Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing is planning to turn Wisma Atlet Kemayoran, a former athlete village in Central Jakarta, into an emergency hospital to treat people infected with COVID-19, according to an official.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered massive rapid testing for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) be carried out nationwide after the country saw a significant rise in the number of infections over a few days.

Foreign visitors who were treated for COVID-19 in Thailand will be able to claim back medical expenses from the country’s hospitals, the Thai Ministry of Finance confirmed on March 19.

The Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy affirmed on March 19 that the country’s newly-approved Master Plan for 2020-2030 will not include the construction of new hydropower dams along the Mekong River.

Thai officials and volunteers are working together to clean outdoor areas and other venues that still serve the public, such as transport terminals and airports, in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and restore public confidence.

Laos has not recorded any case testing positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumsay Kommasith said at a press conference on March 19 in Vientiane.

Fitch Solutions has revised down Indonesia’s economic growth forecast in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic places a heavy burden on its state budget and current account and limits Bank Indonesia’s monetary space to support the weakening rupiah.

Indonesia’s rupiah (IDR) on March 18 touched the lowest level since the 1998 crisis as fears of a global recession over the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prompts investors worldwide to dump financial assets.

The outbreak of COVID-19 is not likely to cause further closure of garment factories, said Cambodian Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training on March 18.

The Lao Government has suspended the issuance of visas for foreign tourists for 30 days and closed schools at all levels to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith announced on March 18.

The Indonesian government is expanding a stimulus package worth 27.17 trillion rupiah (1.8 billion USD) in a bid to further prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on March 18.

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has announced the suspension of activities at the country’s border gates with Vietnam following complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaysia has cancelled the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, Malaysian Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri said on March 18 evening.

The Thai Government is making preparations to cope with a third-stage outbreak of COVID-19 which would include a countrywide lockdown, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.