These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Travel corridors for vaccinated passengers could open in the 2nd half of 2021: Ong Ye Kung
Bilateral travel corridors for vaccinated passengers from places with low to moderate infection rates may well happen in the second half of this year, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Friday (March 12) as Singapore continues to explore ways to open up its borders and revive air travel. In an interview with Money FM 89.3, Mr Ong said stay-home notices (SHNs) and other quarantine measures will kill travel. Singapore, he added, needs to find ways to get rid of such requirements, a point he also made last week during the debate on his ministry's budget. "Nobody is going to come to Singapore and stay for 14 days," he told radio DJ Elliott Danker. While vaccinations are changing the game, this needs to work in tandem with other measures such as testing, movement restrictions and identifying countries that are "safe" and have successfully controlled the virus, Mr Ong said. For example, Singapore could open up to travellers from places with moderate Covid-19 infection rates but have ongoing vaccination programmes. "(Combine that) with testing, and you can possibly open up a safe travel corridor," he added. On air travel bubbles, Mr Ong said such arrangements require reciprocity, noting that Singapore has already opened its borders unilaterally to travellers from countries and territories that have a handle on the virus, such as Australia, New Zealand and China, and this has not led to community infections here. "Unfortunately, we are the only safe place in a world that is opening up to others like that," Mr Ong said. "If only others start to do it, then we'll have a bubble, you have reciprocity, you can start to travel. And I hope sometime this year we can do that." Singapore's air travel bubble with Hong Kong, which was supposed to begin last November, remains on ice as the city has seen yet another flare-up in cases this week. Mr Ong said Singapore is still in a "crisis situation", noting that the passenger volume at Changi Airport is only at 2.6 per cent of the levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. – The Straits Times
Shafien: State police to issue RM10,000 fine on the spot to repeat offenders
Police manning the four roadblocks in the state have been told to issue compounds to those who repeatedly violate the standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Movement Control Order (MCO). State police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said this was in the line with the directive issued by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador yesterday. "Starting yesterday, all the 128 police personnel on duty at the four roadblocks, were directed not to hesitate to issue the RM10,000 compound notice against repeat offenders. "Apart from that, they were also told to check first time offenders as well," he said. Shafien said the four roadblocks were mounted at Kelantan borders with other states such as Terengganu and Perak. He added that the roadblocks were set up in Jeli, Pasir Putih and Gua Musang. Abdul Hamid was reported to have said yesterday that the compound has been increased from RM1,000 to RM10,000 starting yesterday. He said the decision to increase the value of the compound, however, was not to punish the public excessively or allow the government to collect money from them. He added that the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 was gazetted beginning 12.01am yesterday. Abdul Hamid said repeat SOP offenders would be issued a RM10,000 compound notice, but it was up to the discretion of the authorised officers, namely the District Health Officers, to determine the actual value of the compound fine. – New Straits Times
Cabinet ministers postpone Covid-19 inoculations
Cabinet ministers abruptly postponed their Covid-19 inoculations planned for Friday after several European countries suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on reports of adverse reactions in some patients. The prime minister and other cabinet ministers were scheduled to be vaccinated at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, at the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi province, on Friday morning. Some had been set to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, and others China's Sinovac vaccine. All vaccinations were suspended. Prof Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the faculty of medicine Siriraj Hospital of Mahidol University, told a press conference at the ministry that AstraZeneca had sent batch ABB5300, one million doses, of its vaccine to 17 countries in the European Union. After the inoculations started, one vaccine recipient died and many others developed blood clots in Denmark, he said. The Danish government then suspended inoculations with the vaccine for two weeks to allow further investigation. Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Austria, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Estonia and Latvia followed suit, he said. The investigation was being led by the European Medicines Agency. The EMA confirmed the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but said it would investigate the matter. "The EMA has compared the incidence of blood clots between vaccine recipients and non-recipients, and they are not different. This is the reason why EMA has indicated that there should not be any relation to the vaccine," Prof Prasit said. He also said the AstraZeneca vaccine delivered to Thailand was not a part of the controversial batch. If the investigation clears the vaccine, inoculations will resume, Prof Prasit said. Prof Dr Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said vaccination naturally preceded undesirable symptoms in some recipients, and then investigation simply followed to verify if such symptoms were linked with the vaccination. He said that many elderly Africans and Europeans who were inactive could develop blood clots in veins, which then blocked blood from reaching the lungs. These symptoms occurred to Europeans three times more often than to Asians. "We believe that genetic factors are involved in the illness, which occurs in normal life. Three million doses of the vaccine from this lot were injected. Twenty-two of the recipients developed blood clots, and one of them died. This is an incidence of seven in one million people," Prof Yong said. Thailand received 117,000 early doses of AstraZeneca vaccine last month. "With this postponement, we are not saying that the vaccine is problematic. This postponement is to wait for verification whether there is any implication with the vaccine or that batch of the vaccine. "That batch was produced in Europe. We use a batch made in Asia," Prof Yong said. – Bangkok Post
DOH not stopping AstraZeneca vaccination despite blood clot concerns in EU
There is currently no reason for the Philippines to stop the rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine despite reports that some people who received the shots in some European countries have developed blood clots, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday. “At present, the DOH and FDA emphasize that there is no indication for the Philippines to stop rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines. The DOH, NTF (National Task Force against COVID-19) and FDA are closely coordinating on this matter. The public is assured they will closely monitor all deployed vaccines,” the two agencies said in a joint statement. The DOH and the FDA said they are aware that a few countries in the European Union have recently paused inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine from the British-Swede firm. However, they pointed out that this move of some EU countries has been decided as a precautionary measure while the countries conduct a full investigation to determine the link between the vaccination and the reported adverse effects. The DOH and the FDA also pointed out that according to the European Medicine Authority (EMA), there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused the development of blood clots, which is not listed as a side effect of the vaccine. “The position of EMA’s safety committee PRAC (Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee) is that the vaccine’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing. PRAC is already reviewing all cases of thromboembolic events, and other conditions related to blood clots, reported post-vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca,” the EMA earlier said. Health authorities in Denmark, Norway, and Iceland earlier announced that they temporarily stopped the inoculation with AstraZeneca vaccine because of concerns on the formation of blood clots on some who were vaccinated. This comes after Austria also stopped giving the AstraZeneca shots while investigating a death from coagulation disorders and an illness from a pulmonary embolism. – INQUIRER.net
MoIT requests urgent review of solar power development
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued an express dispatch requesting the People's Committees of cities and provinces and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to urgently review and list all issues related to solar power development. The MoIT requested EVN list all solar power projects entitled to electricity selling prices under Decision No 13 of the Prime Minister and direct power corporations and provincial power units to list all rooftop solar power systems with a capacity of 100kWp or more which have been put into operation and are entitled to the electricity prices under the decision. The decision in question was issued last April and provides a tariff rate for solar power considered attractive to investors. EVN must certify the operating rooftop solar systems which comply with regulations on development and connection to the grid. They also have to recognise the operation date, signing of power purchase agreements and other legal regulations in electricity and supply sectors for the list. Based on the roof solar power list nationwide, EVN must research and propose effective solutions to minimise the reduction of overloaded solar power and minimise the economic losses of investors. The move has been seen as an attempt by the MoIT to improve transparency and to better regulate the solar power market, which has seen rapid development in recent years. The MoIT also asked EVN to assign a representative to join the ministry’s inspection team to conduct an inspection of solar power development, especially rooftop solar power. EVN was asked to report to MoIT on these issues before Friday. At the same time, the MoIT asked the People's Committees of provinces and cities to work with departments and agencies to review and evaluate rooftop solar systems in accordance with the law and their local jurisdiction. The localities must also list the development of solar power in their area including grid-connected solar power projects and rooftop solar power projects with a capacity of 100kWp or more. – Viet Nam News
February 20 Community Event in Cambodia spikes yet again with 60 new positive cases, bringing total number to 712; Kingdom’s tally now 1225
The number of COVID-19 patients linked to the February 20 Community Event soared again to 712, with 60 new cases confirmed today in the capital and four provinces. According to the Health Ministry’s statement, 28 new cases were detected in Phnom Penh including 26 Cambodians, 1 Chinese and 1 Vietnamese. Among those, 7 patients have not been sent to a treatment facility yet. Meanwhile, in Kandal, 11 Chinese nationals and 5 Cambodians have tested positive for the coronavirus and are now receiving treatment at Chey Chomnes Hospital. Also, Prey Veng and Koh Kong reported 7 and 8 new cases, all Cambodians, respectively while Kampong Thom has the smallest number on the list with only one new case. Two imported cases were reported by the Health Ministry today, involving two Indonesian men who both arrived in Cambodia on February 26. The Ministry also confirmed 21 recoveries today, 12 of which are related to the community event. With the new positive cases and recoveries, Cambodian’s tally is now 1225, with 619 recoveries and 1 death. Cambodia’s total of 1,225 cases now comprises: 571 Cambodians, 446 Chinese, 45 French, 27 Indonesians, 11 Malaysians, 12 Americans, 50 Vietnamese, 6 British, 5 Indians, 3 Canadians, 2 Hungarians, 2 Pakistanis, 3 Japanese, 2 Nigerians, 1 Belgian, 1 Kazakhstani, 1 Polish, 1 Jordanian, 1 Swiss, 1 Czech, and 2 Koreans, 2 Singaporean. – Khmer Times
Military clashes with KIA after ambush in Kachin state
Clashes broke out in Kachin state’s Mohnyin district on Thursday following an ambush attack on a Myanmar military camp by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The KIA ambushed the camp, based near the village of Sal Zin, early in the morning, according to Col Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the ethnic armed group. At around 10am, the military started using fighter jets to carry out counterattacks, he added. “We don’t know the details. But our central command hasn’t issued any orders to ambush military camps or clash in the cities,” he told Myanmar Now. He noted that two KIA camps have been ambushed by Myanmar army troops in northern Shan state’s Kutkai township over the past month. Tensions have been high between the army and ethnic armed groups since the military seized power in a coup on February 1. Since the coup, the Myanmar army has clashed with the Karen National Union and the Restoration Council of Shan State, both signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). On February 20, all 10-armed groups that have signed the NCA announced that they would be putting political meetings for negotiations with the junta on hold. The announcement also said that the groups support the Civil Disobedience Movement and other forms of public resistance to the coup and would find ways to support them. Meanwhile, the ruling military council withdrew its designation of the Arakan Army as a terrorist organization on Thursday, after months of relative peace in Rakhine state. Until the two sides entered into a temporary ceasefire last November, they were engaged in some of the worst fighting seen in the country in recent years. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia ropes in military, police to boost vaccinations
The Joko Widodo Administration has set a very ambitious target of completing the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination program within one year. The government is aiming to vaccinate around 182 million Indonesians, or around 70 percent of the country’s population of 271 million. This means that about one million people will need to be vaccinated daily to achieve the one-year target. This would require the Health Ministry to mobilize all resources and synergize as well as establish cooperation with several parties to support the implementation of the vaccination program. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has approached the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri) to fast-track the implementation of COVID-19 vaccinations and intensify contact tracing. "This necessitates synergy with various parties since the Ministry of Health cannot do it alone," he said. The TNI and Polri have several healthcare workers who can be empowered to administer vaccines. "We invite all TNI (members) to function as vaccinators, as what is required now is people that can inject vaccines," he pointed out. However, the current requirement is for locations for the vaccination program, and a drive-through vaccination service could be one solution, he remarked. The Health Ministry had earlier collaborated with Halodoc and Gojek for the implementation of vaccinations, particularly to offer COVID-19 Vaccination Service Posts through a drive-through mechanism. But it is the limited number of vaccines that has posed the main challenge to the vaccination process. The issue has become a hot topic worldwide and several countries have yet to commence vaccinations. President Joko Widodo has earlier said that Indonesia has been lucky enough to receive vaccine supplies at a relatively early stage thanks to the government’s decision to move quickly to obtain supply commitments from vaccine producers overseas, particularly from China's Sinovac Biotech. Sinovac has supplied 38 million of doses of its vaccine to Indonesia in stages since December, 2020. The Indonesian government launched its mass vaccination program on January 13, 2021. The latest shipment, or the fifth batch of Sinovac's vaccines, arrived early in March this year, according to Health Minister Dante Saksono. "Alhamdulillah (thank God), today we got 10 million (doses of the) bulk vaccine. This bulk vaccine is raw material that Bio Farma will turn into (ready-to-use) vaccines," he said at an online press briefing. The first and second batches from Sinovac comprised 1.2 million and 1.8 million doses of ready-to-use vaccines, respectively, while the third and fourth batches comprised 15 million and 10 million doses of semi-finished vaccines, respectively. Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma has secured a certificate of good drug production from the Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM) to process the bulk Sinovac vaccines into finished vaccines. Indonesia has ordered COVID-19 vaccines from several sources: 125 million doses from China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd; 100 million doses from US-Canada's Novavax; 100 million doses from UKs AstraZeneca; 100 million doses from Germany-US' Pfizer; and, 16-100 million doses of free vaccines from the WHO-led COVAX Facility. – AntaraNews.Com