These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Temasek Foundation, other firms, donate over 11,000 oxygen concentrators to help Indonesia tackle Covid-19
Temasek Foundation is among Singaporean and Indonesian entities donating more than 11,000 oxygen concentrators to support Indonesia's fight against Covid-19. The first batch of 1,500 units are slated to arrive in Jakarta on Tuesday (July 13) and Wednesday (July 14), said the foundation in a statement on Tuesday. More will be progressively delivered over the next few weeks, it added. The oxygen concentrators, which are medical-grade, non-invasive breathing aids, will be deployed by Indonesia's Ministry of Health to hospitals to treat patients with respiratory conditions. The country reported 40,427 Covid-19 cases and 891 deaths on Monday, bringing its total so far to more than 2.5 million cases and 67,355 deaths. The authorities extended Covid-19 restrictions to 15 new locations across the archipelago last Friday. In densely populated Java, hospitals are being pushed to the limit, oxygen supplies are low, and four of five designated Covid-19 burial grounds in the capital Jakarta are running out of space. Contributors to the donation drive include Bakti Barito Foundation, Indies Capital Partners, Sinar Mas, CapitaLand Hope Foundation, DBS Bank and Singtel. "This donation is made possible by the generosity of the Indonesian business community here in Singapore, as well as Singapore businesses, which have been quick to render help in our collective fight against Covid-19," said Temasek Foundation. It added that the Indonesian embassy in Singapore has also been actively helping to facilitate the donations. Last week, Singapore - in a signal of its strong ties with Indonesia - sent two planeloads of medical supplies. – The Straits Times
Sabah construction industry to start Covid-19 vaccination
A special task force has been set-up to expedite the Construction Industry Vaccination Programme (CIVac) in Sabah. Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia director Dr Roland Chia Ming Shen said the special task force would comprise federal and state agencies. Construction industry stakeholders such as developers, builders, professional consultants, hardware, materials and operators are also in the special task force. This is in line with federal Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's call to expedite the vaccination programme among the construction industry in Sabah, he said. CIDB Malaysia through CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd, an agency under the Works Ministry has introduced CIVac to accelerate the vaccination process among the construction workforce to achieve herd immunity and reduce the number of Covid-19 workplace clusters. "This programme is aimed at protecting the well-being of employees in the construction industry and subsequently facilitate in expediting the economic recovery," he said. He said CIVac is to complement the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) to accelerate immunisation of the people by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV). Through CIVac, he said members of the industry in Sabah may register for the vaccination programme. "The vaccines are provided free of charge but the employees will need to pay for administrative cost of RM90 per person to cover the medical facilities and venue expenses as CIVac is a public-private initiative to accelerate vaccination to achieve herd immunity," said Dr Roland. Upon achieving the quota, the vaccination exercise will commence as soon as possible and registration can be done via http://tinyurl.com/rrvdhje3 Meanwhile, the Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) applauded the initiative taken by CIDB to bring in vaccinations for the construction industry in Sabah. Its president, Datuk Chua Soon Ping said they will encourage industry players to register for the vaccination before July 18. For projects under construction, he said the developers or contractors are encouraged to register all their site workers to enable them to resume work when vaccination has been administered, subject to the approval and standard operating procedures (SOP) by CIDB Malaysia. "We are glad the government has responded to our call to increase vaccination in Sabah," he said referring to Hajiji's earlier statement that Sabah will receive 2.2 million doses within the next two months. "Sabah must try to achieve 60,000 doses per day to achieve herd immunity by end of the year. "This is only possible when all parties such as the Health Ministry and CIVac dedicate resources over the next few months to speed up the vaccination in the state. "We encourage construction industry members to spread the word and act swiftly and register for CIVac before the deadline," added Chua. – New Straits Times
Govt lambasted for wasting early success
The government has mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic and supply of vaccines, which has plunged the country into a crisis and stifled opportunities to recover, according to new research by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). The institute has also called for the setting up of an independent committee to study the mishandling of the pandemic with the aim of drawing up a blueprint to prevent similar mistakes occurring in the future as it evaluates the government's performance after two years in office. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the government will hold a press conference to respond to the TDRI's assessment on Tuesday. According to the report, Thailand succeeded in containing the first wave of the pandemic thanks to hard work from the medical and public health community and public cooperation, albeit at the expense of the economy. The country's tourism-dependent economy saw a sharp 6.1% contraction in 2020, its worst in 22 years. However, although that initial success gave the government a chance to prepare for a second wave and hasten the reopening of the country, flawed policy squandered the early boost and also played a part in triggering the second wave, it added. That second wave began in December last year at a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, where ensuing events shed light on lax border controls where migrant labour is concerned. The third wave, which started in late March was linked to entertainment venues in Bangkok's Thong Lor-Ekkamai area, and a clear sign of the government's poor preparations, the report concluded. The government was slow to spend the 45-billion-baht healthcare budget, drawn from the 1-trillion-baht borrowing, to strengthen the public health system. By early June, only 11.6 billion baht, or 26.1%, had been disbursed. According to the TDRI, the public health system is now under considerable strain and many hospitals have had to ask the public to donate essential medical equipment. Total infections up to the end of March this year stood at 28,000, but then rose sharply to 317,000 by July 9. Deaths also surged from 94 to 2,500 during the same period. "People must be held responsible and there should be an independent committee to gather facts and study the situation to prevent the same mistakes in the future," said the report. – Bangkok Post
Pacquiao may face expulsion after ‘character assassination’ vs Duterte – Cusi
Senator Manny Pacquiao may possibly face expulsion from the PDP-Laban following his “character assassination” against party chairman President Rodrigo Duterte, according to expelled PDP-Laban vice chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. “Possibility of his [Pacquiao] being expelled? Yes. Because you’re accusing the chairman of the party of ill-doings that you cannot even prove,” Cusi said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday. He was asked about the possibility of Pacquiao being expelled from the party during the meeting on July 17, following the senator’s accusations of government corruption under the Duterte administration. “Parang character assassination po yan [It’s like character assassination]. What if I accuse him and then suddenly I just leave and go to my province and sleep?” Cusi went on. Before flying to the United States to train for his August boxing match, Pacquiao bared several corruption claims against several government agencies, including the Department of Energy. “In-accuse kami of corruption at DOE, where’s the corruption in DOE? Kami nga po ang naghahabol dun sa mga oligarchs na ayaw sumunod sa gobyerno. Kami na nga po ang hinaharass tapos sasama pa siya mang-haras sa mga yun. Di naman po tama yung ganon,” the energy secretary said. (We are being accused of corruption, where’s the corruption in DOE. We are actually the ones running after oligarchs that do not comply with government policies. We are the ones being harassed and then he will join them in harassing us? That’s not right.) Pacquiao however, had earlier clarified that he is not trying to attack the President after criticizing government corruption under the current administration. The senator said he is helping the Chief Executive crack down on corrupt officials. – INQUIRER.net
Viet Nam wants access to Israel's surplus COVID-19 vaccines: PM
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked Israel to give Viet Nam access to its COVID-19 vaccine surplus. He made the request during online talks on Monday with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett. Chinh expressed his admiration for Israel’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout as well as its efforts in seeking vaccine sources and vaccine research and development, suggesting the two sides work together in the fight against the pandemic, and partner in vaccine research and development, as well as treatment research. He called on Israel to help Viet Nam access sources of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs supply as soon as possible through all possible cooperation forms, especially by transferring surplus vaccines from the deals Israel has signed with AstraZeneca and Moderna. Israel is one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 vaccine coverage, while Viet Nam is struggling with the ongoing fourth wave and a low vaccination rate, with only 4 per cent of the population having received the first dose. Bennett lauded Viet Nam's achievements in the pandemic fight, socio-economic development and external affairs, and said Israel sees strengthening its cooperation with Viet Nam as important. They also vowed to boost two-way trade and investment, aiming towards sustainable recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The two countries will focus on delegation and people-to-people exchanges, work to improve the quality of cooperation mechanisms, and step-up coordination at multilateral forums, the two leaders agreed. Viet Nam and Israel will also foster collaboration in research, innovation, science-technology, high-tech agriculture, and education-training, while encouraging their businesses to intensify cooperation and investment in the respective countries. The leaders agreed to advance cooperation between the two countries in a more effective manner, and speed up the negotiations and signing of a free trade agreement and another on labour cooperation. Chinh congratulated Bennett on his election as Prime Minister of Israel and noted his belief that under Bennett’s leadership, the Israeli people will prosper. Bennett agreed with Chinh’s proposals, saying the two countries should assign their ministries and agencies to soon implement contents reached by the PMs, especially cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine-related issues, contributing to deepening the bilateral multi-faceted cooperation. – Viet Nam News
City Hall warns of lockdown if health measures are ignored
Phnom Penh City Hall and the Health Ministry warn of another possible lockdown if people, especially young people, do not follow stringent Covid-19 preventive measures. Health Ministry secretary of state Mov Kang said in a press conference yesterday that home treatment for mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in Phnom Penh at this time is not decided yet, as the situation is at the red line and may return to a lockdown if people do not comply with the Health Ministry’s guidelines. “I would like to make a strong appeal to the people that to be able to cut off the infection or to end the February 20 Community Event depends on the people’s participation in the implementation of health measures, especially for the relevant authorities to inspect the places in areas with karaoke shops or drinking spots,” Kang said. He said that the problem of imported Covid-19 cases and the new Delta strain also threatens the border provinces, especially since many migrant workers who return from Thailand, tested positive for coronavirus, which is increasing the number of Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom every day. If people continue to neglect and underestimate Covid-19, this will increase the number of people infected and dying on a daily basis, he said. “The Health Ministry has confirmed that Cambodia has reached the red line of the danger of spreading Covid-19 and when the people cooperate and follow the guidelines of the ministry in the economic sector, our society will return to a normal situation,” said Kang. Phnom Penh deputy governor Keut Chhe yesterday warned business owners who secretly open karaoke shops are in violation of administrative measures. They will be blacklisted to run their businesses permanently. Many karaoke shop owners have still opened their businesses in violation of local authorities’ instructions about preventing the spread of Covid-19 during the continued outbreak of the February 20 Community Event. Chhe also said that authorities cracked down on illegal karaoke clubs in Phnom Penh in time but in some provinces, Covid-19 cases have come from karaoke and entertainment clubs, which were secretly opened by business owners. “I would like to ask all the media to point out the location of any karaoke and entertainment clubs in violation of the decision of the Phnom Penh City Hall,” he said. “Now there are many karaoke owners whose licences have been permanently revoked for operating their businesses,” he said. “It has been recorded that (their businesses) is not allowed forever. If they operate slyly a karaoke club and infect others, they will face the Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 and Other Deadly Infectious Diseases,” he added. “Without the participation of the people, it is not possible to end the February 20 Community Event. Last week in Sen Sok district, the authorities closed a karaoke club. When some people still do not cooperate and join the government to combat the pandemic, the February 20 event is not possible to end,” he said. Chhe noted that the daily death rate due to Covid-19 was mostly among those over 50 years. – Khmer Times
Covid-19 deaths spike amid coup-induced collapse of healthcare system
Myanmar’s largest city is in the middle of a full-blown public health crisis, as Covid-19 patients die at an unprecedented rate due to the unavailability of medical oxygen. While official figures for the country are dire, with 3,461 new cases and 82 deaths on Sunday alone, the actual situation is far worse, according to social welfare groups in Yangon. The former capital saw at least 105 Covid-19-related deaths over the weekend in just four townships – Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Tamwe, and North and South Dagon – the groups told Myanmar Now. A volunteer with one organization said that it had received 40 requests for funeral services between Friday and Sunday. Most of the deceased had died of Covid-19 due to a lack of oxygen, he said. According to another local group called Shin Than Khwint (“Right to Survive”), there were 50 deaths from hypoxemia in South Dagon in the first 11 days of July. Shwe Thanlyin, another group that assists with final rites for the dead, said that since last Friday, it has handled five more funerals than its usual 15 per day to help families cope with Covid-19 deaths. Myanmar Now attempted to contact cemetery and municipal government officials responsible for Covid-19-related funerals to confirm these numbers, but its calls went answered. At a press conference on Monday, junta spokesperson Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun attempted to allay concerns about the surge in cases, claiming that military hospitals are prepared to deal with the third and deadliest wave of the pandemic. What he ignored, however, was that the nation’s healthcare system has been all but paralyzed since February 1, when the military seized power in a coup that continues to sow chaos more than five months later. Among the first to resist the junta were medical professionals at public hospitals, who refused to work under a military dictatorship. This led to the arrest of many who were at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic last year. Last week, Myanmar reported its worst numbers since the peak of last year’s second wave. The latest death rates are now nearly double what they were in October 2020. Even more disturbing is the infection rate – figures released by the Ministry of Health and Sport show that nearly a third of those tested for Covid-19 have been found to be infected. This is based on only 15,128 swab tests conducted on Saturday, but gives some sense of the magnitude of the challenges now facing an overwhelmed nation. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia needs additional COVID-19 handling doctors, nurses: minister
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin acknowledged the need for additional doctors and nurses in handling COVID-19 patients in various regions in Indonesia. "We also need additional nurses and doctors. We have identified a requirement of between 16 thousand and 20 thousand nurses," the minister noted during a virtual press conference in Jakarta, Monday. Sadikin remarked that the Ministry of Health had readied and identified nurses that had graduated from nursing school, cleared the competency test, and were still at the final level. "On the president’s instructions, we will speak to the minister of education on how we can move these nurses into practice more quickly," the minister remarked. Sadikin acknowledged that some three thousand doctors were needed to handle additional cases of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia. "We also see that there are around 3,900 doctors, who will complete their internships this year. Hence, we have also prepared those doctors, who have just graduated from their internships to enter immediately," the minister stated. Sadikin noted that health workers will also be administered a third vaccination, this time of the Moderna brand. "The plan will be as soon as possible after we finalize the distribution with the associations of doctors, nurses, and midwives to conduct a third vaccination with Moderna administered to them, and it will start as soon as possible to protect them as one of our front liners that we must protect," the minister stated. On Sunday (July 11), some 3,000,060 doses of Moderna vaccine arrived from the United States that will be prioritized for health workers as a third or booster vaccination. Moderna vaccines are delivered through the COVAX Facility. "Some of the nurses and doctors have contracted COVID-19 and must self-isolate. We are very concerned here and will continue to pay attention to the health of these nurses, doctors, and midwives," Sadikin stated. Based on data from the COVID-19 Task Force as of July 11, 2021, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia had reached 2,527,203, with an additional 36,197 people recorded in 24 hours, so the number of current active cases totals 376,015. The number of recovered patients increased by 32,615 people, so the total recovery count reached 2,084,724. Meanwhile, those who died from exposure to COVID-19 climbed by 1,007, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Indonesia to 66,464. Based on data from the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), the total number of doctors succumbing to COVID-19 as of July 8, 2021, reached 458, an increase of almost seven folds. – AntaraNews.Com