These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Over 90 hotels in S'pore have served as quarantine or stay-home notice facilities
As Covid-19 infections continue to rise, the number of hotels that have served as isolation facilities has jumped from more than 70 in May to more than 90 as at Wednesday (Aug 4). Since March last year, these hotels have - at some point - been used as government quarantine facilities or stay-home notice dedicated facilities (SDFs). They are activated based on current needs, the Ministry of National Development (MND) told The Straits Times. It did not say how many hotels are currently serving as such facilities. SDFs refer to accommodation for incoming travellers who are issued with stay-home notices, while government quarantine facilities are for those who need to be isolated, as they have come into close contact with Covid-19 cases. Depending on the circumstances, people who are under a quarantine order or SHN can also serve it at home, MND noted. As at Wednesday, there were around 14,000 people under quarantine, 5,000 of whom were placed in government quarantine facilities, according to data from the Ministry of Health (MOH). On Tuesday, MOH apologised for delays in ferrying people under quarantine orders to the facilities. It said the number of people under quarantine has "increased many fold" with the emergence of Covid-19 clusters linked to KTV lounges and Jurong Fishery Port, as well as other smaller clusters. The surge led to delays, as well as "communications gaps" for some under quarantine, said MOH. Most of the backlog has since been cleared and the situation "should settle down", it added. Last week, a total of 14,770 quarantine orders were issued, or an average of 2,110 a day. This number is now down to an average of around 1,490, from Sunday to Tuesday. When new hotels are contracted as government quarantine facilities or SDFs, the staff will need to undergo necessary training to manage the operational requirements, said MND. "Hotels which have been activated as government quarantine facilities and SDFs must abide by strict infection prevention and control and security protocols to ensure the safety and security of persons under SHN, persons under quarantine and staff," it said. – The Straits Times
PM misled YDP Agong, claims PH presidential council
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been accused of not speaking the truth and allegedly misleading Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah about commanding majority support in the Dewan Rakyat. The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council also said Muhyiddin should not be forgiven for allegedly committing such an act which they described as the highest form of treason against the Head of the State. "It is clear he did not speak the truth and misled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when he was granted an audience with the King yesterday. "Such an action is the highest form of treason towards the Head of State and he (Muhyiddin) should not be forgiven. "We are of the view that action must be taken against those who commit lies at the highest level to the extent of not speaking the truth and misleading the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," the council said in a statement. The council also said the legitimacy of Muhyiddin as the prime minister can be determined by convening a special sitting immediately with only one order that is to table, debate and decide on the motion of confidence vote against the Pagoh member of Parliament. They added that delaying the tabling of the motion until Parliament sitting reconvened in September is "extremely" unnecessary since issues surrounding the support for Muhyiddin and the stability of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government must be decided immediately. "Issues surrounding the stability and effectiveness of the government can never be resolved as long as the tabling of the motion of confidence is delayed," read the statement signed by PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. The council also reiterated the call made by MPs in the opposition bloc as well as parties who did not support Muhyiddin for the special sitting to be held on Aug 9. "We also hope civil servants especially from the enforcement agencies will continue discharging their duties in a professional and neutral manner without bowing to the political interest of the ruling party which is allegedly pressuring or threatening MPs, especially on matters related to gaining support for Muhyiddin," they said. – New Straits Times
Govt starts Pfizer roll-out
The Public Health Ministry has started its Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine roll-out to medical personnel and frontline health workers in Bangkok, adjacent provinces, and other provinces nationwide as new record highs of 188 Covid-19 fatalities and 20,200 cases were reported on Wednesday. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said the DDC has begun distributing the vaccine doses donated by the United States. The vaccines will be administered as boosters to medical personnel and frontline workers who have already received two shots. Ramathibodi Hospital, Siriraj Hospital and Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok will be responsible for the vaccine distribution while local hospitals in the surrounding provinces will handle the roll-out. The surrounding provinces comprise Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Pathum Thani. A total of 1,503,450 Pfizer doses donated by the US arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport last Friday. Dr Opas previously said that besides 700,000 doses set aside as boosters for the health workers, 645,000 doses will be allocated to the elderly and patients with seven underlying conditions, minors from 12 years old, and women who are 12 or more weeks pregnant. A further 150,000 doses are for expats who are elderly or are suffering from one of seven underlying conditions, pregnant women, and Thai nationals planning to go abroad such as students. There are also 5,000 doses for research purposes and 40,000 doses to be held in reserve for outbreaks. Shortly after the shipment, social media was awash with a rumour that more than 30,000 doses of the vaccine had disappeared, with some "VIPs" getting the shots before everyone else. This prompted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to say during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he checked the figures with the US embassy and nothing was amiss. Deputy permanent secretary for health Sura Wisetsak, who chairs a working panel on vaccine management, said on Wednesday the vaccines will be distributed to medical personnel who signed up to get the shots on a voluntary basis in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces first, and then to other provinces nationwide. According to a leaked document outlining the vaccine roll-out to 322,800 frontline medical staff in provinces nationwide, excluding Bangkok, scheduled for Wednesday until tomorrow, Nakhon Ratchasima would receive the most doses (15,360), followed by Chon Buri (12,720 doses), and Nonthaburi (11,280 doses). However, details regarding the number of doses allocated for Bangkok were not available. The Bangkok Post later received confirmation from Dr Sura that the leaked document was genuine. The document, which was shared on social media, was signed by Yongyos Thammawut, another deputy permanent secretary for public health. – Bangkok Post
ECQ needed to prevent India-like Covid transmission: Galvez
National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., on Wednesday said the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region starting Friday is needed to ensure the country will not suffer the same fate as India and neighbouring Indonesia, which saw a significant spike in Covid-19 cases mainly due to the Delta variant. “If we will not declare ECQ sa (in) NCR, we will be the next India or Indonesia,” Galvez said during a Committee on Health hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday. "Let’s not wait for our healthcare workers to be overwhelmed and later surrender. We have to protect them. Preventing them to be overwhelmed is our primary duty," he said, adding that the ECQ is needed to “disrupt” the transmission of the Delta variant in the country’s economic center and highly-populated region. Galvez said the business sector had been consulted about the imposition of ECQ. “We also consulted the business sector prior to recommending the ECQ status, ang sabi nga nila (they said), if we will not do something drastic to stop the transmission, we might not recover in the fourth quarter,” Galvez said. Infectious diseases expert, Dr Edsel Salvana, warned that the Delta variant is 60 percent more transmissible than the UK variant (Alpha) and three times more contagious than the original SARS-COV-2 virus. Salvana said a carrier of the Delta variant can infect up to eight people at a time, adding that younger populations are also being infected by the highly transmissible strain. He said the observance of minimum public health standards such as the wearing of masks and face shields, as well as getting fully vaccinated are among the most effective measures against the Delta variant. Salvana added that stricter border controls must also be implemented to prevent the entry of more variants of concerns. Galvez said the government would further ramp up vaccination even during the imposition of ECQ in the NCR and some parts of the country. As of Aug. 3, the country has already reached its target to administer more than 700,000 doses a day. Data from the National Vaccine Operations Center (NVOC) showed the country was able to administer 702,013, the highest so far in a single day since the vaccination program started last March. Of this figure, 233,065 doses were administered as the first dose, while 468,948 were administered as second dose. This brings the total doses administered in the country to 21,912,142, of which 12,073,569 are first dose, while fully vaccinated individuals at 9,838,573. Galvez said the government would continue to implement the “focus and expand” strategy in its deployment of Covid-19 vaccines, as the country’s vaccine supply remains insufficient for them to be distributed equally among local government units nationwide. While vaccine supplies from different manufacturers and sources continue to arrive in bulk, the country’s vaccine inventory is still not enough to inoculate the target population of 70.8 million Filipinos, he said. “In order to meet the monthly demand and increase the capacities of all regions, provinces, and districts, the Philippines needs at least 25 million doses monthly,” Galvez said. In July, the country received 16.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, the biggest shipment made in a single month since the start of the vaccine rollout in March 7. Galvez said the prioritization of areas, as well as the implementation of a phased vaccination program, is necessary to ensure the immediate protection of the nation’s highly vulnerable sectors, particularly the A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities) groups. “We conducted a risk assessment for our vaccine allocation. Our focus on deployment are areas in the NCR+10 and those with confirmed cases of the Delta variant,” he said. Galvez acknowledged that the government faces challenges in the vaccination of the A2 group, particularly those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs). “This is the reason why we allocated the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines to these areas to increase the vaccination output and thankfully we are seeing progress,” he said. Under the phased vaccination program, the NTF will determine the vaccine allocation per region or province based on the master list of eligible population submitted by a local government unit; the health, economic, social, and security risk of a locality; the population density of an area; the capacity of an LGU to receive and administer the vaccines; and the availability of vaccine supplies in the national inventory. Galvez said the NTF and the NVOC would give provinces the flexibility to determine the allocation for their respective cities and municipalities through their Regional Vaccination Operations Center. “The allocation lists are being deliberated by NVOC and these are submitted to me and Secretary Vince [Dizon] for evaluation to ensure that the distribution will be based on the master list of priority sectors A1 to A3 since kulang na kulang pa ang supply (supply is not enough),” he said. – Philippine News Agency
COVID-19: Hanoians told to keep vigilant and be prepared for anything
Ha Noi faces a high risk of COVID-19 outbreaks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said on Wednesday, urging the city to keep vigilant and be prepared. Dam who is also chairman of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control inspected concentrated quarantine areas, locked-down areas and vaccination sites in Ha Noi. In a meeting with the city’s leaders, the Deputy PM highly praised Ha Noi authorities and the city's response to the fourth outbreak. He particularly appreciated the effective communication between authorities and Central agencies. Dam said that the city must now deploy strict and drastic measures to stop the spread of the disease in the community, isolate the COVID-19-hit areas, protect and expand COVID-19-free areas and take steps to reduce the risk of further outbreaks. “People in every residential group, in every hamlet have the responsibility to protect themselves from COVID-19. Collective efforts are key to successfully controlling the disease,” Dam said. Emphasising the importance of testing, Dam asked the city to review and increase its testing capacity. The private health sector in the city should be engaged further in testing work, he suggested. Dam also urged the city’s health sector to instruct people to take COVID-19 quick tests by themselves to reduce the workload for medical workers. More medical workers could then serve in locked down areas, quarantine areas and COVID-19 treatment facilities. The deputy PM asked the city to prepare oxygen supply systems at COVID-19 treatment areas for patients with symptoms whose health conditions are vulnerable and could become worse if they did not receive timely medical treatment. The city was also asked to prepare COVID-19 treatment areas with proper intensive care units to minimise fatalities relating COVID-19. The supply of essential products for people during social distancing must strictly meet disease prevention and control requirements, Dam said. He added that in the case that the social distancing orders were extended, the list of essential goods should be adjusted to meet people’s needs. Specific policies for deliverymen and goods delivery were also needed to ensure safety and convenience for people. In Ha Noi, since the first day of social distancing, municipal authorities had stopped goods carried on motorbikes by freelance shippers. Postal services and shippers put under the management enterprises have to register to get codes from the Department of Transport while freelance shippers must stop working. According to Ha Noi’s Department of Health, during the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Viet Nam, Ha Noi has reported 1,429 COVID-19 cases, of that, 864 cases were detected in the community outside concentrated quarantine areas or locked down areas. The city is now able to manage outbreaks. However, the risk of growing outbreaks remains high and unpredictable because complicated COVID-19 clusters have appeared around the city with a high number of infections. Moreover, the sources of many of the infections have not been identified. According to the city’s health department, many community cases in the city have not been detected and the city is facing a high risk of outbreaks in hospitals, factories, offices and supply chains like markets and supermarkets. COVID-19 patients without symptoms or those with mild symptoms in the city are now taken to the COVID-19 Treatment Centre based in Den Lu III Urban Area in Hoang Mai District. The centre can handle up to 1,000 patients while a project on opening another COVID-19 treatment centre with capacity of 2,000 beds has been proposed. Until now, Ha Noi has received 959,820 COVID-19 vaccine doses and 812,100 people in the city have been vaccinated. – Viet Nam News
Cambodia cases cross 80,000 mark, deaths cross 1,500 mark as 2 more areas in Phnom Penh closed due to ‘Delta’
For the 4th day, daily case totals were lower in Cambodia – but news just now of 2 more areas in Phnom Penh being blocked due to ‘Delta’ variant cases in the community will put a dampener on any celebrations. Cambodia today announced a daily new cases total of 591, bringing the COVID case total for Cambodia to 80,225 cases. As Delta cases in Cambodia rose to above 300, The Royal Government has said that Cambodians need to be ‘careful and be disciplined’ to ensure that the new variant does not spread further. However, widespread flouting of lockdowns and curfews has led observers to ask whether further restrictions may be implemented in the capital in the near future – as well as in The Kingdom in general. Daily imported cases are causing concern for The Kingdom with another 183 imported cases being announced today – bringing with them the danger of the ‘Delta’ variant crossing over the now closed border from Thailand. Experts fear that many cases are undetected in Cambodia, brought over the border via illegal crossings by frightened migrant workers, desperate to return to their provincial homes. These are then spreading into the community – despite tight lockdowns in border provinces. Reports of continued high provincial case numbers shows that the provinces – where the majority of local and imported cases are now being reported – are the new battleground for COVID in Cambodia. Continued ‘spikes’ of new cases announced today in Battambang, Prey Veng and Banteay Meanchey – for example – confirm this. This means that the total number of Community Cases is 68,690 with 11,535 cases being imported. Cambodia also announced 19 new deaths, bringing the total to 1,507 direct deaths from COVID-19 in Cambodia. Recoveries outpaced new cases with 618 new recoveries announced today – meaning that the active case total dropped slightly to 5,290. – Khmer Times
More than 60 junta troops killed in Mutraw in July, KNU says
Some 65 Myanmar army soldiers were killed and 101 injured in clashes with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Karen State’s Mutraw (Hpapun) District in the month of July alone, according to the Karen National Union (KNU). Thoolei News, under the KNU’s information department, posted on their Facebook page on Monday that a total of 133 battles were fought in the area last month, those injured included a junta battalion commander. The commander was wounded during one of the 29 battles fought during the third week of July, the news outlet said. In the fighting, five homes belonging to villagers were reportedly destroyed. The KNU also reported that the military council was responsible for 25 episodes of artillery fire in civilian areas. Four civilians also triggered landmine explosions. Citing Col Saw Kler Doh – spokesperson for the KNLA’s Brigade 5, the territory of which is in Mutraw – Thoolei News said that two personnel from the military-allied Border Guard Force surrendered to the KNLA in July, and four light arms were confiscated at that time. Three KNLA soldiers were also reportedly injured. The news report stated that the occupying junta troops had stolen livestock from locals, including buffaloes and cows. At the time of reporting, the military council had not responded to the KNU’s allegations. Shelling by the junta’s LIB 409 in Thaton District – the KNLA’s Brigade 1 territory – also injured a local from Nyaung Kone village during the period in question, Thoolei News stated. In addition to fighting with the KNLA, the military council’s armed forces have been engaged in battles with the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin and northern Shan states. The Karenni Army in Kayah (Karenni) State and the Chin National Front in Chin State have also fought alongside other local resistance forces against the junta. The junta announced on July 31 that it would cease all “military activities” for two months, throughout August and September, but People’s Defence Forces and ethnic armed organisations have questioned the sincerity of the announcement. The Myanmar military has long been known to declare temporary unilateral ceasefires in its fights against ethnic armed organisations, then repeatedly break them. – Myanmar NOW
16 percent of Tangerang residents receive first COVID-19 vaccine shot
As many as 358,316 residents or some 16 percent of the two million people targeted for vaccination in Tangerang District, Banten Province, have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Tangerang District Health Office. Meanwhile, the number of residents, who were fully vaccinated or received two COVID-19 vaccine injections reached 163,371 people, or only some eight percent of the targeted figure in Tangerang District. "Our second stage of injection is still underway," Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Tangerang District Health Office Hendra Tarmizi stated in Tangerang on Wednesday. He informed that vaccination was offered to health workers, public service officers, older adults, and the general public in the district. "Up until now, the first dose of the vaccine was administered to 7,691 teenagers, while the second dose vaccination has not yet been conducted," he remarked. According to Tarmizi, COVID-19 vaccination is targeted to be administered to all residents to be covered for inoculation by the end of 2021. He also reminded the residents that vaccination is only a part of the measures to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. To stem the spread of COVID-19, Tarmizi urged residents, who have been vaccinated, to continue to adhere to the 5M health protocols of wearing masks, washing hands with soap in running water, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and limiting mobility and social interaction. "Thus, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will end soon, and people will be able to return to their normal activities," he remarked. In a bid to reduce COVID-19 transmission and build herd immunity, the Indonesian government has been conducting a nationwide vaccination program since January 13, 2021. – AntaraNews.Com