A man wearing a face mask works at Liz Fashion Industry Limited, a garment manufacturer, in Gazipur on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh on Jan. 3, 2021. (Xinhua)
-- Indonesia reports 9,086 new cases, 295 new deaths
-- Japan's Suga vows to go ahead with Olympics, curb virus resurgence in policy speech
-- India's tally rises to 10,571,773
-- Australians urge PM to rebuke MP for COVID disinformation: poll
HONG KONG, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific countries on Monday:
DHAKA -- Bangladesh recorded 697 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16 new deaths, bringing its total tally to 528,329 with 7,922 deaths, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
The Bangladeshi government has approved two new COVID-19 stimulus packages of 27 billion taka to support small and medium enterprises and low-income communities.
A health worker prepares a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jan. 14, 2021. (Photo by Arya Manggala/Xinhua)
JAKARTA -- The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 9,086 in the past 24 hours to 917,015, with the death toll adding by 295 to 26,282, the Health Ministry said.
According to the ministry, 9,475 more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 745,935.
People walk at Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)
TOKYO -- The Japanese Diet opened Monday with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowing to go ahead with preparations to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, in the face of growing public opposition amid a surge in COVID-19 infections across the country.
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso vowed to revive the country's economy badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and boost structural reforms for the future.
A boy wearing a face mask skates at a market in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan, 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)
BANGKOK -- Thailand recorded 369 new cases of COVID-19, mostly through active testing in Samut Sakhon province, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Of the total new cases, 357 were domestic infections while 12 others were reported in arrivals from abroad who tested positive after entering Thailand, CCSA spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan said.
People wearing face masks walk at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City, the Philippines, Jan. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
MANILA -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 2,163 new daily confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the highest in more than two months in this Southeast Asian country.
The last time the daily new cases in the Philippines exceeded Monday's number was on Nov. 8, 2020, which stood at 2,442.
A woman wearing a face mask walks in a market in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)
SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the country will be able to achieve faster herd immunity against COVID-19 than other countries under the planned vaccination program.
The country reported 389 more cases of COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 72,729.
The daily caseload fell below 400 in 54 days since Nov. 25, but it hovered above 100 since Nov. 8 owing to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases.
Health workers wait in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Mumbai, India, Jan. 16, 2021. (Photo by Fariha Farooqui/Xinhua)
NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,571,773 as 13,788 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, according to the latest data from the federal health ministry.
According to the official data, the death toll mounted to 152,419 as 145 COVID-19 patients died since Sunday morning.
People walk past the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
CANBERRA -- Three quarters of Australians have called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to censure a member of parliament over COVID-19 disinformation.
A poll published by the think tank Australia Institute found that 76 percent of Australians agreed that Morrison "has a responsibility to clearly and publicly criticize" members of his governing Liberal National Party coalition who spread misinformation about the pandemic.
The head of Australia's Department of Health has revealed that it is unlikely that the country's borders will be cast open in 2021.
Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2020 shows houses in suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)
WELLINGTON -- New Zealand has reported six new cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation since the last media statement on Sunday.
There are no new cases in the community. One of the new cases is classified as historical and deemed not infectious, said a health ministry statement on Monday.■