ASEAN COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATES: PART 1: BRUNEI TO MALAYSIA- Here is the ASEAN status as of Wednesday, 7am, January 14, 2021
COVID-19 infection crosses 92.6 million globally as deaths cross more than 1.98 million.
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The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 218 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances.
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The update-1.14.2021
Sick Earth Plague Day 414
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BRUNEI
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Brunei had +0 new cases, has a total of 173 with 3 deaths.
Brunei records one new imported COVID-19 case
James Kon
Brunei Darussalam recorded one new imported COVID-19 case yesterday, bringing the current number of active cases in the country to 21.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said this during a press conference yesterday.
“Case 173 is a man aged 38 who arrived in Brunei on the SQ148 flight on December 25, 2020, via Singapore from Indonesia. He showed no signs of infection and is currently being monitored and treated at the National Isolation Centre (NIC). Contact tracing for this case is still being conducted,” the minister said.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Haji Abdul Manap bin Othman was also present.
With the latest imported case, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country is 173.
All of the active cases are currently receiving treatment at the NIC in the Tutong District.
One case is in the Intensive Care Unit while the rest are in stable condition.
With the detection of the new case, 32 import cases have been confirmed. Since the last local case reported on May 6, 2020, Brunei has recorded 246 days without local COVID-19 transmissions.
A total of 700 individuals are undergoing mandatory self-isolation at government monitoring centres after arriving in the country from abroad. At present, 10,765 individuals have completed their mandatory self-isolation at the monitoring centres.
In the past 24 hours, 382 SARS-CoV-2 virus samples were tested, bringing the total number of laboratory tests conducted since January 2020 to 84,830.
The minister also reminded members of the public to practise social responsibilities by maintaining personal hygiene and observing proper cough and sneeze etiquette.
The public are recommended to wear face masks in crowded public places, and to avoid public places, gatherings or events if feeling unwell.
The minister also warned that as per the provisions under the Infectious Diseases Act (Chapter 204), the public is required to comply with all regulations and instructions issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Updates can be obtained by visiting www.moh.gov.bn, or by contacting the Health Advice Line at 148, or through the BruHealth app.
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CAMBODIA
There has been +6 new positive case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Cambodia. The tally is at 398. No deaths. Total recovered at 376..
PM refutes news reports on Cambodia rejecting Sinovac
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday refuted foreign media reports that Cambodia refuses to accept China’s Sinovac vaccine.
“I have never said such a thing. I have never mentioned this or that vaccine. We accept only vaccines which are recognised by the World Health Organization. The report by foreign medias are not true at all,” Mr Hun Sen told Fresh News.
“Mr Hun Sen said Cambodia shuns China’s Sinovac vaccine in favour of COVAX shots,” Nikkei Asia wrote in its article.
Or Vandine, Ministry of Health spokeswoman, on December 16 repudiated a report which said: “Cambodia has ordered 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, but not the Chinese products.”
Meanwhile, Mr Hun Sen, on Tuesday added $125,000 in additional aid to Banteay Meanchey province to prepare for Cambodian workers returning from Thailand.
Health Ministry secretary of state Youk Sambath said that supplies include 5,000 general kits, 5,000 boxes of noodles and 10,000 cases of bottled water delivered to Banteay Meanchey province.
Banteay Meanchey deputy director Ly Sary said that the government has taken into account the current situation and is providing adequate accommodation for migrant workers. It is delivering general kits of mosquito nets, blankets, pillows, and mats.
Sek Sokhom, director of the Banteay Meanchey provincial Information Department, said that authorities provided gifts and assistance to nearly 3,000 workers in Banteay Meanchey province, with each worker receiving an equal amount of money and supplies.
“Gifts from the government have already been distributed, such as noodles, cash, water and many other materials,” Sokhom said.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 120,000 workers have returned from Thailand and are being relocated to border provinces in Cambodia after an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Thai community of Samut Sakhon province.
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday morning that the number of infected migrant workers rose to 33 with six new cases, making a nationwide total of 398.
All the infected patients are currently being treated at the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Referral Hospital.Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday refuted foreign media reports that Cambodia refuses to accept China’s Sinovac vaccine.
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INDONESIA
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The country reported +11,278 new infections, taking the totals to 858,043 infections with +306 new deaths, bringing total to 24,951 deaths.
Gov’t to Impose Stricter Restrictions in Several Cities in Java, Bali
A waiter cleans the dining table at Bebek Kaleyo restaurant in Jakarta on Oct. 12, 2020. (Antara Photo/Aprillio Akbar)
BY :DWI ARGO SANTOSA, LONA OLAVIA
JANUARY 07, 2021
Jakarta. The government has decided to impose stricter restrictions in Java and Bali starting on Jan. 11 to Jan. 25, following the surge in new Covid-19 cases. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement on Wednesday.
Airlangga said the restriction on people’s activities would only apply to several municipalities and districts in Java and Bali, including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Denpasar.
“The restriction only applies in several municipalities and districts that meet the parameters, such as active cases, death rate, recovery rate, or hospital occupancy. This becomes a priority to curb the virus in these regions,” Airlangga said the statement.
The country saw a new record high in Covid-19 infections with 8,854 cases on Wednesday, two weeks after the Christmas holiday. That brought the total number of cases to more than 788,400 cases. Should the number of total cases steadily grow at the current pace of 0.9 percent daily, the country would see a million total cases in less than a month, according to the Jakarta Globe projection.
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian had issued a ministerial instruction on the stricter restriction, which details the four-parameter and affected regions.
A region can restrict public activities if they meet one of the following parameters.
The first is if the death rate surpasses the national average. Followed by if the recovery late falls below the national average. The parameters also include if the active case rate is above the national average, and if the bed occupancy rate for ICU and isolation exceeds 70 percent.
The ministerial instruction stated all municipalities and districts in Jakarta will become a priority for this social restriction. In West Java are Bogor and Bekasi districts, Cimahi, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi municipalities, and the Greater Bandung area.
As for Banten, the government will prioritize both Tangerang district and the municipality and South Tangerang municipality. In Central Java are the metropolitan areas Greater Semarang and Banyumas, as well as Surakarta district and its surroundings.
On Yogyakarta’s priority list are Yogyakarta municipality and four districts, namely Bantul, Gunung Kidul, Sleman, Kulonprogo. East Java will prioritize Greater Surabaya and Greater Malang.
Furthermore, Badung district, Denpasar municipality, and its surroundings will become a priority for Bali’s restriction.
The governor can expand the restrictions to other municipalities or districts in their region by considering the aforementioned parameters and other considerations to help with Covid-19 handling. According to Airlangga, the restriction is necessary to help recover the economy in these regions that are at high risk and can potentially become a virus epicenter.
“Efforts on maintaining the momentum for economic recovery must be accompanied with efforts to address the pandemic,” Airlangga said.
Earlier Curfew, Shorter Capacity
Once the restriction is in effect, office attendance is limited to 25 percent of their capacity.
Classes will remain online to prevent virus transmission. Essential sectors for basic needs will operate at 100 percent with health protocols.
Shopping malls will have an earlier curfew at 7.00 p.m. Restaurants must limit their capacity to 25 percent while take-aways and delivery orders can remain open. Constructions can run at full capacity under strict health protocols. Places of worship are restricted to 50 percent.
Also, the government will temporarily close public facilities. Transportation modes will also be further regulated.
LAOS
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The country reported +0 new case recorded, total at 41. No deaths.
.Govt mulls plans to minimise impacts of pandemic
Economic issues, particularly ways to strengthen the economy while minimising the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, are among the most important issues being discussed at a government meeting which began in Vientiane on Thursday.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, is being attended by government cabinet members, the mayor of Vientiane and provincial governors from January 7-8.
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Meeting participants reviewed the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for 2016-2020 and discussed plans for the next five years.
Other important items discussed at the meeting on Thursday included progress made in improving investment climate indicators, improvements in approving investment and granting business licences, commercial production, and a report on a study of ways to convert State assets into capital.
On Friday, cabinet members, the Vientiane mayor and provincial governors will discuss the outcomes of the government’s measures in response to Covid-19 and how the pandemic has affected the economy. They will also debate a report on Laos’ preparations to graduate from the UN’s list of least developed countries.
Last year, Laos suffered severe economic hardship when the Covid-19 pandemic hit tourism, investment and other service businesses, which are the country’s main sources of revenue.
The pandemic caused rising unemployment and the government has pledged to address this issue.
The government has done a good job in keeping Covid-19 in check even as more cases are reported in the region.
The government is committed to carrying out economic reforms and moving towards sustainable development, ensuring an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to a report in the Lao Economic Daily, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent over the past five years, with annual average income per capita rising to US$2,664.
The government projects that the economy will grow by 4-5 percent annually in the years 2021-2015, with an annual inflation of not more than 6 percent.
One of the government’s most important policies is to improve mechanisms and measures to address economic difficulties and ensure quality growth and stability of the macro-economy. The government also plans to improve the structure of the economy, with a focus on SMEs and economic development along the Laos-China economic corridor and East-West and North-South economic corridors.
Laos has huge potential to generate more income from tourism due to its natural beauty and historical and cultural places of interest. The government has vowed to remove more barriers and improve the business climate in a bid to attract more investment from within Laos and from foreign countries to further boost economic growth.
By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update January 8, 2021)
MALAYSIA
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The country reported +2,985 new cases, taking the total to 144,518, with +4 new deaths, total deaths at 563.
Covid-19: 2,433 new cases, nine deaths recorded today – Health DG (Updated)
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 2,433 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the country today with nine more casualties, while five new clusters were detected, according to Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
With 1,277 more recoveries, the cumulative number of those who had been cured of Covid-19 in Malaysia is 108,109, or 79.5 per cent of the total number of cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said 135,992 positive cases had been detected in the country to date, while 27,332 cases were still active.
“Of the total number of new cases reported today, seven are imported from abroad, while 2,426 are local transmissions.
“Of the local transmissions, 1,784 cases involve Malaysian citizens, and 642 cases are of non-citizens,“ he said in a statement today.
He said Selangor reported the highest number of new daily cases with 730, followed by Sabah (403) and Johor (321).
Dr Noor Hisham said the death toll today involved six men including two non-citizens, as well as three Malaysian women – aged between 37 and 94 – from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sabah.
There are also 171 Covid-19 cases being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 76 requiring respiratory assistance.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said there were five new clusters detected today, namely the Cyber Construction Site Cluster, Texmile Cluster and Jalan Sibuga Cluster; as well as two cross-state clusters, namely the Alor Durian Cluster and Wakaf Lanas Cluster.
The Cyber Construction Site Cluster which involves the districts of Sepang, Petaling, Klang, and Hulu Langat in Selangor recorded 67 positive cases; The Texmile Cluster in Gombak, Selangor (19 cases), while the Jalan Sibuga Cluster in Sandakan, Sabah, recorded nine cases.
Apart from that, the Alor Durian Cluster in Tumpat and Kota Bahru, Kelantan recorded 17 cases and the Wakaf Lanas Cluster in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan with 11 cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said the clusters that had ended today were Bandar Impian Cluster, Indah Mas Cluster, Kubota Cluster, Batu Tiga Cluster, Red House Cluster, Sri Jujur Cluster, and PTS Sibuga Cluster.
“This brings the total number of active clusters being monitored to 254, and out of them, 65 clusters reported an increase in the number of cases today. — Bernama
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