Southeast Asian leaders pledged to keep trade routes open to protect food supplies and stockpile medical equipment at a summit held online Tuesday, as they warned of the crippling economic cost of the coronavirus.Led by Vietnam - which chaired the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting - leaders agreed to share resources and fight to limit further damage to the region's tourism and export-reliant economies, already ravaged by COVID-19.But an emergency fund proposed by Han

With signs in some countries that the coronavirus pandemic may have reached a plateau, governments are looking at how to lift lockdown restrictions on their crippled businesses and restless populations.But what are the conditions that countries should meet before they can start safely easing these strict measures and return to some kind of normalcy?Don't Act Too QuicklyExperts fear that governments will bow to economic and social pressure to lift their lockdowns prematurely, and warn tha

Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:China Infections RiseChina reported 108 new virus cases, 98 of which were imported from overseas, its highest figure since early March.The country where the disease first emerged has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control, but it faces a fresh battle against imported infections, mostly Chinese nationals returning home.Oil Rally FizzlesAn oil price rally sparked by an international deal to slash pro

As COVID-19 tests become more widely available across the United States (US), scientists have warned about a growing concern: Many people with negative results might actually have the virus.That could have devastating implications as a global recession looms and governments wrangle with the question of when to reopen economies shuttered as billions of people were ordered to stay home in an effort to break transmission of the deadly disease.The majority of tests around the world use a technolo

Before the emergence late last year of the novel coronavirus, which has now killed more than 100,000 people, the 21st century's epidemics had been far less deadly than the pandemics of the previous century.Here are the major epidemics of the last two centuries, starting with the most recent:Ebola: 2013-2016 And 2018-To DateThe deadliest epidemic of the haemorrhagic fever Ebola broke out in West Africa in December 2013 and lasted more than two years, killing more than 11,300 people, mainl

Hundreds of people have been arrested across Asia for posting purported false coronavirus information, according to an investigation by international news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP), deepening concerns that growing government efforts to combat "fake news" will target the wrong people and silence dissent.From teenagers to a TV star, people have been wrongly detained under vaguely worded cybercrime laws or broad state-of-emergency powers ushered in since the outbreak began, ri

Soldiers and police hit the streets of Indonesia's capital Jakarta Friday to enforce its toughest virus measures yet as infections surge and critics warn of a looming public-health disaster.Violators face heavy fines and up to a year in jail for breaking the new rules, which include a ban on gatherings of more than five people, limiting restaurants to online delivery orders and reducing public transport.Motorbike taxis seen everywhere in the megacity of 30 million were banned from pickin

An Islamic missionary movement is at the centre of a growing controversy in South Asia after it repeatedly held massive gatherings despite warnings about the coronavirus.Hundreds of followers of the fundamentalist Tablighi Jamaat have tested positive for COVID-19 since attending congregations last month, but the group is still sending proselytisers door-to-door - sometimes without observing social distancing guidelines.The Tablighi movement - which espouses a return to "true" Islam

Thousands of migrant workers are being moved out of crowded dormitories in Singapore after a surge in new coronavirus cases linked to the sites, authorities said Thursday.

As of the morning of 9 April, Vietnam has reported 251 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus with over 120 recoveries. Compared to other ASEAN member states such as Malaysia and Indonesia which have thousands of infections and numerous deaths, Vietnam’s number of cases are relatively low. The country with a population of over 95 million is just one of three ASEAN countries which have yet to report any fatalities from the disease alongside Lao PDR and Cambodia.