A signboard which reads "Beach Closed" is displayed at East Coast Park in Singapore on April 12, 2020, as the city-state tightens a partial lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

SINGAPORE / ULAN BATOR / PHNOM PENH / NEW DELHI / WELLINGTON / SEOUL / JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH / BAGHDAD / DAMASCUS / KABUL / VIENTIANE / KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA / MANILA / BANGKOK - Singapore will start imposing fines on first-timers who flout social-distancing rules, while those who aren’t wearing masks may be barred from entering some premises which provide essential services, as the spread of coronavirus in the city-state showed few signs of abating.

The government has closed beaches, and some areas of parks and nature reserves, saying “tougher measures” are necessary as safe-distancing measures aren’t being strictly followed. It is also making it mandatory for commuters to wear masks on public transport even after the end of a partial lockdown period.

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“In theory, we could keep most places open, so long as safe distancing measures are strictly adhered to,” Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “But increasingly we see that this is hard to achieve.”

The country reported its highest daily increase of infections Thursday with more than 200 of the 287 new cases linked to foreign worker dormitories, where inhabitants often stay in cramped conditions. The number of new cases were at 198 on Friday and 191 on Saturday, with many infections as yet unlinked to known clusters.

Singapore has banned social gatherings and shuttered most workplaces till at least May 4 as part of measures to slow the pace of infections. Schools are also closed, and only those providing essential services are allowed to remain open during what it’s calling a “circuit breaker” period. Starting Sunday, people visiting various markets, convenience stores, pharmacies and shopping malls will have to wear masks, or be denied entry, authorities said in a statement.

Afghanistan

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan has reached 600 as of Sunday morning with 45 new cases reported, a public health official said Sunday.

Forty-five COVID-19 new cases were detected in Afghanistan within last 24 hours, including 28 cases in the capital city Kabul and eight cases in southern Kandahar province," Wahidullah Mayar, spokesman of Ministry of Public Health, told at a press briefing.

Cambodia

Cambodia on Sunday confirmed that a foreign couple was tested positive for the COVID-19, raising the total number of the confirmed cases in the kingdom to 122.

The new patients are a 50-year-old Canadian man and his 24-year-old Vietnamese wife, said a Ministry of Health statement, adding that the man worked at a casino in capital Phnom Penh, and his wife came to Cambodia as a tourist and stayed at an apartment on St. 302 in the capital's Boeung Keng Kang I district.

India

India has recorded 31 new deaths and 827 new cases due to the coronavirus on Sunday, according to the federal health ministry.

The death toll reached 273 and the total number of confirmed cases stood at 8,356, with 7,367 active cases in the country.

On Saturday evening the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was 7,529 and the death toll was 242.

According to ministry officials, so far 716 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.

Indonesia 

Indonesia on Sunday reported 399 new cases of the coronavirus, its biggest daily jump so far, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,241, according to data provided by a health ministry official, Achmad Yurianto.

Yurianto said there were also 46 new coronavirus-related deaths, taking the total to 373.

Iraq

Iraqi Health Ministry on Saturday said that a total of 1,318 COVID-19 cases were confirmed and up to 72 deaths were recorded in Iraq.

Of the 39 cases confirmed during the past 24 hours, 12 were detected in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, nine in Basra, and five in Kirkuk, the ministry said in a statement.

So far, out of the total confirmed cases, 72 died and 601 others recovered, according to the statement.

Israel

Israel reported six new death cases from the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 101, the state's Ministry of Health said.

The ministry also reported 335 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number to 10,743.

Of the 659 patients being treated in hospitals across Israel, 175 are in serious condition.

Meanwhile, 1,341 others have recovered, the ministry added.

Laos

Laos confirmed 19th case of COVID-19 on Sunday, according to lao health minister.

Lao deputy Minister of Health, Phouthone Meaungpak told a press conference in capital city Vientiane on Sunday that the new case was a 21-year-old man living in Vientiane, who had a close contact with the 16th case confirmed on Thursday.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s health ministry reported 153 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, raising the cumulative total to 4,683, the highest in Southeast Asia.

The latest data includes three new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities from the outbreak to 76.

The ministry said 45 percent of all confirmed cases have recovered.

Mongolia

Mongolia has evacuated 282 citizens from Russia over the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said Sunday.

"Yesterday, our country evacuated a total of 282 citizens, mostly students from Russia on buses via Altanbulag border point. Among them, 20 suspected cases of COVID-19 have been isolated in the National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD), waiting for confirmation," Dulmaa Nyamkhuu, head of the NCCD, said at a press conference.

In addition, 108 suspected cases tested negative in Mongolia on Saturday, said Nyamkhuu.

No new cases were reported in the country on Saturday, with the total remaining at 16. 

New Zealand

New Zealand reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,330 in the country.

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health from New Zealand Ministry of Health gave the update on daily COVID-19 press conference on Sunday afternoon.

The cases included 14 new confirmed and four new probable cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. Fourteen people are currently being treated in hospital, including five in ICU, and 471 people have recovered from the disease.

Palestine

Palestine on Saturday announced that 11 more patients have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries in Palestinian territories to 57.

Officials from the Health Ministry said that the new recovered cases were allowed to return to their homes after quarantine in different parts of the West Bank for over two weeks.

They are requested to undergo a 14-day home quarantine, the ministry said.

Among the recovered cases, 13 are from the Gaza Strip, while the rest are from the West Bank.

Philippines

The Philippines recorded 50 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, its highest in a single day, taking the toll to 297.

In a bulletin, the health ministry said 220 new infections took the tally of virus cases to 4,648. But 40 more patients recovered, for a total of 197 recoveries.

South Korea

South Korea reported 32 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Sunday local time, raising the total number of infections to 10,512.

The daily caseload hovered around 50 in the past week, with 47 reported on Sunday and Monday, 53 on Tuesday, 39 on Wednesday, 27 on Thursday and 30 on Friday each. Of the new cases, 24 were imported from overseas.

Three more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 214. The total fatality rate came in at 2.04 percent.

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A total of 125 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 7,368.

Syria

Six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Syria on Saturday, the country's health ministry said in a statement.   

With the new cases, a total of 25 COVID-19 cases have so far been registered in the country, two of whom had died and four others were recovered, according to the ministry.

Thailand

Thailand reported 33 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, for a total of 2,551 cases, as well as three more deaths, taking the southeast Asian nation’s toll to 38.

Two Thai men aged 74 and 44, and a woman aged 65 died, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration.