HONG KONG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to climb, the Asia-Pacific countries have rolled out stricter measures to fight the disease, with the Philippines to impose curfew on Metro Manila begining Sunday.
THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines on Saturday reported 34 more confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 98.
The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) also reported on Saturday three new deaths from the COVID-19 disease in the Philippines, bringing the death toll to eight.
Most deaths have occurred in Metro Manila, home to nearly 13 million people.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that Metro Manila will be placed under "community quarantine" from March 15 until April 14 after a surge of COVID-19 cases there.
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announced that Metro Manila will be placed under curfew from 8:00 p.m. local time until 5:00 a.m. local time for the duration of the lockdown from March 15 until April 14.
JAPAN
The number of COVID-19 infections in Japan increased by 23 to reach a total of 720 on Saturday, according to data from Japan's health ministry and local governments.
The majority of confirmed cases stemmed from Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido which has confirmed 137 cases and declared a state of emergency over the situation.
According to the latest statistics, Aichi Prefecture has 114 confirmed cases, Osaka 92, Tokyo 77, Hyogo 56 and Kanagawa Prefecture has confirmed 50 COVID-19 infections.
The 697 cases of infections on the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship previously quarantined in Yokohama Port were calculated separately.
The death toll in Japan from the virus currently stands at 28, including seven from the cruise ship, according to the health ministry.
The ministry said there are currently 46 patients with severe symptoms and are on ventilators to receive respiratory assistance or have been admitted to intensive care units.
The ministry also said that 525 people have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea confirmed 107 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Saturday local time, raising the total number of infections to 8,086.
The new cases remained below 200 for the third consecutive day, after recording 110 on Friday and 114 on Thursday each.
Five more deaths were reported, lifting the death toll to 72. The total fatality rate stood at 0.84 percent.
A total of 204 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 714.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) decided to update the data once a day at 10:00 a.m. local time from March 10, after having announced it twice a day.
The virus infection soared for the past weeks, with 8,055 new cases reported from Feb. 19 to March 13. The country has raised its four-tier virus alert to the highest "red" level.
The total number of infections in Daegu, about 300 km southeast of Seoul, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang province increased to 5,990 and 1,153 respectively. It accounted for almost 90 percent of the total.
The numbers in Seoul and its adjacent Gyeonggi province came to 238 and 200 each.
THAILAND
Thailand's Ministry of Public Health on Saturday reported seven new COVID-19 cases, including four members of the same family and celebrity TV actor Matthew Dean.
"There have so far been 82 confirmed coronavirus cases in Thailand, with 35 having recovered, 46 in hospital and one fatality," said Dr. Suhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Public Health, in a news briefing on Saturday.
"One of the new cases is the mother of one of the 11 patients who contracted the virus from sharing drinks and cigarettes. Another patient is a man who returned recently from Japan and infected his daughter, son-in-law and niece," Suhum said.
"The 81st patient is a 20-year-old female student who returned from Japan, while the 82nd patient is a TV actor and owner of a boxing camp, who is now being treated at Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok," Suhum added.
The actor, Matthew Dean on Saturday posted on his social media page warning those who have been in contact with him, saying "Hello, I'm Matthew. This is NOT a joke, for those that have been in close contact with me the last few days please take precautions I have the COVID-19."
All staff working on the same floor of a Thai TV station building with Dean were asked to stay home for a 14-day quarantine period.
The floor of the TV station building was later cleansed with disinfectants.
AFGHANISTAN
The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 10 in Afghanistan after three new cases were recorded, reported local media on Saturday.
"Three more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in eastern Kapisa and northern Samangan and Balkh provinces," reported Tolo News TV, citing public health ministry officials.
Seven out of the 10 positive cases were imported as the patients were returned from Iran. However, it was not immediately known whether the three new cases were imported or locally infected.
A total of 52 suspected cases are still under investigation in the country's national laboratories in Kabul, according to the report.
INDIA
The number of COVID-19 cases in India on Saturday rose to 83, India's federal health ministry officials said.
"The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India is 83," a statement issued by India's federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. "Of these, 66 cases are Indian nationals and 17 are foreign nationals."
On Friday the number of cases in the country was 81.
The fresh cases have been reported in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Indian health ministry on Friday confirmed the death of a 68-year-old woman because of COVID-19. This is the second COVID-19 death in the country.
On Thursday India reported the first COVID-19 death. The victim 76-year-old man who died in the southwest Indian state of Karnataka on Tuesday was infected with COVID-19. He had a travel history to Saudi Arabia.
The Indian government declared masks, including N95, and hand sanitizers as "essential commodities" in the wake of the coronavirus scare leading to shortages and black marketing of these items.
Authorities in many states have closed educational institutions and cinema halls until March 31 as a precautionary measure. Even the major sporting events have been cancelled. People have been urged to avoid unnecessary foreign travel and mass gatherings.
VIETNAM
Total confirmed novel coronavirus cases have risen to 53 in Vietnam after three Vietnamese and a Czech national were confirmed to be infected, the country's Ministry of Health announced on Saturday afternoon.
The total confirmed cases in Hanoi have risen to nine, while Ho Chi Minh City and Quang Ninh have so far confirmed seven and five cases of infection respectively.
A total of 16 of the 53 confirmed cases in Vietnam have been discharged from hospital. The country has seen 37 new infections, among which 13 are foreigners, since March 6.
Vietnam announced on Saturday that it will temporarily suspend the entry of tourists who having been in or transited through Schengen countries or Britain within 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival in Vietnam from Sunday. The suspension will be in effect for 30 days, not applicable to those who arrive on diplomatic or official purposes.
The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will stop carrying passengers from London, Paris and Frankfurt to Vietnam from Sunday, Vietnam News Agency reported Saturday, adding that flights from Vietnam to Europe are still available to bring European passengers back to their countries.
THE MALDIVES
Maldives Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed the island country's ninth COVID-19 infection, local media reported here Saturday.
According to the HPA, a foreign citizen has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Anantara Dhigu Resort on South Male Atoll.
The HPA did not confirm whether the foreigner was an employee or a tourist but said that 11 individuals who came into contact with the patient have been quarantined.
The HPA said that it is taking samples from foreign nationals at several resorts and imposing home isolation as a precautionary measure.
Earlier this week, Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen declared a state of public health emergency for 30 days and officials have taken steps to limit public gatherings.
INDONESIA
Twenty-seven new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Indonesia, bringing the total in the country to 96, the government said on Saturday.
The death toll stands at five.
Governor of the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta Anies Baswedan on Saturday said schools in the capital city will be closed for two weeks beginning on March 16, amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
The closure, he said, was made in a bid to avoid further infections of the COVID-19 on children in the schools.
"The Jakarta administration has decided to close all the schools in the province and (all the schools) will conduct long distance learning courses," the governor said.
CAMBODIA
Cambodia's Ministry of Education on Saturday issued a statement allowing all public and private school students in capital Phnom Penh and Siem Reap city to take an early vacation in a bid to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.
The early vocation starts from March 14, the statement said.
The short-term vacation for students is usually from April 6 to 20 of the year, but the ministry allowed the early holiday this year as the kingdom has subsequently detected COVID-19 cases on foreigners from different countries, it said.
"During the short-term vacation, all parents and legal guardians should advise their children to study at home by themselves," the statement said.
It also urged people, particularly children, to avoid going to public swimming pools, sports facilities, and playgrounds, among others.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Health also announced restrictions on visitors travelling to Cambodia through five countries in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
"The Ministry of Health decided to temporarily ban foreigners from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and the United States from entering Cambodia for 30 days," Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.
He said the restrictions will take effect from March 17 at midnight.
These latest measures came after Cambodia has recorded a total of seven COVID-19 patients, including a Chinese man, a Cambodian man, three British nationals, a Canadian man, and a Belgian man.
The Chinese patient has recovered and returned to China, and the Cambodian patient is receiving treatment at the Siem Reap provincial hospital, and the rest are being treated at hospitals in Phnom Penh.
NEW ZEALAND
All travellers entering New Zealand will have to self-isolate for 14 days as the New Zealand government announced a series of new restrictions on Saturday to protect the country from the COVID-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the new border restriction on Saturday afternoon after a cabinet meeting.
According to the new rules, all travellers will have to self-isolate on their arrival in New Zealand, apart from those coming from the Pacific Islands. All passenger cruise ships are also being asked not to come to New Zealand until June 30. New Zealanders are also encouraged to avoid all non-essential travel overseas.
New Zealand is also stepping up its actions at the border as a key departure route to the Pacific. Strict new health measures will be used at the New Zealand border for people departing to the Pacific countries, Ardern said.
The border restriction measures, deemed to be the toughest in New Zealand history, will be in effect as of midnight Sunday. These measures will be reviewed in 16 days.
Ardern described the decision as "unprecedented," saying "this is an unprecedented time. While we don't have community transmission here, now is the time to prepare. And we can all play a role in that."
There are currently six confirmed cases in New Zealand. Four of the cases did not need hospital care.
