These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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NSmen can do virtual workouts from home to meet annual fitness requirements
Operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) will soon be able to fulfil their annual fitness training requirements from their homes or workplaces through virtual workouts. The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced on Monday (July 5) that the virtual sessions, conducted over a video-conferencing platform, will be added to the NS Fitness Improvement Training (FIT) programme launched this year. From next Monday, up to 45 NSmen can take part in each FIT @ Home session with at least two fitness trainers checking on their safety and performance. NSmen can register on the NS Portal from Wednesday for the hour-long sessions, which is similar in duration to other NS FIT programmes and count towards its 10-session annual requirement. Those registered will receive a web link via e-mail. Two sessions will be conducted daily - 12.30 to 1.30pm and 6.30 to 7.30pm - except on Fridays. Before this, NSmen had to attend their fitness training physically at 42 locations in Singapore, such as Singapore Armed Forces camps, Safra gyms, and some public parks. The head of the National Service Affairs Department, Colonel Lim Han Yong, said NS FIT @ Home will complement the list of current NS FIT activities for NSmen to maintain active and healthy lifestyles and remain operationally ready. "This virtual option aims to provide more flexibility and make it more convenient for NSmen to participate in, while maintaining comparable standards of training and safety to other NS FIT activities," he said. Other than providing increased convenience to NSmen, NS FIT @ Home also has the benefit of minimising disruption to training should the Covid-19 situation worsen. NS fitness activities have previously been stopped when there was a rise in community cases. NSmen can do up to nine NS FIT @ Home sessions for their 10-session NS FIT annual requirement. The 10 sessions include an individual physical proficiency test (IPPT) which must be taken in person. – The Straits Times
One million Pfizer vaccine doses donated by US now in Malaysia
Malaysia today received one million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine contributed by the United States (US) government for Malaysia's Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP). The contribution was part of the promises from US president Joe Biden's administration to share 80 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine with various countries including parts of Asia. The consignment was flown by Raya Airways aircraft TH384, on behalf of DHL Express, which landed at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport here in Subang near here at 8.10am. Present at the airport for the arrival of the shipment were Coordinating Minister for the NIP, Khairy Jamaluddin, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and US Ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters. Khairy, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, later expressed Malaysia's appreciation to the US government for the contribution that would help accelerate the national vaccination drive. He added that Malaysia is looking forward to continue working with US and other countries to secure access for more vaccines. McFeeters said the consignment reflected the long-standing partnership on public health between Malaysia and the US. The contribution, he said, also reflected the commitment of the US government to provide assistance in any way possible to help Malaysia win the war against Covid-19. "Yesterday was US Independence Day. So, this is a great reflection of the partnership between Malaysia and the US. "US is committed to working with the Malaysian government to support its ongoing implementation of its NIP to increase vaccine coverage and to achieve their target for recovery," he said during a joint press conference with Khairy. McFeeters added that US is also determine to work with other countries to detect and prevent the next pandemic. "We will use scientific and medical capabilities in that effort and we will partner with Malaysia on that as well," he said. Meanwhile, according to Bernama, DHL Express Asia Pacific chief executive officer Ken Lee said the shipment was made possible via the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) programme that aimed to accelerate global equitable access to immunisation against the pandemic. "We are deeply honoured by the trust that our customers have placed in us and I'm incredibly proud that the team has yet again stepped up to successfully deliver another batch of Covid-19 vaccines to Malaysia. "As DHL Express continues to leverage our global network and strong medical logistics expertise to ensure that these life-saving vaccines arrive safely and promptly, we must also remind ourselves of the need for collaboration among various parties and countries to manage this public health crisis effectively," he said in a statement today. DHL Express arranged for the collection of the vaccines from facilities in the US before it was airlifted from its Cincinnati Hub to the DHL Express Subang Gateway, where it would be distributed to designated locations in Kuala Lumpur. It said that from door-to-door, the journey spanned only four days in complete compliance with stringent handling and storage requirements. DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei managing director Julian Neo said to date, DHL had transported more than 300 million doses of approved vaccines worldwide, five million of which were to Malaysia. "The shipment today marks another milestone in combatting the spread of Covid-19 and contributing to the country's recovery. In keeping with our mandate of connecting people and improving lives, we are proud to continue playing an active role in seeking a safe, new normal for the businesses and communities we serve," he said. – New Straits Times
Govt blasted for jab delay
The government has been lambasted over the slow rollout of AstraZeneca vaccine, the planned major vaccine in Thailand, leading to vaccination schedules being postponed. In recent weeks, the government has come under heavy criticism over vaccine distribution after 6 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses due for delivery in June were delayed. June was designated as the starting month for blanket vaccinations nationwide. The government also admitted it originally planned to roll out 10 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses this month, but only 5-6 million doses would arrive because Thailand was slow to place orders for the vaccines. The company had to send its vaccines to other countries that had also ordered them. As a result, public bookings under various vaccination programmes such as City Hall's Thai Ruam Jai were delayed. Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an MP and spokesman of the Move Forward Party, said some 6.3 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses were due for delivery in June. However, only about 5.37 million doses were delivered, he said, citing information from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. "There is also a report that from July, AstraZeneca Thailand will export vaccines to other countries, and only one-thirds of the vaccines produced will be reserved for Thailand,'' Mr Wiroj said, saying that of the 15-17 million doses produced monthly, only 5-6 million doses will be delivered to Thailand a month. Chanin Rungthakiat, deputy spokesman of the Pheu Thai Party, said the government had bungled vaccine management from the start. In early stages, the government chose AstraZeneca as the only main vaccine so there were not enough quality vaccines for people, he said. The government has now used Sinovac vaccines to make up for the missing AstraZeneca doses and plans to buy 28 million more doses of the vaccine, Mr Chanin said. As for Moderna vaccines, the government has been slow in procuring them despite studies showing the vaccine is effective against the highly-transmissible variants of Covid-19, he said. Instead, Moderna vaccines have become "alternative vaccines" which means people have to pay for them, Mr Chanin said. Vitoon Danwiboon, director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), said the government has procured vaccines from five manufacturers -- AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Sputnik V. Alternative vaccines that companies are allowed to import are Moderna and Sinopharm, he said. Before the latest outbreak struck, the GPO has been working to procure vaccines since Feb 25, he said. "The GPO contacted Moderna Inc in the US to buy its vaccines and the company replied that it would deliver the vaccines in the first quarter next year at the earliest,'' he said. Moreover, the GPO also contacted at least two vaccine manufacturers and they said it was impossible to supply the vaccines to Thailand this year, Dr Vitoon said. Responding to two private hospitals which claimed they can buy vaccines directly from Moderna, Dr Vitoon insisted that Zuellig Pharma is the only authorised agent for the vaccine imports. On May 15, the company said the vaccines must be purchased via the state so the GPO has only acted on the government's behalf, he said. He also explained the government has not allocated budget to procure the Moderna vaccine so the delivery has been slow. The GPO is gathering requests for the vaccine from more than 300 private hospitals nationwide to make sure they really want the vaccine, he said. So far, about 9 million doses of the vaccine have been requested. The company did not give the specific date and month of the delivery. The GPO has yet to sign purchase contracts because it has to wait for private hospitals to send their money before the contracts can be signed. The GPO cannot afford to sign the contracts unless the hospitals pay first, Mr Vitoon said. The GPO is expected to sign contracts with Zuellig Pharma in August, he added. – Bangkok Post
Senators want thorough probe into Sulu military plane crash
Several senators are pushing for a thorough probe into the military transport plane crash in Sulu to prevent a repeat of the incident. In a statement Monday, Senator Grace Poe called on authorities to extend available assistance to the families of the soldiers affected in the crash. “We mark this terrible loss of life with a reminder of the sacrifices our brave Filipino soldiers make each day in the name of duty to serve the country,” Poe said. “At the right time, we expect a thorough investigation of the incident to see what can be done to avoid a repeat of the tragic crash and to put in place measures to make our military planes safe,” she added. 47 military personnel and three are civilians on the ground were killed in the crash in Patikul, Sulu on Sunday. Meanwhile, 49 military personnel and four other civilians on the ground were injured. All of the 96 passengers have been accounted for, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo. “We trust that the circumstances that led to the crash will be thoroughly probed, as ordered by [Defense Secretary Delfin] Lorenzana, before our air assets are allowed to fly again,” Senator Joel Villanueva said in a statement Sunday. “No Filipino soldier, who lays his life for our country, should die from our own military hardware,” he added. Villanueva also conveyed his prayers to the families of those who died in the crash. For his part, Senator Richard Gordon said the plane crash in Sulu “is an urgent call affecting national security. C-130s are the workhorses of any army. C130’s efficiency and load capacity, whether troops & cargo during conflicts or disasters, is tailor made for our 7,641 islands,” the senator said. Gordon also underscored the need to acquire more C-130 planes as he pointed to how many the Philippines has in comparison to other countries. “Singapore, an island state as big as SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority), has 10 C130s. Thailand has 12. We have only 3 C130s and just lost 1!” he added. Further, he said there should be “strong maintenance operations and continuous training by our troops to obviate loss of life, manpower [and] material.” Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III joined his colleagues in extending his prayers for those who died and were injured due to the crash. Lorenzana earlier said he has ordered a “full investigation to get to the bottom of the C-130 incident” once recovery operations have been completed. – INQUIRER.net
Viet Nam’s confirmed COVID-19 caseload tops 20,000
Viet Nam’s national COVID-19 caseload topped 20,000 on Monday morning after the Minister of Health announced 328 new cases. Since the pandemic hit Viet Nam in January last year, the country has confirmed 20,261 cases – 18,403 locally transmitted infections and 1,858 imported from overseas. So far, 86 people have died of COVID-related complications. All the new cases reported on Monday morning were locally transmitted. The infections were found in Ho Chi Minh City (175), Dong Thap (100), Phu Yen (23), Hung Yen (9), Khanh Hoa (8), An Giang (6), Long An (2) Bac Ninh (2), and one case each in Lang Son, Dong Nai, and Soc Trang. Of these, 272 cases were people already in quarantine facilities or locked down areas. With the new cases reported on Monday morning, the number of infections since April 27 now stands at 16,833 with the total recoveries at 5,045. Fifty-five provinces and cities out of 64 have reported cases during the fourth wave. HCM City is currently the hardest hit locality with 6,902 people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. – Viet Nam News
Ministry of Health must be transparent on the 214 imported cases revealed yesterday
The Cambodian Ministry of Health must be transparent in releasing its numbers. Instead of just stating there are 214 or whatever number of imported cases, it would be more prudent to reveal the nationalities of all imported cases like it did before. Just stating they are imported is not being transparent on whether the said case patients came by land from Thailand – referring to Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand and classified from day one as imported cases, or who had come by air, which was what the ministry released before or by water like the Cruise Vessel in Kampong Cham which had sailed in from Vietnam, the Viking Cruise Journey or the group of French tourists who got tested positive in Sihanoukville after traversing the country. Analyst Leap Chanthavy told Khmer Times that they may know the details as they needed to do contact tracing but what about the people? Can’t they be part of the contract tracing efforts to reveal any new comers to their area as reports of people escaping quarantine and not going into quarantine still circulate. Prime Minister Hun Sen keeps informing the people of measures to tighten border controls to prevent people from sneaking in. Is there a proper policy for this? In addition, another issue is linking all other cases not related to imported cases to the February 20 Community Event. There must be details to trace these as some are said to be local community infections. It is quite impossible that two runaway quarantine hotel guests would cause more than 50,000 infections and more than 720 deaths. “Come clean and release numbers with details. Don’t be opaque with information or don’t be stuck with analysis paralysis that you cannot reveal for fear of hiding information or for fear of frightening the public. “The public have already got into a lethargic state with regards to Covid-19 after more than 18 months of living with the disease. It would be good to give them real numbers not to unnecessarily frighten them but for them to be aware and take additional precaution. I know of cases of deaths where the patients were tested positive after dying. They were turned away in hospitals who were over whelmed. “There are patients who died when hospitals refused them treatment or refused admitting them when discovering the patients had Covid-19. Doctors have an oath to save human life, not to let a person die but it happening,” Chanthavy added. He added that people are the concern but they can also be their best weapon in fighting the disease. The relevant authorities simply need to think through their strategies and be transparent like major ASEAN countries. – Khmer Times
At least 30 killed in Depayin following junta raid on local village
Junta troops have killed more than 30 people, including local resistance fighters, in Sagaing Region’s Depayin Township since raids in the area began on Friday, according to local sources. The Depayin People’s Defence Force (PDF), an armed group formed to resist crackdowns by the coup regime’s forces, announced on social media on Saturday that about 150 soldiers came to the village of Satpyarkyin at around 6am on Friday. When residents there and in nearby villages started to flee, junta soldiers opened fire with heavy weapons, the group said in its statement. This set off a clash between PDF members and regime forces that lasted until around 10am. Fighting later resumed at around 2pm and continued for four hours, according to the statement. By Saturday afternoon, 31 bodies, including both PDF members and local civilians, were retrieved, according to a Depayin resident. “Those who went back to collect the bodies reported that there were a total of 31,” said the local, who added that it was unclear how many of the dead were actually involved in the fighting. However, according to the statement released by the Depayin PDF, 27 of those killed were members of the group. The PDF said it initially counted 18 dead and at least 10 injured, but later found the bodies of nine more of its members on Saturday afternoon. The group also claimed that four regime soldiers were killed and seven injured in the clashes. There were also reports that six injured members of the local PDF were shot at close range after the fighting on Friday. Their bodies were piled inside the compound of a monastery, said a Satpyarkyin local who asked not to be named due to security concerns. “One was shot in the leg but still alive. The troops captured people like him who couldn’t run and shot them all in the head at close range,” the local told Myanmar Now. About 10,000 residents of 11 villages in Depayin Township have fled their homes since the raid began early Friday, according to the Satpyarkyin local. “Everyone fled because the soldiers were raiding not only the villages, but also going into the surrounding forest,” the local told Myanmar Now. “Elderly people are in so much trouble now. Young people are carrying them away in cow carts or on their backs.” A junta mouthpiece, the Global New Light of Myanmar, reported on Sunday that “armed terrorists” ambushed soldiers patrolling in Depayin, Mingin, Kawlin and Htigyaing townships in Sagaing on Friday. One soldier was killed and six were injured in the attack, the report said. It added that the local resistance groups had to retreat after retaliation by the junta troops and “four mortars and six percussion lock firearms” were confiscated during the clash. Fighting also broke out between local PDF members and junta troops in mid-June following raids on villages in the area. The deaths of a former local administrator in Inpin and two daughters of a junta-allied administrator in the village of Kyi sparked the raids. After the attacks, junta troops raided the villages of Satpyarkyin and Boke, two miles west of Kyi, and fatally shot a local. Since April, the junta’s troops have been deployed frequently to villages in Depayin, Yinmabin, Kani, Taze, Ayataw and Mingin townships, which have seen strong resistance to the February 1 military coup. – Myanmar NOW
Only vaccinated foreigners can enter Indonesia starting July 6, 2021
Only foreigners who have been fully vaccinated could travel to Indonesia starting July 6, 2021, according to Jodi Mahardi, spokesman of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment. "Every foreigner, starting July 6, 2021, is required to present a vaccine card (showing that he or she has been fully vaccinated) and a negative COVID-19 PCR test result before entering Indonesia," Jodi said in a written statement here on Sunday. Meanwhile, vaccination certificate exemption is given to foreign diplomats and ministerial level officials in accordance with diplomatic relations practices that are also applied by other countries, he said quoting a statement of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Indonesian citizens who will enter Indonesia but do not have a vaccine card, are required to present a negative COVID PCR test result. After being quarantined and are proven to be free from COVID-19, they will immediately get vaccinated. "Quarantine rules are a
pplied to both foreigners and Indonesian citizens. They have to undergo quarantine for eight days with two PCR tests, namely on arrival and on day 7," he added. As for the quarantine limit for 8 days, this is in accordance with the Ministry of Health's directives. Indonesia saw a record increase in daily COVID-19 cases on July 3, 2021, with 27,913 new infections and 493 deaths reported across the country. The number of single-day recoveries stood at 13,282, while active cases were pegged at 281,677. Since the government announced the first COVID-19 cases on March 2, 2020, the tally of infections has so far reached 2,256,851, while the death toll has touched 60,027. With the second COVID-19 wave leading to a drastic spike in infections in several regions, particularly Jakarta and other cities on Java Island, the Indonesian government has imposed restrictions on public activities starting July 3 until 20, 2021. – AntaraNews.Com