Residents spray disinfectant amid fears of the new coronavirus outbreak at a housing complex in Pamulang, outside Jakarta, Indonesia, March 28, 2020. (TATAN SYUFLANA / AP)

SYDNEY / AMMAN / TOKYO / SEOUL / NEW DELHI / MUSCAT / HANOI / MANILA / YANGON / KATHMANDU / DUBAI / BAGHDAD / KABUL / WELLINGTON /  PHNOM PENH / JAKARTA / BANGKOK  — Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday he planned stricter rules on mobility and social distancing as a study presented to the government warned that more than 140,000 people could die from the coronavirus by May unless it takes tougher action.

Indonesia accounts for nearly half of the 250 deaths reported across Southeast Asia, but some officials and experts believe a lack of testing has masked the scale of the outbreak

Medical experts have said the world’s fourth most populous country must impose tighter movement restrictions as known cases of the highly infectious respiratory illness have gone from zero in early March to 1,414, with 122 deaths.

Indonesia accounts for nearly half of the 250 deaths reported across Southeast Asia, but some officials and experts believe a lack of testing has masked the scale of the outbreak.

Most infections in Indonesia have been concentrated in and around the capital Jakarta. The city of 10 million has declared a state of emergency, shutting down schools and public entertainment, but so far there has been no full public lockdown which the president has been reluctant to impose.

Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan said on Monday he had asked Widodo to approve a regional quarantine, “effectively a lockdown” for Jakarta.

He told Reuters he doubted the central government’s death tolls and had been informed by hospitals that 283 patients had died of a “contagious disease” but were treated with “Covid-19 protocols”.

“There’s a backlog in testing and limited numbers of people being tested,” Baswedan said, asking central authorities to act with more urgency.

“The hospitals have been informing us that patients had contagious disease’, but they are not saying COVID19.”

Official data puts the death toll in Jakarta at 74.

Migrant workers and their family members walk on a highway to go to their village during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ahmedabad on March 28, 2020. (SAM PANTHAKY / AFP)

India

India has no plans to extend a 21-day lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the government said on Monday, as it struggled to keep essential supplies flowing and prevent tens of thousands of out-of-work people fleeing to the countryside.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the country’s 1.3 billion people to remain indoors until April 15 saying that was the only hope to stop the epidemic. But the order has left millions of impoverished Indians jobless and hungry.

Defying the lockdown, hundreds of thousands of workers who live on daily wages left big cities like Delhi and Mumbai on foot for their homes in the countryside, many with families. They said they had no food or money.

India has 1,071 cases of the coronavirus of whom 29 have died, the health ministry said on Monday. 

The government on Sunday ordered authorities in states to stop the migrant workers from moving and to set up shelters on highways where stranded people can get access to food and water until the lockdown is lifted.

Japan

Japan has no plan to declare a state of emergency from April, its top government spokesman said on Monday, seeking to dispel mounting fears a recent spike in coronavirus cases could lead to a first-ever lockdown of the capital, Tokyo.

As the number of infections grows globally, however, Japan will raise its defenses against imported cases by banning the entry of foreigners traveling from the United States, China, South Korea and most of Europe, the Asahi newspaper reported on Monday.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the government had not made any decision on bans.

 “It’s not true that the government is planning on declaring a state of emergency from April 1,” Yoshihide Suga, the government’s top spokesman, told a news conference.

Suga also said an expected telephone call between Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), later on Monday had nothing to do with any decision on whether to call a state of emergency.

In an effort to limit the economic damage of the outbreak, the government also plans to issue more government bond, by US$149 billion from July, to fund a massive stimulus package, sources told Reuters.

Prime Minister Abe has pledged to deploy a huge stimulus package, bigger than one compiled during the global financial crisis, to combat the outbreak, which had infected nearly 1,900 people in Japan, with 56 deaths, as of Sunday.

Those numbers exclude 712 cases and 10 deaths from a cruise ship that was moored near Tokyo last month, public broadcaster NHK said.

South Korea

South Korea will make an emergency cash payment to most families and draw up a second supplementary budget next month in a bid to ease the drawn-out economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, President Moon Jae-in said on Monday.

Moon, after an emergency meeting with economic policymakers, said an “emergency disaster relief payment” of up to 1 million won (US$816) would be made to all households except the top 30 percent by income.

Citizens suffered from the coronavirus and they all deserve to be rewarded for their pain and participation in preventive efforts

Moon Jae-in, President, South Korea

Moon said he would prepare another extra budget for parliamentary approval in April and some small- and medium-sized companies would be exempt from paying partial insurance and utility bills starting this month.

“Citizens suffered from the coronavirus and they all deserve to be rewarded for their pain and participation in preventive efforts,” Moon told the meeting in comments broadcast on television.

The new package is the latest in a recent series of steps the government has taken to ease the pressure on Asia’s fourth-largest economy as it grapples with a major coronavirus outbreak.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 78 new cases on Monday, at least 13 of whom were people who arrived from abroad, most of them South Koreans.

The national tally stood at 9,661, while the death toll rose by 6 to 158. The KCDC said 195 more people had recovered from the virus for a total of 5,228.

People wearing face masks amid concerns over the novel coronavirus, walk through an alleyway in Seoul on Marh 24, 2020. (ED JONES / AFP)

Australia

Australia will spend A$130 billion (US$79.85 billion) to subsidise the wages of an estimated 6 million people, marking a third tranche of stimulus designed to limit the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s economy.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the six months of funding was necessary to ensure businesses were able to retain staff and were able to bounce back when the crisis had passed.

The “job keeper” allowance announced on Monday will provide eligible companies with A$1,500 every fortnight for six months for each employee. Any company that lost 30 percent of its revenue can apply for the funds.

The allowance brings the country’s coronavirus-related stimulus so far to A$320 billion, or about 15 percent of Australia’s gross domestic product, as it also ramps up social distancing measures in a bid to capitalise on a slowdown in the growth rate of new infections nationally.

Australia has one of the lowest numbers of coronavirus infections globally and reported that the rate of new cases has halved in the past week. Around 4,200 people have tested positive nationally, and the death toll stands at 18.

But officials have warned against complacency, and introduced new measures including restrictions to public gatherings to just two people and shutting down outside gyms and parks.

Several states are bringing in penalties from midnight including fines of up to A$1,600 and the potential of a six month jail term for anybody found breaching the new rules.

ALSO READ: Mandatory quarantine for all entering S. Korea from Apr 1

Two young women in face masks walk along a quiet Circular Quay in Sydney on March 25, 2020. (SAEED KHAN / AFP)

Syria

Syria’s health ministry said on Sunday that a woman who died after being rushed to hospital for emergency treatment was found to have been infected by coronavirus in the country’s first officially reported death from the disease.

Syria also said its confirmed cases rose to nine from an earlier five cases, but medics and witnesses say there are many more. Officials deny a cover-up but have imposed a lockdown and draconian measures including a nationwide night curfew to stem the pandemic.

The moves to shut businesses, schools, universities, mosques and most government offices, as well as stop public transport, have spread fear among war-weary residents.

Iran

Iran had 117 new coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,757, a health ministry spokesman said on Monday, prompting the Middle East’s worst hit country to consider tougher curbs on movement.

The total number of infections climbed to 41,495.

“In the past 24 hours we had 117 new deaths and 3,186 new confirmed cases of people infected with the coronavirus,” Kianush Jahanpur told state TV, calling on Iranians to stay at home.

Iran has had an intercity travel ban since Thursday and the government has extended the closure of universities and schools and the suspension of all cultural, religious and sports events.

“If necessary, we might impose tougher measures as our priority is the nation’s safety and health,” said Iran’s first Vice President, Eshaq Jahangiri, according to state TV.

Iran last week warned of a surge of cases as many Iranians ignored calls to avoid traveling for Persian New Year holidays that started on March 20.

To stem the spread of the virus in crowded jails, Iran’s judiciary on Sunday extended furloughs for 100,000 prisoners. On March 17, Iran said it had freed about 85,000 people from jail temporarily, including political prisoners.

Iranian media on Monday, citing the governor of Iran’s Fars province, Enayatollah Rahimi, reported that prisoners at one prison “broke cameras and caused other damage in two sections of the prison where violent criminals are kept”.

The state news agency IRNA said similar riots had erupted in other prisons since March 20. Families have called for the release of all prisoners.

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was self-isolating on Monday after a parliamentary aide tested positive for coronavirus, though an initial investigation determined the 70-year-old was unlikely to have been infected, officials said.

Netanyahu was scheduled to undergo a coronavirus test by Tuesday, the officials said. A previous test, on March 15, found the premier to be negative.

Israel’s Health Ministry regulations generally require 14-day self-isolation for anyone deemed to have been in proximity with a carrier, with the duration reduced for the number of days that have passed since the suspected exposure.

Israeli media said the infected aide had been present at a parliament session last week attended by Netanyahu as well as opposition lawmakers with whom he is trying to build an emergency coalition government to help address the coronavirus crisis.

“The preliminary assessment is that there is no need for the PM to self-isolate as he was not in close contact with the patient, nor did he meet with her,” an Israeli official said.

In a subsequent statement, the official said Netanyahu had “decided that he and his personal staff will be in isolation until the epidemiological investigation is completed”.

Israel has reported 4,347 cases and 15 fatalities. With the Health Ministry warning that the dead could eventually number in the thousands, Netanyahu was due on Monday to convene officials on Monday to discuss a proposed lockdown of some of the country.

The Israeli official said Netanyahu has been following medical advice and holding most meetings by video-conference.

Palestine

Palestine on Sunday announced the application of austere emergency budget and financial restraint on government expenses in light of shrinking revenues amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Palestinian Authority's revenues are expected to drop significantly, but the government will remain committed to the payment of the public servant's salaries, which is one of the major governmental expenditures, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtayeh said during a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Ishtayeh said that Palestine's financial needs to face this pandemic are estimated at US$120 million, which would cause the budget deficit to double, and lead to significant losses to the national economy.

On Sunday, the Palestinian government said that the total number of coronavirus patients in the Palestinian territories has reached 108.

READ MORE: Singapore advises public to stay indoors and buy food online

Jordan

Jordan on Sunday confirmed the second death of the novel coronavirus among the 259 total infection cases.

In addition, 18 patients have recovered, the minister noted.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh said all those who were quarantined at hotels in Amman and the Dead Sea will be sent home starting Monday after completing the necessary period in quarantine.

They will sign papers pledging a home quarantine for no fewer than 14 days, Adaileh said, adding the number of violators of the curfew is on the decline.

The government has decided to extend the public holiday of all public institutions for two more weeks ending mid-April, the minister noted.

Oman

The Omani Ministry of Health on Sunday confirmed 15 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 167.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, all the new cases are Omani citizens and 23 cases of the total infections have recovered.

The ministry called on citizen to observe the procedures for quarantine, not to go to public places or places of worship, and to ensure public hygiene.

Singapore

Singapore confirmed 35 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total tally to 879.

Nine of the 35 cases were imported while the others were locally transmitted.

The Southeast Asian city-state suffered its third coronavirus-related death on Sunday.

A total of 404 still being hospitalized are in stable condition, while 19 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Another 206 cases who are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 are isolated at hospitals and a community isolation facility.

A 42-year-old nurse at a hospital with no travel history to affected countries or regions has been confirmed infected, becoming the second confirmed case from the public healthcare sector.

Vietnam

Vietnam has asked local mask producers to ramp up their production to make 5 million masks a day, the government said on Monday, as coronavirus cases in the country rise to 200.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Sunday agreed to suspend all inbound flights to the country in the next two weeks in an effort to better control the COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Vietnam will also reduce domestic flights starting from Monday until April 15, only allowing each Vietnamese carrier to operate flight routes between the capital city of Hanoi and the southern Ho Chi Minh City as well as those between these two cities and Da Nang, Phu Quoc with a frequency of one flight per day for each route, the news agency reported Sunday.

The Philippines

The Philippines’ health ministry on Monday reported seven new coronavirus deaths and 128 more infections.

Total deaths have risen to 78 and infections to 1,546, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a regular news conference. With the arrival of thousands of testing kits and the start of operations of more laboratories, authorities are able to detect more infections, she added.

Myanmar 

Myanmar's Yangon International Airport announced on Sunday that the landing of all international commercial passenger flights will not be allowed in all Myanmar airports with effect from March 30 to April 13 to contain COVID-19 spread, according to a notice from the Ministry of Health and Sports and the Department of Civil Aviation.

The temporary measures will not affect relief flights, all-cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, and special flights specifically approved by the Department of Civil Aviation.

If any such flight involves night stop, the crew of the said flight may be subject to quarantine requirements by the Ministry of Health and Sports, the announcement said.

Myanmar has reported eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country so far.

Nepal

As the number of the COVID-19 cases keeps rising in Nepal, the Nepali government on Sunday decided to extend the ongoing lockdown by eight days.

Nepal has now five confirmed COVID-19 cases. According to Nepal's Health Ministry, it has so far tested 917 samples and 912 were tested negative.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia halted entry and exit into Jeddah governorate on Sunday, expanding lockdown rules as it reported four new deaths from a coronavirus outbreak that continues to spread in the region despite drastic measures to contain it.

The Saudi health ministry said four more foreign residents, in Jeddah and Medina, had died from the virus, taking the total to eight. The kingdom confirmed 96 new infections to raise its tally to 1,299, the highest among Gulf Arab states.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have imposed partial curfews and the UAE has imposed an overnight curfew until April 5 under a nationwide campaign to sterilize streets and public venues.

UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi announced coronavirus-related fines, including 50,000 dirhams (US$13,000) for non-compliance with home quarantine orders and 3,000 dirhams for violating the curfew.

Kuwait and the UAE have also halted passenger flights at main airports. 

Qatar Airways, one of the few airlines maintaining scheduled commercial passenger services, will continue to fly, Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told Reuters, but warned the carrier could soon run out of cash and seek state support.

Iraq

Iraq has recorded 547 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths, most of them in the past week. 

Health authorities said there were at least 11 cases of coronavirus in the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala among pilgrims who returned last week from Syria after visiting a Shi’ite shrine there, according to the governor of Kerbala.

Afghanistan 

Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry on Monday confirmed 22 new cases of COVID-19, all related to western Herat province, bringing the total in the country to 145.

The total number also included four US and NATO-led coalition soldiers.

The Afghan Public Health Ministry also confirmed three deaths. Five infected people were discharged from hospitals after treatment.

To stem the spread of COVID 19, the government has imposed a 21-day curfew in Kabul city which came into effect on Saturday, and the same measure was also imposed in three western cites of Herat, Farah and Zaranj days ago.

New Zealand

New Zealand reported 75 new confirmed and one probable cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable infections to 589 in the country.

There have been no additional deaths related to COVID-19 after a death of a woman in her 70s was reported on Sunday, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield from the Ministry of Health said at a press conference.

There are 63 reported cases that have recovered, Bloomfield said, adding 12 people were currently in hospital with COVID-19, with three of them expected to be discharged soon.

Over the last seven days, the average daily test number is 1,728, he said, adding the laboratories are working to process and report test results "as quickly as possible."

Cambodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered all casinos to close to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Cambodia reported four new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing its tally to 107, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The new cases included a 30-year old man who had worked in a casino and karaoke club in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey, near the border with Thailand, the ministry said.

Thailand 

Thailand’s new stimulus package to cope with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak should be “bigger” than those already introduced, the country’s finance minister said on Monday.

The package will cover overall economic parts and is being worked out by the ministry, the central bank and relevant agencies, Uttama Savanayana told a news conference.

Thailand’s public health ministry said on Monday that two more people have died from the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to nine.

The two deaths included a 54-year-old Thai man in the southern province of Yala who had recently returned from Malaysia, and a 56-year-old Thai woman in Bangkok, said Anupong Sujariyakul, a senior official at the public health ministry’s Department of Disease Control.

The two died on Sunday, he said.

Earlier on Monday, Thailand reported 136 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number of infections to 1,524.