SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian countries are facing a second wave of coronavirus infections and are taking drastic measures to try to contain the disease, with Australia registering a record daily increase in cases and Vietnam closing the city of Danang.
FILE PHOTO: Two people are tested in the windows of a test vehicle after a new outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beijing, China, June 30, 2020. REUTERS / Thomas Peter
Mainland China is battling the most aggressive return of COVID-19 in months, confirming 57 new locally transmitted cases on Sunday, the highest level since early March, fueled by new infections in western Xinjiang region.
In the northeast, Liaoning province reported a fifth consecutive day of new infections, and Jilin province reported two new cases, the first since late May.
Hong Kong is expected to announce new restrictions on Monday, including a ban on restaurant meals and mandatory outdoor face masks, local media reported.
The measures, expected to take effect on Wednesday, would be the first time the city has completely banned dining in restaurants.
Australian authorities warned that a six-week lockdown in parts of southeast Victoria state may last longer after the country recorded its largest daily increase in infections.
Most of Australia is effectively virus-free, but outbreaks in the two most populous states in the southeast have authorities struggling to prevent a larger national outbreak.
“The tragedy of COVID-19 is that we know, with the number of new infections we have seen today, that there will be many more deaths in the coming days,” Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told reporters.
In Japan, the government said it would urge business leaders to increase anti-virus measures, such as staggered changes, and pointed to seeing telework rates achieved during a previous state of emergency.
“At one point, passenger numbers decreased by between 70 and 80%, but now it is only 30%,” Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Sunday night. “We really don’t want to back down on this, so we have to explore new ways of working and keep telecommuting high.”
Japan has avoided massive infections, but a record increase in cases over the past week in Tokyo and other urban centers has worried experts that the country is facing a second wave.
Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people, mostly local tourists, from the central city of Danang after three residents tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, the government said on Monday.
The Southeast Asian country is on high alert after the government confirmed its first infections in the community on Saturday since April, and three other cases on Sunday, all in Danang.
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to focus on COVID-19 and the economy in his annual state of the nation address on Monday.
Manila is weighing whether to reimpose stricter blocking measures after easing them saw a dramatic increase in infections and deaths, with 62,326 cases reported since the first blockade was relaxed on June 1.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is expected to announce new measures to contain the outbreak as authorities scramble to contain more than a dozen new groups that have emerged since the restrictions were lifted last month.
Indonesia is expected to report its 100,000th case on Monday, having overtaken China with the highest number of cases and deaths in East Asia.
North Korean state media reported over the weekend that the border city of Kaesong was locked up after a person who deserted to South Korea three years ago returned this month with symptoms of COVID-19.
If confirmed, it would be the first case officially recognized by North Korean authorities.
South Korea has reported more than 14,000 cases and 298 deaths from the pandemic. The 113 infections on Saturday were the highest in a single day since March 31.
Papua New Guinea halted entry for travelers beginning Monday, except for those who arrived by air, as it tightens restrictions on infections that have more than doubled over the past week.
The traditional border crossing has been suspended since July 23, Police Chief David Manning said in a statement released Monday. PNG has seamless borders with Indonesia, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands with people crossing regularly on foot or in small boats.
While much of Asia is re-imposing blockages and other restrictions on movement, India continues to ease the restrictions despite the relentless increase in infections. India has a total of 1.4 million cases, behind only the United States and Brazil.
More than 16.13 million people were reported to be infected with the new coronavirus worldwide and 644,836 died, according to a Reuters count.
Reports from Asian offices; Written by Stephen Coates; Editing by Michael Perry
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