهندسة، والتميز في المنتَج، والابتكار، الذي ينتج عنه أدوات عرض بيانات وأدوات اتخاذ قرار بديهية. لم تعمل تقنيات ومنتجات فلاير فقط على دفع النمو السريع لشركة فلاير وتقديم مزايا كبيرة ملموسة لعملاء فلاير الصناعيين، وبالتالي لملايين المسافرين الذين يخدمونهم يوميًا. هذه مجرد بداية لفريق فلاير، وتفخر ويستكاب بالانضمام إليهم في رحلتهم الملهمة للارتقاء بصناعة السفر لصالح جميع أصحاب المصلحة لديها”.

تفشل الأنظمة القديمة الحالية في توفير الرؤى والأتمتة اللازمة للتكيف مع التحديات الحديثة التي يواجهها قادة النقل. ويستفيد نهج فلاير من الذكاء الاصطناعي المتقدم الذي يلتقط كميات هائلة من البيانات ويحللها حسب السياق، مما يتيح لشركات الطيران توقع الطلب بدقة أكبر وتحديد الأسعار المثلى للإيرادات تلقائيًا. لقد ثبت أن نظام تشغيل الإيرادات الخاص بشركة فلاير يحقق زيادة إجمالية بنسبة 7٪ في الإيرادات مع تقليل أخطاء التوقع بمقدار 10 أضعاف مقارنة بالموردين القدامى. وبحلول نهاية هذا العام، ستدير فلاير أكثر من 14 مليار دولار من الإيرادات للعشرات من عملاء شركات الطيران لديها.

وقال أليكس مانز، الرئيس التنفيذي ومؤسس شركة فلاير لابس، “على مدار الثمانية عشر شهرًا الماضية، أثبتت التقلبات الهائلة عبر شبكات شركات الطيران الحاجة إلى حلول حديثة في الوقت الحقيقي مدعومة بالذكاء الاصطناعي”. “سيضمن هذا التمويل استمرارنا في التوسع وتوفير تقنية متطورة وبديهية تلبي الاحتياجات الديناميكية لعملائنا في مجال النقل”.

وقد استقطبت فلاير لابس المواهب المخضرمة من بروس (PROS) والخطوط الجوية الأمريكية، وجنرال إلكتريك، و IBM وخطوط ساوث ويست الجوية، إلى المنتجات الرئيسية والأدوار التشغيلية الرئيسية. استحوذت فلاير على إكسشيك (xCheck) وفيردايركت (Faredirect)، مؤخرًا، وهو النظام المساعد لتحسين الإيرادات والمدعوم بالذكاء الاصطناعي، وتقنية تتبع أسعار الطيران والتسويق، على التوالي، لمزيد من معالجة القدرات المطلوبة من قِبَل قاعدة عملائها. ومن خلال مكاتب جديدة في لوس أنجلوس ودالاس وأمستردام، تتوقع فلاير زيادة قوتها العاملة إلى أكثر من 200 عضو في الفريق بحلول نهاية العام. وفي حين أن تلبية احتياجات شركات الطيران هي التركيز الأساسي لشركة فلاير، إلا أنها تقوم بتوسيع تقنيتها عبر صناعات السفر والنقل الأخرى من خلال شراكات استراتيجية متنوعة عبر تأجير السيارات، والفعاليات، والشحن، والسكك الحديدية، والمزيد.

حول شركة فلاير لابس

تُركِّز فلاير لابس، رائدة نظام تشغيل الإيرادات™، على التطبيق المتواصل للتقنيات المتقدمة والبديهية التي تساعد قادة النقل على إطلاق العنان لإمكاناتهم القصوى. ويستفيد حل البرنامج القائم على السحابة من تقنية التعلم العميق، وهي شكل فائق التطور من أشكال الذكاء الاصطناعي، من أجل توفير توقعات فائقة الدقة ورؤى قابلة للتنفيذ داخل واجهة مستخدم شاملة واحدة. مع فلاير، يمكن لشركات السفر والنقل تحسين أداء الإيرادات بشكل كبير، وتوحيد القرارات عبر الفِرَق التجارية، وبناء تجربة أكثر كفاءة لعملائها. ويقع المقر الرئيسي لشركة فلاير في سان فرانسيسكو، كما أن لديها مكاتب في لوس أنجلوس ودالاس وكراكوف وأمستردام. لمعرفة المزيد حول شركة فلاير، قم بزيارة flyrlabs.com أو تابع @flyrlabs على تويتر و لينكد إن.

حول شركة ويستكاب

“ويستكاب جروب” هي شركة لأسهم النمو أسسها لورانس أ. توسي، الذي قام -مع فريق ويستكاب- بتأسيس ورسملة وتشغيل أسواق الأصول الخفيفة المدعومة بالتكنولوجيا منذ أكثر من 20 عامًا. مع أكثر من 4 مليارات دولار من الأصول قيد الإدارة، قامت ويستكاب باستثمارات ملحوظة في شركات التكنولوجيا مثل Airbnb و StubHub و iPreo و Skillz و Sonder و Addepar و Hopper و iCapital و Bolt. لمزيد من المعلومات حول ويستكاب، قم بزيارة www.WestCap.com.

حول شركة سيلفر ليك ووترمان

سيلفر ليك ووترمان هي جزء من سيلفر ليك، وهي الشركة العالمية الرائدة في الاستثمار في مجال التكنولوجيا مع أكثر من 88 مليار دولار من الأصول المجمعة قيد الإدارة، ورأس المال الملتزم، وفريق من المحترفين المقيمين في أمريكا الشمالية وأوروبا وآسيا. تُركِّز سيلفر ليك ووترمان على توفير رأس مال نمو مرن لشركات النمو في مراحل لاحقة في مجال التكنولوجيا والصناعات المدعومة بالتكنولوجيا. لمزيد من المعلومات حول سيلفر ليك ووترمان وسيلفر ليك، يُرجى زيارة www.silverlake.com.

الفيديو – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_feH1VhmRLk

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September 23, 2021

Mask Mandate Prompts Cheers, Jeers in Charlotte, North CarolinaMask Mandate Prompts Cheers, Jeers in Charlotte, North Carolina

The fluctuating severity of the pandemic and ever-changing public health pronouncements have left North Carolina with a patchwork of masking requirements, mirroring much of the United States. Some residents embrace the mandates, others do not.

“I personally feel like it affects my breathing,” said Mackenzie Gilley when asked about mask-wearing.

Gilley, 26, a leasing agent in a Charlotte high-rise apartment complex, said masks impede her work.

“I have a job that’s always been on the front lines in property management, where it’s very difficult to talk to people and relate to people wearing the mask all day,” Gilley told VOA.

In May of this year, as vaccination rates increased and COVID-19 cases plunged, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper lifted a statewide mask mandate that had been in effect for nearly a year.

In August, amid a surge of COVID-19 cases triggered by the delta variant, the city of Charlotte reimposed a mandate that masks be worn “in any indoor public place, business, or establishment” regardless of a person’s vaccination status.

The Aug. 18 citywide mandate was followed by a similar order for surrounding Mecklenburg County, population 1.1 million, where average daily infection rates topped 500.

The trend of rising infections appears to have reversed in recent weeks, but area residents are nevertheless compelled to embrace a public health measure some find cumbersome, and many had hoped were a thing of the past.

Others applauded Charlotte for requiring masks indoors.

“Personally, I was very happy about the mask mandate,” medical student Kirthi Reddy, 23, told VOA. “I think this is a great step to try and control the virus the best we can.”

Reddy, who is aiming for placement as a medical resident, added, “COVID is something that is rapidly spreading and mutating, so I think it’s very important. If we don’t (mask up), the virus will only mutate and spread even more.”

Gilley urged a case-by-case basis for face coverings.

“I think it should be up to the (individual) business whether or not they want to enforce it,” she said. “It has just gone on for way too long.”

Health care professionals like pediatric nurse Zoe Morgan warned against apathy in preventing virus transmission.

“I think the new mask mandate since the delta variant is very necessary,” she said, adding that, even with rising vaccination rates, people shouldn’t lose diligence in protecting themselves.

“I think everyone getting vaccinated and the numbers of vaccinated (people) increasing is wonderful,” Morgan said. “However, the delta variant is just that, it’s a variant. This proves that we can still catch the virus, spread it, even if we are vaccinated.”

Morgan described how a few weeks ago, amid aggressive spread of the delta variant, her entire hospital unit suspended operations when several staffers contracted the virus, forcing her and her colleagues into quarantine. The unit resumed admitting patients this week.

Morgan believes people went about their lives with a false sense of security as the delta variant spread.

“I think this has to do with the delta variant, and people feeling reassured since everyone was getting vaccinated, the numbers were going down, and employees were admittedly less strict and … probably not as diligent as they should have been with masks,” she said.

Enforcing the mandate

Authorities in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are relying on the public to comply with mask mandates rather than strict enforcement. As of the beginning of the week, the local police department reported it had issued zero citations for failing to wear a mask since the renewed orders went into effect.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) “has worked to reach voluntary cooperation with each member of the community through education and conversations,” Public Information Officer Thomas Hildebrand told VOA, saying officers have focused on communication and outreach to the community.

“Our efforts are prompted through a complaint-driven approach,” he said. “This has been the CMPD’s approach to consistent enforcement of the mandate, and it will remain so until the mandate is rescinded.”

Some see voluntary enforcement as no enforcement.

“I think the overall mask mandate should be enforced a little more,” said Tamia Wately.

The 21-year-old works at an arcade park and said that mask-wearing is not strictly enforced in her workplace. She indicated she would welcome more coercive means to force compliance.

“It would definitely make a difference. I think many companies would start enforcing it more,” she said, adding that, to the extent she can make arcade visitors don masks, “I try to do my best.”

Morgan said business owners should do their part.

“I think everyone should just kind of be, in essence, a team player and wear their masks,” she said.

No date has been set for ending mask mandates in the Charlotte area. Local officials told VOA any decision will be made in consultation with Mecklenburg County’s health department.

Meanwhile, the city is incentivizing municipal employees to get vaccinated, offering a $250 pay bonus to those who provide proof of vaccination by Sept. 30. An additional bonus has been promised if the municipal workforce reaches a 75% inoculation rate.

As of Sept. 1, about 62% of Charlotte city employees were vaccinated.

For Mecklenburg County as a whole, about 54% of the population, or just over 600,000 people, were fully vaccinated as of Sept. 16.

Source: Voice of America