Day: August 6, 2021

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Covid-19: Vietnam’s capital to extend curbs as new clusters emerge

HANOI, Aug 6 (NNN-VNA) — Vietnam’s capital Hanoi will extend coronavirus restrictions until Aug 22 after authorities warned of new clusters of infections detected in the city of more than eight million people.

 

Hanoi has in the past two weeks ordered people to stay at home and halted all non-essential activities, but a three-fold rise in infections has prompted the city to extend the current curbs that were due to end on Saturday.

 

The city reported 21 new cases on Friday and has recorded nearly 1,600 cases since late April, official data showed.

 

While the numbers are still low, authorities are wary after the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus has helped drive up infections across the country to a total of 189,000 cases.

 

“The risk is still high with the continuous detections of new clusters of infections, many of which have unidentified sources,” the health ministry said following Hanoi’s announcement of the extended restrictions.

Nationwide, about a third of Vietnam’s 63 cities and provinces are under strict coronavirus curbs as the country struggles to get on top of its worst outbreak so far.

 

Hanoi’s vaccination programme is still at an early stage. Around 1.1 million COVID-19 doses have been administered in the city of 8.5 million, but only 74,000 people have been fully vaccinated.

 

Overall, just 780,000 people have been fully vaccinated in Vietnam, or less than 1 per cent of the country’s 98 million population, according to official data.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Singapore eases border measures for travellers from Taiwan as COVID-19 situation improves

SINGAPORE— Singapore will soon allow travellers from Taiwan to take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival and to go about their activities in Singapore if the PCR test result is negative.

 

They will not need to serve a 14-day stay-home notice, said the Ministry of Health (MOH), adding that the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan has improved.

 

Currently, travellers from Taiwan are subjected to an on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test, a 14-day stay-home notice at a dedicated facility or place of residence, and a PCR test before the end of the stay-home notice.

 

From 11.59pm on Saturday, all travellers entering Singapore with travel history to Taiwan within the last 21 days before departure will undergo a PCR test on arrival in Singapore. If they test negative, they will be allowed to go about their activities in Singapore.

 

Short-term visitors with travel history to Taiwan in the 21 days before their departure for Singapore can apply for an Air Travel Pass with immediate effect, for entry into Singapore on or after Aug 12, MOH added.

Travellers who are already serving their 14-day stay-home notice at their place of residence as of 11.59pm on Saturday will still need to complete their stay-home notice and exit swab, the Health Ministry said.

 

“As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures to manage the risk of importation and transmission to the community,” added MOH.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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COVID: Malaysia Reports Record New Infections With 20,889 Cases- Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia recorded 20,889 new COVID-19 infections today, the highest since the pandemic started last year, said Health director-general, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

According to the latest COVID-19 data shared on his Twitter site, he said the new development brings the cumulative infections in the country to 1,224,595 cases.

He said Selangor state stayed as the main contributor with 8,792 cases reported followed by Kuala Lumpur with 2,483 cases, Kedah (1,371), Sabah (1,291), Johor (1,275) and Negeri Sembilan (986).

Meanwhile, Kelantan reported 938 cases, Penang with 776 cases, Sarawak (652), Perak (624), Pahang (610), Melaka (491), Terengganu (460), Putrajaya (122), Labuan (9) and Perlis (9).

Thursday, Malaysia reported 20,596 new cases of the disease.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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COVID-19 Cases In Malaysia Expected To Continue Rising – Health Deputy DG

PUTRAJAYA— The daily COVID-19 cases are expected to continue increasing before the country’s vaccination rate achieves 80 per cent by the end of the October, said deputy Health director-general (Research and Technical Support) Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim.

 

He said currently, the rising new cases in the country were due to new variants such as the Delta variant.

 

“Taking the example of the high vaccination rate in the Federal Territory of Labuan and Sarawak has shown new cases are dropping but over here (Labuan and Sarawak), admission into intensive care units (ICU) and the death rate have shown a drastic fall.

 

“So if we could do the same thing in the Peninsula, more so at the hotspots which are experiencing rising transmissions especially in the Klang Valley with higher vaccination rate, we will see a drop in cases.

 

“The decline in cases may take sometime but more importantly we want to see a decrease in terms of serious patients admission into wards and those who died,” he said in a special media conference here today.

 

Also present were Health Ministry (MOH) secretary-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah, Health deputy director-general (Public Health ) cum Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force commander Dr Chong Chee Kheong and Selangor Health director Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman.

 

He said as at July 22, MOH had detected 409 cases of variants of concern (VOC) related to COVID-19 virus in Malaysia which was 189 cases for Delta variant, 206 cases for Beta variant and 14 cases for Alpha variant.

 

“This month, we expect the number of genome sequencing to increase as we have established a consortium of seven laboratories in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and at universities.

 

“It will increase another 1,000 genome sequencing a month and thus we will be able to have more detailed information on the distribution of variants in our country,” he said.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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RCEP A Contributor To Sustain Malaysia’s Trading And Investment Destination Status In Asean — Senior Minister Azmin Ali

KUALA LUMPUR— The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement will contribute to sustaining Malaysia’s status as a competitive trading hub and investment destination in ASEAN, Senior Minister cum Minister of International Trade and Industry Mohamed Azmin Ali said.

 

He said RCEP would also empower the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their global outreach, strengthening their pivotal role as the backbone of the ASEAN economy.

 

“Signing of RCEP is not only Malaysia’s testament of its resolve and commitment to strengthen the multilateral trading system but also an economic recovery tool against COVID-19 which helps to ensure continuous opening of markets as well as the uninterrupted flow of goods and enhancing of regional supply chains,” he said in a statement in conjunction with the 54th ASEAN day.

 

The virtual commemoration was led by Senior Foreign Minister (Security Cluster) Hishammuddin Hussein, who is the head of the Malaysian delegation and ASEAN political-security pillar, and attended by Tourism and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri as the head of the ASEAN socio-cultural pillar while Mohamed Azmin represented the ASEAN economic pillar.

 

According to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), the signing of the RCEP agreement in November 2020 was the heart of ASEAN’s achievement during this unprecedented time of global uncertainties.

 

“In addition, the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework (ATCAF) and ratification of RCEP have been identified as among the key tools for expediting regional economic recovery under the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF),” it said.

 

It said under Brunei Darussalam’s strong and able chairmanship with the theme “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper” this year, ASEAN has steadily progressed towards economic recovery through various initiatives under the ACRF, including the ATCAF.

 

Meanwhile, the ministry said the ASEAN Online Sale Day (AOSD) would take place on the http://aseanonlinesaleday.com/ website from Aug 8 to Aug 10, 2021 to commemorate the 54th ASEAN Day.

 

“The AOSD initiative was launched in 2020, amidst the accelerated adoption of technology and digitalisation in the region since the onset of the pandemic early last year,” it said.

 

It added that more than 40 Malaysian SMEs are taking part in this year’s sale.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Indonesia, Flooding in Cilegon City, Banten (5 Aug 2021)

AFFECTED AREA/S

 

Cilegon

 

DESCRIPTION

 

Floods in Cilegon City, Prov. Banten

 

Chronology :

– Moderate – heavy rain in the Cilegon City area caused river water to overflow into settlements and the drainage was not functioning properly on Thursday, August 5, 2021, Pkl. 08.30 WIB

 

Location :

– Kec. Pulomerak

– Kel. Tamansari

 

Casualties:

– 100 affected households

 

Material Losses:

– ±100 houses submerged

– Flood depth 50 – 70 cm

 

Effort :

– Cilegon City BPBD together with Tagana and local Volunteers monitor and help residents affected by flooding

 

Up-to-date Condition:

– The flood has receded

 

Source :

– Cilegon City BPBD

 

Informed By:

BNPB PUSDALOPS

Complaint Number / Call Center : 117 (Toll Free)

Instagram : pusdalops_bnpb

Twitter : @Bnpbpusdalops

 

 

Source: ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance