These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
1,369 of the 1,426 coronavirus cases confirmed in S’pore are foreign workers living in dormitories
Three new coronavirus clusters have been announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (April 20). One is linked to Jurong Apartments dormitory, the second to Woodlands Lodge II dormitory, and the third to 8 Sungei Kadut Loop which is the address of construction firm King Wan Construction. The ministry also said that 1,369 of the 1,426 new coronavirus cases on Monday are foreign workers living in dormitories. MOH explained that it is picking up many more cases from dormitories because of extensive testing. Of the new cases which are likely locally transmitted, 18 are Singaporeans and permanent residents, while seven are work pass holders. – The Straits Times
Mass Covid-19 screening in Selayang kicks off today
Mass screening on some 16,000 residents from Pusat Bandar Utara and areas surrounding the Selayang wholesale market will begin today, said Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa. These areas have since been placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO). “Mass testing will start today… we will use a school in the area, while other testing centres will also be ready for operations later. “We are targeting between 1,500 and 2,000 tests daily. A sub-crisis management centre has also been set up in the area and three commanders, from the police, army and Kuala Lumpur City Hall, will be in charge. “We plan to send the residents in batches, 50 of them per trip to the testing centres,” he told reporters. Yesterday eight residential parcels around the Selayang Wholesale Market were placed under the EMCO until May 3. – New Straits Times
11 soldiers believed involved in torture-death in custody
Eleven soldiers are suspected of involvement in the alleged torture of two brothers, causing the death of one of them and severely injuring the other, police said. The alleged beatings occurred on April 17 when a group of men in camouflage uniforms took two brothers - Yutthana Saisa, 33, and Nathapong Saisa, 29 - away from their home at Ban Yang Kham in tambon Ummao of That Phanom district. The men claimed they were from the border drug prevention and suppression centre for the upper Northeast under the Surasak Montri Task Force of the 2nd Army. The two brothers were taken to an operations base at a temple in tambon Fang Daeng for questioning about alleged involvement in the drug trade. – Bangkok Post
COVID-19: Volunteers build crowdsourced databases to capture true scale of outbreak
The COVID-19 outbreak has prompted members of the public to launch their own crowdsourced databases on the spread of the virus in their respective communities in a bid to shed some light on cases that have otherwise slipped under the government’s radar. One such database, LaporCovid-19, allows people to submit reports regarding the latest coronavirus-related updates in their immediate vicinity. Users provide information by responding to a digital questionnaire via the platform’s official WhatsApp or Telegram group. Information collected through the social media channels is then compiled into a visual database that illustrates the scale of the contagion in a certain region, which can be accessed at laporcovid19.org. – The Jakarta Post
Metro Manila lockdown extension seen
Metro Manilans may have to stay home longer after April 30, as the number of new coronavirus infections keeps rising with only 10 days left before the extended Luzon lockdown ends. President Rodrigo Duterte decides this week whether to extend the lockdown or reduce its enforcement to parts of the island with large numbers of coronavirus infections, his spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday. Several senators supported a proposed “selective quarantine,” but stressed the need for restarting the economy. But Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s former long-time aide who is now chief of the Senate health committee, said he was more inclined to recommend the extension of the lockdown in Metro Manila because of the continuing increase in the number of fresh infections in the metropolis. – Philippine Daily Inquirer
COVID-19 control measures to be gradually eased
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said the country could start gradually loosening COVID-19 containment measures during a Government meeting in Hà Nội on Monday. However, a decree would only be decided on Wednesday, he said while asking for the continued implementation of measures agreed at a previous meeting on April 15. He warned that risks remained high, so the political system and localities as well as citizens must continue following prevention measures, including social distancing, to stem the virus. The PM also agreed with the Ministry of Health’s proposal to increase exports of face masks as the nation had sufficient reserves. – Viet Nam News