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.
62-year-old Singaporean man dies from Covid-19 complications
A 62-year-old Singaporean man who had a history of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol has died from complications due to Covid-19 on Tuesday (July 14), said the Ministry of Health (MOH). The patient, identified as Case 17,168, was confirmed to be Covid-19 positive on April 30, and had a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, said MOH. Sengkang General Hospital - where the man died - has contacted his family and is extending assistance to them. He is the 27th patient to die from the virus here. Seven cases in the community were announced on Tuesday, including one Singaporean, three work pass holders and three work permit holders. Three of the community cases are linked to previous cases or clusters. They have all been identified as contacts of previously confirmed cases, and have been tested during their quarantine to determine their status, even though they are asymptomatic. – The Straits Times
Avoid rotation learning sessions if classroom space is sufficient
The state Education Department has advised all schools in Sabah to stick to conducting one learning session and not use the rotation model if classroom space is sufficient. Its director Dr Mistrine Radin said the rotation model is only used for schools that do not have enough space to place students despite conducting two learning sessions. "If a classroom space can accommodate all students after adhering to the one-meter distancing rule, schools must change its system to the one session operation model. "The schools must also determine the appropriate form of rotation based on the number or needs of students. So, they do not have to take turns to undergo learning sessions," she told reporters after making her rounds at the Sekolah Menengah Advent Tamparuli private school here, to observe standard operation procedures (SOP). Today, the learning process for 1,294 schools in Sabah resumed except for Sekolah Kebangsaan Daingin in the Papar district. The primary school was affected by floods recently and would only be opened tomorrow. – New Straits Times
Rayong locals irate over Covid case
Villagers and businesses in Rayong are enraged by the government's failure to warn them about the movements of a coronavirus-infected soldier from Egypt who broke self-quarantine rules to go to a mall during a stopover in Thailand. "We have been cooperating with the government's measures on Covid-19 all along. All we need from them is a timely warning about Covid-19 risks. Is that too much to ask?" said Nalinee Paipimai, a 29-year-old woman on her way to take a Covid-19 swab test on Tuesday. Ms Nalinee was accompanied by her 11-year-old son. They were among more than 400 people who visited the Passione Shopping Destination on Saturday, the same day that a group of Egyptians was in the mall, one of whom later tested positive for the disease. Like many other unlucky people who went to the mall that day, Ms Nalinee now needs to go into a 14-day self-quarantine and that means she won't be able to earn the overtime money she had expected. – Bangkok Post
Indonesia starts school year with caution during pandemic
After months of studying from home, students in several parts of the archipelago returned to school on Monday in accordance with the so-called “new normal” protocols in their respective communities. In the meantime, a number of other regions continued to exercise caution and carried on with their online learning policies as the COVID-19 health crisis has shown no sign of abating anytime soon. In East Nusa Tenggara, students returned to their classrooms as junior and senior high schools in 13 regencies and cities across the province – including the provincial capital Kupang, East Manggarai regency, Rote Ndao regency, East Flores regency, and Central Sumba regency – were permitted to resume their normal educational activities this week, albeit with a renewed emphasis on physical distancing and personal hygiene. – The Jakarta Post
House-to-house search for COVID-19 patients is OK as long as ‘it is within bounds’ – Sotto
As long as it is kept within due bounds, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he sees no problem with the government’s recent policy tasking policemen and local government personnel to conduct a house-to-house search for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. “It appears that they are dead serious in truncating the spread of the virus,” Sotto said in a message to reporters on Wednesday when sought for a comment on the matter. “As long as it is within due bounds then I don’t see a problem,” he added. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that the government will be visiting households to search for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms so that they can be transferred to monitoring facilities and prevent the further spread of the virus. This is in line with the government’s “Oplan Kalinga” program, which seeks to transfer COVID-19 patients whose homes are ill-equipped for home quarantine to temporary isolation facilities. – INQUIRER.net
Nearly two in three married women face violence from husbands: study
Nearly two in three married women, or almost 63 percent, have experienced one or more forms of physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence and controlling behaviours by their husbands in their lifetime, and almost 32 percent in the last 12 months, according to The Second National Study on Violence Against Women which was conducted last year. The results were released on Tuesday in Hà Nội. Việt Nam is the only country in the world which has conducted a second dedicated study specifically using a cross-culturally validated methodology developed by the World Health Organisation. The study aims to enable a better understanding of what has changed since the first study in 2010, as well as what has not, and what needs to be in place for strengthening gender equality and ending gender-based violence in Việt Nam. – Viet Nam News
Gov’t not using EU aid for poor
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday refuted as “baseless”, claims that the government had used financial aid from the EU to implement the programme to identify and support poor and vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic. The prime minister was responding to Roth Sothy, a Banteay Meanchey provincial resident and former opposition activist. Speaking during a visit to a fish-breeding centre in Prey Veng province’s Peam Ro district, Hun Sen said the government had not used even a single cent of the EU fund to implement the cash handouts. “You said [the government] had handed money to the people using assistance from the EU. I tell you what Roth Sothy, Hun Sen’s government is not falling,” he said, adding that Sothy could have been in jail for his comments. “Count yourself lucky that I did not order your arrest,” he said. Hun Sen pointed out that Sothy had previously committed many mistakes and often fled to Thailand. He warned Sothy against repeating the offences, saying he could no longer escape now that Thai authorities have laid barbed wire along the borders to prevent illegal crossings. – The Phnom Penh Post