These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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HDB launches 3,740 BTO flats in seven projects, including S'pore's first assisted living housing for seniors
A total of 3,740 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, including Singapore's first assisted living public housing project for seniors, were launched for sale by the Housing Board on Thursday (Feb 4) in the first sales exercise for the year. The flats are spread across seven housing projects in the mature towns of Kallang/Whampoa and Toa Payoh (Bidadari), and the non-mature towns of Bukit Batok and Tengah. Those aged 65 and above can apply for a home at Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok, where 169 Community Care Apartments in a 15-storey residential block is on offer. The new housing concept comes with a mandatory service package to support seniors who wish to live on their own and yet enjoy some care, support and communal activities. These flats are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024 and will come with senior-friendly fittings such as grab bars and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. Prices range from $52,000 to $60,000 for a 32 sq m unit and are sold on short leases between 15 to 35 years. These units cannot be resold or rented out. In Bidadari, which is part of Toa Payoh town, two out of the three projects have four-room and five-room flats. ParkEdge @ Bidadari, the biggest project among the three, has 476 four-room and five-room flats on offer on a site opposite the future Mount Vernon funeral parlour complex that is slated to be completed in 2025. The flats are estimated to be completed in the first quarter of the same year. The second project, Alkaff Breeze, has 353 four-room and five-room flats and is located near Cedar Primary School and the upcoming Alkaff Lake. These flats are estimated to be completed in the second quarter of 2024, the fastest to be ready in this launch alongside the community care apartments in Bukit Batok. The last BTO project in Bidadari, Bartley GreenRise, located on a site next to Maris Stella High School and within walking distance from Bartley MRT station, offers 387 three-room and four-room flats. – The Straits Times
Home quarantine: Patients' families complain of unclear SOP
Family members of Covid-19 patients undergoing home quarantine are in the dark over the standard operating procedures (SOP) that they are required to follow. Family members were required to undergo mandatory home quarantine, too, as they were classified as close contacts, but they said they were not told to undergo a second swab test after the quarantine period was over, which left them wondering what to do next. A family member of a Covid-19 patient, who wanted to be known as Lauren, hoped the authorities could give clearer and more detailed instructions to those in similar circumstances. She said when her husband and son tested positive for Covid-19, she and her daughter, who tested negative, were only contacted by the Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) six days later. "My husband and son tested positive on Jan 20 and Jan 22 respectively, while my daughter and I tested negative. "Subsequently, the Health Ministry instructed my husband and son to undergo home quarantine. "I sent a WhatsApp message to the CAC to ask what should my daughter and I do. At first, they only asked for our details. "After six days, they called to inquire about our symptoms and then they instructed me and my daughter to stay home for 10 days." She was puzzled when told that she and her daughter were not required to take a second swab test at the end of their quarantine period. "Even my husband and son did not undergo a second swab test on their 13th day of home quarantine. They only did a blood pressure and oxygen level check. After checking that they had no further symptoms, the health personnel certified them free from Covid-19." She said she was concerned over the possibility of contracting Covid-19 from my husband and son while in quarantine, since there was no way of knowing this after the period ended. "We could be asymptomatic, but we can only be sure of our health status if we take swab tests," she said, adding that she and her daughter were also not fitted with wristbands. Another individual, who wanted to be known only as Fatimah, lamented the lack of a monitoring mechanism for close contacts placed under home quarantine. "My neighbour tested positive for Covid-19 on Jan 28, but his wife and his three kids tested negative. Initially, he was instructed to undergo home quarantine, but he later requested to be admitted to a quarantine centre out of concern for the family. He was discharged 10 days later. "However, his wife and children were not tested or issued wristbands. The ministry also did not supervise whether his family had adhered to the home quarantine protocols. "Fortunately, his wife was a responsible person and she made sure that she and her kids remained indoors." Fatimah said she helped the family buy groceries and other essential items and delivered them at their doorstep. She hoped the procedures could be fine-tuned to protect patients, their close contacts and the general public. – New Straits Times
PM approves B40bn in aid
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday gave the green light to financial aid handouts to ease the plight of employees under the social security system. The scheme will cost the government about 40 billion baht. The beneficiaries will be about nine million employees of private firms who are covered by Section 33 of the Social Security Act (SSA). Those under Section 33 have been left out of the government's Covid-19 relief packages ever since the pandemic hit the country early last year. Each employee is expected to receive a weekly payment of 1,000 baht starting next month up to a maximum pay-out of 3,500-4,500 baht. The relief package is expected to go to the cabinet for approval next week. Gen Prayut wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday that he had called a meeting of various agencies to discuss relief measures for employees insured under Section 33 whose companies had been battered by Covid-19. "I agreed in principle to the aid package for the insured. The matter will go swiftly to the cabinet for consideration," he posted. The meeting had also discussed incentives for domestic and foreign investors, plans to revamp the post-pandemic economy and measures to ease business operations, said the PM. "We will not leave anyone behind," Gen Prayut wrote. "At the same time, we are determined to look ahead and set the direction for the post-COVID economy." Speaking after the meeting, Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said details of the relief package would be finalised tomorrow before being presented for cabinet approval next week at the earliest. Mr Suchart said the prime minister had given it his approval and that about 40 billion baht would be needed to finance it. To qualify for help, an employee must be a Thai national aged at least 18 who is insured under Section 33 and whose bank deposits do not exceed 500,000 baht. About nine million people are expected to be eligible for the aid, the minister said, adding that each recipient was expected to get between 3,500 and 4,500 baht, although the exact amount of money would be decided tomorrow. Applicants will be required to register for the cash and the money will be transferred through the Pao Tang app's G-wallet, similar to procedures under the recent Rao Chana scheme. The government approved the 210-billion-baht "Rao Chana" (We Win) financial aid scheme on Jan 19. Under it, the government provides 7,000 baht per person over two months to a total of 31 million people affected by the pandemic. – Bangkok Post
Health workers in 4 Metro Manila hospitals to get first COVID shots
Health-care workers in four Covid-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila will be the first to be inoculated against the severe respiratory disease once vaccine supplies arrive this month, the head of the government’s vaccination program said on Wednesday. Carlito Galvez Jr., who handles vaccine procurement for the government’s coronavirus response, identified the hospitals as the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Lung Center of the Philippines and East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, and Dr. Jose Natalio Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (Tala Hospital) in Caloocan City. “We will prioritize the four referral hospitals in Metro Manila. It won’t take long, we will just inspect it for two to three days and then conduct vaccinations immediately,” Galvez, who is also the head of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, told a news briefing. Next in line are health-care workers in other Covid-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao City, Galvez said. Earlier, the government said 1.7 million front-line health workers were on its priority list for vaccination. Other groups on the list are indigent senior citizens, other elderly people, and uniformed personnel. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at the same news briefing that the master list of health-care workers to be vaccinated would be ready by Feb. 15. She said the list would be encoded in an electronic Covid-19 immunization registry, to which hospitals could upload their lists of workers to be vaccinated. Vergeire said a “unique identifier” would be assigned to each health worker to avoid duplication and track the progress of vaccinated workers. The Department of Health (DOH) will also have a monitoring system for adverse events, or side effects, after vaccinations, she said. Vergeire also said the DOH would consider a 5 percent wastage of vaccines due to storage and distribution problems or withdrawal of recipients as “acceptable.” “We have to keep it as minimum as possible because every dose will count. These Covid-19 vaccines are needed badly by all of us Filipinos,” she said. Galvez said the government would study a proposal to include national athletes and coaches participating in the Southeast Asian Games in November in the priority list. “They are not yet included in the list because the World Health Organization’s listing is very stringent,” he said. “Anyway, there is ample time for them to have the vaccination.” The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the temporary body overseeing the government’s coronavirus response, will see if there are excess vaccines that may be given to the athletes, Galvez said. Vergeire said the single-dose Covid-19 vaccine developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson would be beneficial to the Philippines because administering it would be “operationally simple.” She said it would take only one dose of the vaccine to achieve the efficacy and immunity to the coronavirus. The vaccine is known as Janssen and it does not need to be stored in very low temperatures. – INQUIRER.net
Hà Nội to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations to all residents
Hà Nội authorities plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to all residents, said a senior official. Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Vương Đình Huệ asked concerned agencies to prioritise the purchase of vaccines for all residents using the local budget and mobilising other legal resources at a meeting of the Standing Board of the People’s Council of Hà Nội on COVID-19 prevention and control on Tuesday. A timeframe for the inoculation programme was not disclosed. He asked the health sector to review its medical resources and consider mobilising retired health workers in the fight against the pandemic. As of late February 2, Hà Nội has recorded 21 COVID-19 infection cases relating to the recent outbreaks in the nearby provinces of Quảng Ninh and Hải Dương, according to the Department of Health. Since January 27, 572 suspected F1 cases have been quarantined and tested, with 16 positive, 443 negative and the rest were waiting for test results. In addition, 5,073 other people who had contact with F1 cases have been quarantined at their residence. While praising the efforts of agencies and local authorities in COVID-19 prevention, Huệ pointed out shortcomings which must be addressed. A large number of local residents have not yet strictly complied with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s 5K message namely wearing masks, frequent disinfection, maintaining a safe distance, refrain from gatherings and making health declarations. He asked agencies and units to consider the fight against the pandemic the leading and urgent task before, during and after the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday while maintaining production and trade. “We are carrying the dual target of fighting the pandemic and recovering the economy but continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic is the main task,” Huệ said. He requested reviewing the efficiency of combating the pandemic in residential areas, villages and the city, and working to improve testing capacity. He directed the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to provide testing for a wider range of COVID-19 suspected cases, including F1 and F2 cases, returnees from coronavirus-hit areas, people with a high risk of infection at quarantine camps, health workers and other forces on duty. The health sector was asked to work with the MoH to test staff at Nội Bai International Airport and students at FPT University, workers at Z153 Factory in Mê Linh District and residents at Times City, where infections have been detected. All F1 cases must be tested before February 4, Huệ said. Five inspection groups of the standing board of the municipal Party Committee were urged to enhance inspection at high-risk areas such as industrial zones and schools. The municipal People’s Committee directed units to calculate demand for necessities in the city, increase online trade activities, and promptly publicise information related to the pandemic, he said. – Viet Nam News
Five women’s COVID-19 ordeal after illegal entry to Thailand
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, five Cambodian women took a risk and left for Chonburi, Thailand in mid-November illegally, returning to the Kingdom on January 5 only to be tested positive for the disease. Of the five, two are still being treated at the Banteay Meanchey province’s Preah Netr Preah Health Centre. Talking to Khmer Times, the women confessed to gaining illegal entry to Chonburi via a “broker” to whom they paid around $116 per person for transport and helping them find a job in Thailand. Pich Leakna, 26, from Thmarkoul district said yesterday upon reaching their destination, she started looking for a job but none came her way for almost a month. Then, she added, her attempt to get a job turned to fear when the place where she was staying started recording high incidences of COVID-19 cases. She decided to return home with her friends who were equally afraid of being infected with the disease, further more in a foreign land. “It was then we decided to leave and while travelling, I started to get scared with me developing fever, cough, nasal congestion and breathing difficulty. My friends and I decided to make our way home via the Boeng Beng checkpoint,” she said. Alas, her fear became a reality when her friend, Yin Sophany was tested positive when her temperature showed high and a swab test confirmed it. Subsequently, she and her three friends who came back together were also tested positive and warded at the Mongkul Borey hospital initially before being transferred to Preh Netr Preah Health Centre. Another victim, Heng Samphors, 29, from Poipet city said she had symptoms of the disease on November 31 when she started having body pains, breathing difficulties and a bleeding nose. “I knew I got infected with the COVID-19 virus as my friend with whom I had gone to Chonburi was tested positive upon arriving in Banteay Meanchey border checkpoint,” she added. Samphors said she did not seek medical help in Thailand but decided to return to Cambodia and subsequently informed the health authorities as she did not want to spread the disease to other migrant workers. “When I crossed the Boeng Trakuon checkpoint, I saw a soldier waiting to transport the migrant workers and I told him not to come near me as I am infected with the COVID-19. I told him to take me for swab test and treatment,” she added. Sophany, 33, from Battambang province, Bavel district said she returned home after not being able to get a job for three months and her friends started informing that they had COVID-19. “I was frightened but I had to face the reality of being infected. If I try to escape, I will be spreading the disease to my family and community. I had to put aside my fear for the sake of my family,” she said, adding that migrant workers returning from Thailand should not escape from the quarantine as they do not know if they are carriers of the virus or even if they are infected. Khut Heng, 29, from Banteay Meanchey’s Nimit commune, Poipet city, said all of them had valid passports and since the border was closed, they went looking for jobs and visited nearby tourist areas before staying at the residence of a Thai male friend. She said they decided to return when there was a spike in COVID-19 cases in Samut Sakhon in mid-December and crossed via the O’Beichoan border crossing. She too like all others was tested positive as the man called to inform he had COVID-19. – Khmer Times
Veteran activist calls for civil disobedience in wake of coup
One of the leaders of Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising has released a statement calling on the public not to recognize the military council that seized power on Monday or participate in its newly appointed government. Min Ko Naing, who spent most of his youth in prison for his resistance to previous military regimes, issued the call in a handwritten statement released on Tuesday. “We can no longer be the slaves of military dictators, content with the pennies they spare us,” the 58-year-old former student leader wrote. “May we all live as human beings with our fundamental rights!” The military seized power early Monday morning, just hours before the Lower House was set to convene and certify the results of last year’s November 8 election, which the National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. The NLD’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and President Win Myint were among dozens of lawmakers who were arrested in pre-dawn raids that also targeted dissidents and monks who took part in the 2007 Saffron Revolution. Suu Kyi and Win Myint are both currently facing charges that could land them in prison for up to three years. Soon after removing Win Myint as president, the military appointed its handpicked vice president, former general Myint Swe, to replace him. As acting president, Myint Swe declared a one-year state of emergency and transferred power to the commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who now leads the newly formed State Administrative Council. In a broadcast on the military-run Myawaddy television station, the new regime announced that general elections would be held a year from now, with power being handed over to the winning party. The military claimed it had found over 10 million irregularities in voter lists used during last year’s election, which it said could have resulted in vote-rigging. Eight of the 11 members of the new ruling council, which was formed on Tuesday, are from the military. The three remaining members are Phado Man Nyein Maung, a former leading figure in the Karen National Union, and Thein Nyunt and Khin Maung Swe, former members of the NLD who split from the party to form the National Democratic Force in 2010. Min Ko Naing’s call to reject the new council’s authority comes amid a growing civil disobedience movement by public servants and medical workers, who have vowed to stop working on Wednesday to protest the coup. – Myanmar Now