Thailand is on course for an economic recession in the first half of this year, with its 2020 GDP being forecast to decrease 0.3 percent from the previous 1.8 percent as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Centre (EIC).

Secretary of Philippines’ Department of Finance Carlos Dominguez III on March 16 announced a 27.1 billion peso (526 million USD) spending plan for everyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on late March 16 that the entire country will be on a movement control order starting from March 18-31 to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Many Southeast Asian countries on March 16 said that they are continuously implementing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Indonesian tourism sector has suffered losses of at least 1.5 billion USD since January amid growing fears over the COVID-19, said Chairman of the Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Hariyadi B. Sukamdani.

A meeting of Thailand’s Covid-19 Administration Centre, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved a motion to postpone the Songkran holidays from April 13-15 to later dates.

Indonesia recorded a 2.34 billion USD trade surplus in February as exports rose but import edged down significantly, according to the Indonesian Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on Thailand's restaurant business, with 5,000-7,500 operators expected to leave the sector this year.

Laos recently ordered the temporary closure of 10 border gates with its neighbouring countries, including Vietnam, amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in the world.

All schools across Cambodia are ordered to close in an effort to counter the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the latest announcement of the country’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

Vietnamese government covers testing fee for suspected cases that are asked to take the test and treatment cost for confirmed patients.

To prepare for a COVID-19 presence that may be prolonged, Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation or MHESI, has brought together government and private sectors to develop applications and innovations to cope with the crisis.

Exports of Thai rice have been on the rise as many countries are stocking up on food supplies due to the rampant COVID-19 outbreak, said President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) Chookiat Ophaswongse.

The Philippines capital of Manila is implementing the lockdown measure for one month starting from March 15 to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2.