New COVID-19 cases rising in Southeast Asia, Singapore hardest-hit
Singapore’s Ministry of Health has confirmed 788 new COVID-19 infections in the country as of May 6, taking the total count to 20,198, the highest in Southeast Asia.
A worker fumigates the pavement in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 19 in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore’s Ministry of Health has confirmed 788 new COVID-19 infections in the country as of May 6, taking the total count to 20,198, the highest in Southeast Asia.
Among the new cases are 11 Singaporeans and permanent residents, while migrant workers living in dormitories form the majority of the remaining cases.
From the first positive case on January 23, Singapore took about 13 weeks to cross the 10,000 mark on April 22. But it took only two weeks for this figure to double.
The novel coronavirus cases in the Philippines have breached 10,000, as its Department of Health reports 320 new cases on May 6. The total number of cases is now at 10,004.
The department also reported 21 new deaths, raising the toll to 658.
Malaysia reported 45 more COVID-19 cases the same day, putting the tally of infections at 6,428. The death toll is now at 107.
Meanwhile, Indonesia confirmed 367 new cases, bringing the number of positive ones to 12,438. A total of 895 COVID-19 patients have died so far.
Cambodia has found no new case of the disease for 24 days in a row, according to the country’s Health Ministry. The total number of positive cases thus remains at 122, with 120 recoveries.
The Cambodian General Department of Customs and Excise has lifted the ban and requirement for permission from the Ministry of Health to export all types of masks, Phnom Penh Post reported.
The government had stocked enough masks to be used for the pandemic in Cambodia, it said. Some companies had produced masks for export to the US and the EU, and lifting of the ban would help them, director Kun Nhem said./.
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