These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
Omicron four times more transmissible than Delta in Japan study
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is 4.2 times more transmissible in its early stage than Delta, according to a study by a Japanese scientist who advises the country's Health Ministry, a finding likely to confirm fears about the new strain's contagiousness.
Dr Hiroshi Nishiura, a professor of health and environmental sciences at Kyoto University who specialises in mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, analysed genome data available through Nov 26 in South Africans in Gauteng province.
"The Omicron variant transmits more, and escapes immunity built naturally and through vaccines more," he said in his findings, which were presented at a meeting of the Health Ministry's advisory panel on Wednesday (Dec 8). - Straits Times
Covid-19 infectivity rate continues to drop
The country's Covid-19 infectivity rate (Rt) has dropped slightly from 0.98 on Wednesday to 0.97 on Thursday.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham, in a Tweet today, said Perlis registered the highest Rt value in the country at 1.04.
Other states that recorded an Rt value of 1.0 and above were Pahang (1.0), Penang (1.02), Melaka and Negri Sembilan (1.03). - New Straits Times
BoT governor hints at recovery in early 2023
Thailand's economy could return to levels logged before the pandemic in the first quarter of 2023, according to the Bank of Thailand governor.
The recovery will be slow and uneven across business sectors, governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said on Wednesday at the MFA CEO Forum hosted by the Foreign Ministry.
The pandemic severely hurt the economy, especially the tourism sector, which accounts for 12% of GDP, he said. - Bangkok Post
New nurses to boost PH Army's Covid-19 response
The Philippine Army (PA) Nursing Service's coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic response efforts got a much-needed reinforcement with the arrival of 83 enlisted provisional staff.
In a statement Thursday night, Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the pinning and donning of ranks ceremony for these new nurses took place at the Army General Hospital at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City last December 7.
"Army nurses formed part of AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) medical teams deployed to various public and private hospitals that were previously overwhelmed due to the Covid-19 surge," he added. - Philippine News Agency
Vietnam receives final shipment of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in 30mln deal, more are coming
The final batch of 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from Vietnam’s contract for 30 million doses from the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company has arrived in the country.
The shipments of further vaccines from the remainder of the deal for an additional 25 million doses, signed between Vietnam Vaccine Company (VNVC) and AstraZeneca during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to the UK on November 2, will begin later this month and continue throughout 2022.
Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director at AstraZeneca Vietnam and Asia Area Frontier Markets, said this shipment marked an important milestone in the journey to protect public health and stimulate economic recovery in Vietnam. - Vietnam News
Sign of Shake-up: PM Hun Sen to reshuffle his Cabinet with young blood
For the future of the nation, Prime Minister Hun Sen is already lining up young people into the Cambodian People’s Party body politic to take over ministerial positions to replace senior stalwarts aged over 60.
The new line-up of young blood is already on the Premier’s list for a Cabinet reshuffle with the future Prime Minister candidate to be unanimously voted – with the forthcoming CPP Central Committee’s Congress scheduled later this month and in preparation for the 2023 National Election.
Mr Hun Sen has already disclosed his future political initiatives during his working visit to the new Phnom Penh international airport in Kandal province yesterday. - Khmer Times
Anti-regime groups urge public to join 'silent strike' on Friday
Groups opposed to Myanmar’s military junta are calling on the general public to take part in a “silent strike” on Friday as a show of solidarity with the movement to restore civilian rule.
The strike, which is timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day, aims to shut down all public activity in the country between 10am and 4pm on December 10.
A similar strike staged on March 24 to protest the junta’s crackdowns on anti-coup protests attracted widespread international attention, with many news outlets showing deserted streets in Yangon and other urban centres. - Myanmar NOW
Accurate exit strategy can help address pandemic scars: Indrawati
An accurate exit strategy can help address the scarring effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has observed.
"An accurate exit strategy and efforts to handle the scarring effect are a prerequisite to sustainable recovery,” she said at a press conference held on the sidelines of the Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday.
An accurate exit strategy must be created as the high level of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and uneven recovery between developed countries and developing nations has cast a shadow over the world, she elaborated. - AntaraNews.Com