A policeman stands at a checkpoint in Quezon city, metropolitan Manila, Philippines, early on March 15, 2020, as thousands of police, backed by the army and coast guard, started sealing the densely populated capital from most domestic travelers in one of Southeast Asia's most drastic containment moves against the coronavirus. (AARON FAVILA / AP)

MELBOURNE/SEOUL/TOKYO/MANILA/CAIRO/BANGKOK/JAKARTA – Thailand on Sunday saw the biggest daily jump in COVID-19 case, with 32 reported, bringing the total number to 114.

Among the 32 cases, nine involved visiting a boxing stadium in Bangkok, three had contacts with tourists in a restaurant at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and one was a civil servant who was infected while on duty in Spain, said Dr. Suhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Public Health.

INDONESIA

As many as 21 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Indonesia, bringing the total number to 117, the government said on Sunday.

"Today we recorded 21 new cases, 19 of which were found in Jakarta and 2 were in Central Java," the government spokesperson for all coronavirus-related matters Achmad Yurianto told a press conference at the State Palace in Jakarta. 

JAPAN

The number of coronavirus infections in Japan rose to 1,484 on Sunday, increasing by a faster pace than the previous day, public broadcaster NHK reported. 

The total number includes 697 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and 14 returnees on charter flights from China, according to NHK data.

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One more patient died, taking the tally to 29. It includes seven from the cruise ship.

AUSTRALIA

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said all people arriving from overseas will have to self-isolate for 14 days, as his government stepped up efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The order will come into force at midnight, Morrison said in a televised address Sunday. The country will also ban cruise ships from foreign ports from docking in Australia for 30 days and will prohibit mass gatherings of 500 people or more, though schools will remain open.

“We know that the virus cannot be absolutely stopped,” Morrison told reporters after a meeting of the national Cabinet. “But we can slow the spread” to protect the most vulnerable in society.

In Australia, some 250 people have been infected, from 197 on Saturday, health authorities said. Morrison said his Cabinet would now meet via teleconference as part of social distancing measures. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is in isolation after testing positive.

SOUTH KOREA

The country reported 76 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, an all-time low since Feb 20, when the country saw a surge of over 500 in four days.

The country’s total tally stands at 8,162, and marks the third day in a row in which the number of released patients are greater than the number of newly-confirmed cases overnight. Three more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 75.

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A total of 120 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 834.

IRAN

Iran said Saturday the coronavirus outbreak has killed another 97 people, pushing the death toll in the country to 611.

Iran is suffering from the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with 12,729 cases and even senior officials testing positive. 

PHILIPPINES

Metro Manila, a region of 12 million people, entered a month-long lockdown on Sunday, with schools and government offices largely shut, as the number of local COVID-19 cases climbed this week.

The move comes as President Rodrigo Duterte considers a plan to impose a curfew on the area to try and contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Hours after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said Saturday that a 8 pm to 5 am curfew will be implemented from Sunday until April 14, Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo said the president had yet to approve the measure. 

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 111 and eight people have died after contracting the virus. 

ISRAEL

Israel plans to use anti-terrorism tracking technology and a partial shutdown of its economy to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday.

Cyber tech monitoring would be deployed to locate people who have been in contact with those carrying the virus, subject to cabinet approval, said Netanyahu.

Israel’s Health Ministry said 193 people have tested positive, with no fatalities. Many had been on international flights in the past two weeks.

Firefighters disinfect a street against the new coronavirus, in western Tehran, Iran, March 13, 2020. (VAHID SALEMI / AP)

INDIA

The number of COVID-19 cases in India on Sunday rose to 93 from 84. Of the patients, 76 cases are Indian and the rest foreign nationals. 

The nine fresh cases have been reported from Kerala, Rajasthan, Indian-controlled Kashmir and Maharashtra.

YEMEN

The country’s Saudi-backed government said on Saturday it was suspending all flights to and from airports under its control for two weeks starting on March 18.

A statement from the office of Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed said the suspension exempted flights for humanitarian purposes. 

KUWAIT

Kuwait decided on Saturday to close all shopping malls except for those related to food supplies, the state news agency reported on Twitter. 

All children’s entertainment centers and male and female salons will be closed to halt the spread of coronavirus, added the agency.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday it was shutting major tourism and cultural venues to contain the spread of coronavirus and announced a US$27-billion plan to counter the outbreak’s economic impact.

The UAE, which has reported 85 coronavirus infections but no deaths, and other Gulf Arab states are intensifying measures to halt the virus as the number of cases rises. 

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have taken the most drastic steps, cancelling all international flights.

BANGLADESH 

The country announced on Saturday it would suspend all flights from European countries, excluding Britain, as it confirmed two more COVID-19 cases.

Starting Monday, the suspension will continue until March 31 and on-arrival visas will also be suspended for at least two weeks, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen announced in Dhaka.

Passengers from the countries which stopped flights with Bangladesh won’t be allowed entry either, he added.