[ad_1]
The scene is a Hindu funeral with cremation. The few who can attend are dressed in full protective suits.
– We can hardly say goodbye to our loved ones, says Sumon Arora who has just buried his relative who died in the covid-19 suites.
India has exceeded one million infected and has the highest daily increase in infected in the world. Despite the high spread of the infection, many of the restrictions that have been in place in the country since March have now been lifted. It is the threat of a collapsing economy that is causing the government to lift more and more restrictions. It is not just India that is now forced to bypass strict rules to save the economy.
The Philippines is opening the famous resort island of Boracay as part of its effort to strengthen the country’s economy. At the same time, the country has reported an increase to thousands of new infections per day in recent times.
Thailand will also partially open its borders to international tourists, but on a very small scale and those who come will have to start their stay in the country with 14 days in quarantine.
Asian countries with a major export industry also facing major problems. In Bangladesh, most of the country’s 4,000 garment factories closed for a month in March. The garment industry employs some four million people, mostly women. When it reopened, about 90 percent of the workers were re-employed, according to the Bangladesh Center for Workers’ Solidarity. It endangers the lives of tens of thousands of workers and their families because they now have no income.
Myanmar is the country in the region that has recently shown a very rapid spread of the infection. The rapid increase in confirmed cases is believed to be due to increased testing, but also more rapid spread of the infection.
There are very strong travel restrictions in Southeast Asia and it is practically impossible to move between countries. It will be a long time before you can travel freely without the requirement of a Covid-19 test and quarantine.
