Passengers check in for their flights at Christchurch Airport in New Zealand, Monday, March 16, 2020. (MARK BAKER / AP)

TOKYO / DUBAI / CARIO / SEOUL - The Philippines is stopping the issuance of visas to foreigners, banning all nationalities from entering the country to halt the spread of coronavirus, its foreign minister said on Thursday. 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin added that outgoing foreign visitors will be allowed to leave but did not give a timeframe for the measures.

The Philippines’ health ministry on Thursday reported 15 new coronavirus infections, bringing the country’s total to 217, as more than half of the 107 million population is in the early part of a month-long quarantine.

The health ministry also announced that one patient has recovered, increasing the tally to eight, adding that deaths from the outbreak remain at 17.

New Zealand 

New Zealand closed its borders to all foreigners from midnight on Thursday, as it stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

New Zealand on Thursday advised its citizens not to travel overseas due to the risks posed by the coronavirus. “We are raising our travel advice to the highest level: do not travel,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. 

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) said the banking system has plenty of cash on hand to meet demand under any circumstances, addressing concerns of cash availability amid the coronavirus pandemic.of emergency.

Earlier on Thursday, New Zealand confirmed eight new cases of coronavirus linked to overseas travel, taking the total number of infections in the country to 28.

READ MORE: Coronavirus surges across Southeast Asia

Empty seats ring the field during a One Day International cricket match between Australia and New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Friday, March 13, 2020. (DEAN LEWINS /AAP via AP)

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday all non-citizens and non-residents would be banned from entering the country from 9 pm Friday.

Australia's central bank and government announced support packages on Thursday that will pump around A$100 billion (US$56 billion) into the economy, as they seek to cushion the blow from the global coronavirus epidemic. 

The Reserve Bank of Australia slashed interest rates in an out-of-cycle cut to 0.25% and embarked on a quantitative easing programme for the first time, while the government unveiled A$15 billion in loan support for small and medium lenders.

Australia's national carrier Qantas has halted all international flights and temporarily stood down two thirds of its workforce, in an effort to endure mass travel disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds declared that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) stands ready to provide support "if needed."

Indigenous health leaders warned Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the "devastation" COVID-19 could wreak on remote communities. 

They recommended the PM declaring the communities as special isolation zones and that anyone who wants to enter the special control areas would first be subjected to 14-day isolation periods.

As of Thursday morning there have been 565 confirmed cases of COVID-19 according to the Department of Health, an increase of 111 cases, or 24.4 percent from Wednesday morning.

Singapore

Singapore's health authority has reported 32 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of infected patients here to 345.

This is a drop from the 47 new cases recorded on Wednesday, the biggest daily spike of infection in the city-state since the start of the outbreak.

Of these new cases, 24 are imported cases. All were returning residents and long-term pass holders, said the Ministry of Health.

They had traveled to Europe, as well as to North America and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Afghanistan

The Afghan government has further toughened measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, closing wedding halls, restaurants, sports complexes and public baths. 

The Interior Ministry has noticed the owners of restaurants, wedding halls, swimming pools and the sports complexes to stop their activities until further notice.

Bangladesh

A total of 17 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Bangladesh with three more testing positive on Thursday.

The three patients from one family were believed to have been infected by a relative who recently returned from Italy.

A Cambodian Buddhist monk walks in front of a closed school in fear of the new coronavirus, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 18, 2020. (HENG SINITH / AP)

Cambodia 

Cambodia decided to shutter its borders with Vietnam with effect from midnight of March 18, 2020 in a bid to curb the spread of the COVID-19, as the confirmed cases in the kingdom have increased to 37.

Vietnam had imposed travel restrictions requiring 14-day mass quarantine and self-quarantine of all travelers from ASEAN countries, including Vietnamese who return home.

Fiji

Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced on Thursday that a 27-year-old man from Fiji's second largest city of Lautoka was confirmed as the country's coronavirus infection. 

The Fijian national flight attendant came back from Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday. He had a history of being in San Francisco, the United States within 14 days. 

The prime minister added the patient is in stable condition and is being monitored by health officials. He also announced stricter travel restrictions to international travellers.

India

India barred all international flights from landing in the country for a week starting March 22, as it widened measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The federal government also asked states to enforce work-from-home for all private sector employees except those working in emergency and essential services, the state-run Press Information Bureau said in a statement. It advised citizens above 65 years and children below 10 years to stay at home.

Taking precautionary measures to check the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Indian capital city, the Delhi Government on Thursday shut down all schools and restaurants till March end.

As per the ban, eating at the restaurants would be prohibited, though food take-away would be allowed.

India blocked roads in Kashmir on Thursday after the insurgency-torn region reported its first case of coronavirus, as several other parts of the country imposed restrictions on public gatherings in attempts to prevent its spread.

The country has 169 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to India's federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. "Of these, 144 cases are Indian nationals and 25 are foreign nationals." 

The number includes three who have died because of the COVID-19 in the country.

Indonesia 

Indonesia needs to immediately widen its testing for coronavirus to ensure detection of more infections, President Joko Widodo said on Thursday. 

A rally of Muslim pilgrims that is drawing thousands of people to Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province has been postponed amid fears that it could help spread the new coronavirus, a local official said.

Indonesia announced 82 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, marking the biggest daily rise and taking the total number of confirmed cases to 309. The toll rose by six to 25, the majority of which were reported in Jakarta.

ALSO READ: Duterte declares state of calamity, India closes Taj Mahal

A worker sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in a playground in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam, March 18, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

Iran

Iran’s death toll from coronavirus jumped to 1,284 on Thursday, the health ministry said, with the total number of infections rising to 18,407 in the Islamic Republic, the worst-affected country in the Middle East.

The spread of the virus has dampened Iran’s celebrations for the Nowruz new year that begin on Friday. Authorities have urged people to stay home and avoid travelling during the new year holidays to help contain coronavirus contagion.

The government has ordered the closure of schools and universities and banned sports, cultural and religious gatherings.

Iran will not celebrate its annual national nuclear day because of the coronavirus outbreak, the country's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi told state TV.

Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday lockdown orders would be issued unless people stepped up compliance with guidelines urging them to stay at home to help halt the spread of the coronavirus in Israel.

In a new measure for containing infections, the Health Ministry said it alerted people who had been exposed to coronavirus carriers, based on information it gleaned through “technological means” - an apparent reference to cyber-surveillance on loan from the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency.

The number of the novel coronavirus cases in Israel has risen to 529, the Israeli Ministry of Health said Thursday.

Japan

Japan’s Hokkaido, the nation’s prefecture with the highest number of coronavirus infections, will end its state of emergency over the epidemic on Thursday, the prefecture governor, Naomichi Suzuki, said. 

An expert panel guiding Japan's coronavirus response is due to recommend on Thursday that some schools can reopen though mass gatherings that could reignite the coronavirus outbreak should still be avoided.

Japan will look into offering cash payouts to households as part of a stimulus package that could be worth more than US$276 billion to combat the widening fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. 

A planned state visit to Britain by the emperor and empress of Japan in June has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.

As of 11:30 am on Thursday, one person infected by the COVID-19 virus had died in Osaka and three new cases were confirmed in Hyogo, Wakayama and Ibaraki prefectures, bringing the total number of cases to 924 (not including those linked to the Diamond Princess). The death toll in Japan currently stands at 39. 

The number of foreign visitors to Japan plunged 58% in February from a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday. 

Jordan

Jordan's army on Thursday sealed off the capital from the rest of the country as the kingdom puts its ten million inhabitants under a lockdown to try to combat the spread of coronavirus, witnesses and officials said.

The government has yet to announce a formal curfew but has asked people to stay in their homes and move only for emergencies.

Health Minister Saad Jaber said he expected the number of confirmed cases would rise from the current 56 before the measures to contain the spread took effect.

Kuwait 

Kuwait reported six new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 148, the Health Ministry announced Thursday.

Among them, 18 cases recovered and five cases are in the ICU with two in stable and three in critical conditions.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Minister of Health Bassel Al-Sabah issued decrees on Wednesday to ban different types of social gatherings, including weddings and feasts within the framework of COVID-19 preventative measures.

A sign is placed at a deserted at Hokkaido sushi bar, on March 16, 2020, in Jupiter, Fla. (JULIO CORTEZ)

Laos 

The Lao government has suspended the issuance of visas for foreign tourists for 30 days and suspended all levels of education to prevent COVID-19, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has announced

 All types of visas on arrival and electronic visas (E-visas) are suspended, the premier said on Wednesday as he concluded the first day of the monthly cabinet meeting for March, held in Lao capital Vientiane, when measures to prevent and control the virus dominated the discussion.

Malaysia 

Malaysia reported 110 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, with the total number of cases increasing to 900. 

Most of the new cases were linked to an religious gathering at a mosque attended by 16,000 people, the health ministry said.

The authorities are scrambling to track down about 2,000 Rohingya men who attended the Muslim religious gathering.

Maldives 

The Maldives government on Thursday announced that all citizens arriving from foreign countries will be kept in isolation for 14 days.

The government warned that individuals violating isolation and quarantine measures announced to contain COVID-19 will be fined.

Maldives has 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has declared a State of Public Health Emergency.

Mongolia

Mongolia on Wednesday night evacuated 252 citizens from Turkey on a chartered flight, bringing the total number of Mongolian nationals evacuated from virus-hit countries to 982, the country's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

The government and State Emergency Commission mull over evacuating citizens who have no way of returning home. 

Oman 

The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday six new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 39.
The ministry said in a statement that all the new cases were Omani citizens, two of whom receiving hospital treatment while the rest being subject to home quarantine.

Pakistan

Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed its first two deaths from coronavirus as the total number of infected patients in the country climbed to 260, the health minister said on Twitter. 

Both deaths were reported from northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where so far 19 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed.

Palestine 

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye announced earlier in the day that his government has coordinated with Jordan and Egypt to close the borders for travellers but continue commercial movement.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin talked over the phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about dealing with the novel coronavirus crisis. 

The rare call came "in light of the coronavirus crisis and its effects on the region," a statement issued by the Israeli President's Residence said, adding it was the Israeli president who initiated the call to the Palestinian leader.

Municipality workers wearing face masks and protective suits clean the statue of Tunali Hilmi Bey, 1871-1928, a Turkish politician, as they disinfect Kugulu public garden amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Ankara, Turkey, March 17, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday the registration of 67 new COVID-19 cases, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The health ministry was quoted as saying that 45 cases were recorded two days ago coming from Britain, Turkey, Spain, Switzerland, France, Indonesia, and Iraq.

The ministry added that 11 cases were confirmed for persons who were in contact with previous cases, and the rest 11 cases are under investigation. 

The ministry stated that the total number of recorded cases of COVID-19 in the kingdom is 238, with the recovery of six cases while the rest are currently isolated in health facilities.

South Korea 

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged 50 trillion won (US$39 billion) in emergency financing for small businesses along with other stimulus measures to help shore up its economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus crisis.

The package is the latest in a string of steps the South Korean government has taken to curb pressure on Asia’s fourth-largest economy, including an interest rate cut, an extra 11.7 trillion won (US$9.12 billion) budget and more dollar supplies.

The government will issue loan guarantees for struggling small businesses with less than 100 million won (US$78,000) in annual revenue to ensure they can easily and cheaply get access to credit, Moon said.

The other measures include relaxing loan terms for small businesses and offering low interest loans. The government also promised to guarantee loans for those hit by the virus impact.

South Korea’s vice finance minister on Thursday said the government is preparing for a possible global credit crunch due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and vowed to deploy market stabilizing measures in a timely manner.

South Korea reported 152 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, reversing days of slowing infections after a new outbreak emerged in a nursing home in Daegu and taking the national tally to 8,565. The death toll rose by three to 94 as of late Thursday.

Sri Lanka 

Sri Lanka will not be in a position to conduct parliamentary elections in the country as scheduled on April 25 due to the coronavirus outbreak, Mahinda Deshapriya, the chairman of the country's election commission, said on Wednesday.

There have been over 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 detected in Sri Lanka so far.

Thailand

Thailand will introduce new measures requiring all travellers to the country to present medical certificates and health insurance before gaining entry in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Thursday.

Travellers to Thailand have to now show authorities a health certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before travelling, confirming that they have been tested and are free from the virus. They must also present an insurance policy showing minimum coverage for coronavirus of not less than US$100,000.

Thailand recorded 60 new coronavirus cases in the biggest daily jump in the number of cases so far to take its total infections to 272, a health official said on Thursday.

Among them, 43 infections were linked to earlier cases while others were arrivals from countries such as Italy, Malaysia, Japan, Iran. 

The country has recorded one death since the outbreak, with 42 patients having recovered and gone home and 229 still being treated in hospital.

Turkey

Turkish clothing retailers said on Thursday they were shutting stores and shopping centres were set to close due to the spread of the coronavirus. 

Turkey announced late on Wednesday a second death related to the coronavirus, a 61-year-old man, and said that the number of confirmed cases had nearly doubled to 191 from 98 a day earlier. 

“The test results today show that measures are very necessary. There are 93 new diagnosed case for which treatment has begun,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter. 

The number of cases had similarly doubled the previous day.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates suspended issuing all types of work permits starting Thursday until further notice as a precautionary measure against coronavirus spread, state news agency (WAM) reported late on Wednesday.

The decision excludes internal transportation permits and employment permits for Expo 2020, WAM added.

Vietnam 

Vietnam has made more facilities ready to be used as quarantine centers for 20,000 more people, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported Thursday.

Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, has advised its residents to self-isolate at home until at least the end of March, after Vietnam recorded the biggest daily increase of the coronavirus, the city's ruling body said on Thursday. 

Weeks after declaring the recovery of all 16 of its coronavirus sufferers, Vietnam has confirmed 76 cases of the virus, ten of which emerged on Wednesday, after authorities announced a surge in infections from overseas.