People commute to work despite a state of emergency in Japan at Shinagawa station in Tokyo on April 16, 2020. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

SYDNEY / TOKYO / DUBAI - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expanded the state of emergency beyond seven prefectures to the entire nation in an attempt to curb the COVID-19 outbreak. With the declaration extended to cover all 47 prefectures, Abe also said the government will provide cash handouts of 100,000 yen (US$930) to each citizen.

Tokyo, Osaka, and five other prefectures were already under a month-long state of emergency from April 7 to May 6, when this year's Golden Week holidays end. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's minister in charge of issues related to the emergency declaration, said the inclusion of all prefectures was necessary before the Golden Week holidays start in late April. He said such an expansion was determined appropriately after consultation with an advisory panel.
The expansion gave each prefectural governor more power in efforts to curb the epidemic. They gained the authority to expropriate private land and buildings to provide medical care. They can also requisition medical supplies and food from companies that refuse to sell and punish those that hoard or do not comply.

Under the current supplementary budget plan, the government has set aside funds for cash payouts of 300,000 yen (US$2,784) but only for households whose income is judged to have been hit by the coronavirus.

Afghanistan

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan has reached 840 as of Thursday morning with 56 new cases reported within the last 24 hours, a public health official said Thursday.

Providing the daily updates, the official added that one patient had died in Kabul during the period, bringing to 30 the confirmed death toll in Afghanistan.

Australia

Australia will keep in place restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus for at least four more weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday as an Australian company has put the call out for volunteers in the country's first human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine, expected to take place in coming weeks. The daily growth rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low percentage single digits, from about 25% several weeks ago, for a total of about 6,500 infections, including 63 deaths.

Morrison said Australia will over the next month expand testing, improve its capacity to trace contacts of known coronavirus cases, and plan a response to any further local outbreaks. He later told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that coronavirus testing may be expanded to include random sampling.

Australia’s federal government on Thursday urged state premiers to reopen schools as the daily rate of reported new infections has steadied in the low single digits, from about 25% several weeks ago, for a total of about 6,500 infections, including 63 deaths.

Australia has closed restaurants, bars and stores deemed “non-essential” while using the threat of fines and even prison to stop public gatherings of more than two people.

READ MORE: India extends lockdown as virus infections cross 10,000

Bangladesh 

Bangladesh Thursday confirmed 341 new infections and 10 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of the cases to 1572 and fatalities to 60.

This is by far Bangladesh's biggest jump in death over a 24-hour period since the country announced the first fatality of COVID-19 patients on March 18.

She said samples from 2,019 persons were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

New Zealand citizens stranded on a COVID-19 virus-stricken cruise ship off the coast of Uruguay arrive at the airport and travel to a hotel to be quarantined in Auckland on April 12, 2020.  (PHOTO / AFP

Fiji

Fiji's COVID-19 cases has increased to 17 with the latest reported case from Vanua Levu, Fiji's second largest island, while some restrictions in the capital city of Suva will be lifted from Friday morning.

Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a televised speech on Thursday the patient is a 21-year-old who is a relative and travel companion of patient nine.

Bainimarama said this young man upon returning to Fiji was in self-quarantine for two full weeks, up until April 5.

India 

At least 72 families were required to remain in home quarantine in the Indian capital city after a deliver agent from a pizza chain restaurant tested positive for novel coronavirus, officials said Thursday.

The move came as Indian's federal health ministry confirmed the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 414 and the total number of confirmed cases reached 12,380. Thursday marks the 23rd straight day of ongoing lockdown across the country announced by the government to contain the spread of the pandemic.

The lockdown which was announced on March 25 has been extended until May 3. 
India on Thursday received 500,000 COVID-19 Rapid Testing Kits from two different Chinese companies, confirmed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director Raman Gangakhedkar.

Indonesia

Indonesia may reach the peak in coronavirus infections between early May and the beginning of June, with the number of cases predicted at 95,000, said government COVID-19 task force adviser Wiku Adisasmito on Thursday.

Indonesia confirmed on Thursday 380 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country to 5,516, said a health ministry official Achmad Yurianto. 27 new deaths were reported, taking the total to 496, while 548 have recovered. 

Iran

Iran's health ministry said on Thursday that 1,606 tested positive for COVID-19 in the past day, bringing the total number to 77,995, official IRNA news agency reported. But a parliamentary report said the actual number could be much higher and a deputy minister warned the infection could spread further in autumn.

Meanwhile, the death toll has hit 4,869, with a daily increase of 92, while 52,229 have so far recovered and left hospitals in a continued surge in recoveries.

Israel

The number of COVID-19 death cases in Israel has jumped from 130 to 140 overnight, the Ministry of Health said Thursday.

The number of patients in serious condition, including the ventilated patients, dropped from 180 to 174.

A total of 669 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized, out of 12,591 people testing positive in Israel.

A man crosses an empty intersection in central Sydney on April 15, 2020. (SAEED KHAN / AFP)

Iraq

The Iraqi authorities on Wednesday decided to extend the nationwide curfew until the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan to contain the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 15 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 1,415 in the country. Out of the total confirmed cases, 79 died and 812 others recovered. 

The Iraqi authorities have taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including extending a nationwide curfew until April 19.

To help Iraq cope with the coronavirus spread, a Chinese team of seven experts has been working with their Iraqi counterparts since March 7.

ALSO READ: Abe sees relief lifting GDP by 3.8% as isolation urged

Jordan

Jordan’s Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz said on Wednesday the government would soon ease a tight lockdown imposed to stem the spread of new coronavirus by allowing more businesses and industries to return to work.

However, it will not yet lift a curfew imposed nearly a month ago that restricts the movements of Jordan’s 10 million people and imposes total shutdowns during weekends, Razzaz said.

“At any point we see more cases our duty would be to reconsider these steps,” Razzaz said, referring to Jordan’s 401 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

The government has allowed only food and dairy industries and some export-oriented industries such as pharmaceuticals, potash and phosphates to continue some of their operations.

Kuwait

Kuwait on Thursday reported 119 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 1,524, the health ministry said in a statement.

So far, 1,296 patients are receiving treatment, including 32 in ICU, according to the statement. No new death was reported. 

Mongolia

Mongolia reported one more confirmed case of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 31.

The patient is one of more than 280 Mongolian nationals who had recently been evacuated from Russia on a number of buses via the Altanbulag border point, he said.

Myanmar

The number of COVID-19 infections has surged to 85, with 11 more new confirmed cases reported on Thursday, according to a statement from the Health and Sports Ministry.

With increasing number of local transmissions, Myanmar has reported four deaths so far in 25 days since the infectious disease was first detected in the country on March 23.

New Zealand

A Lower alert level will see significant restrictions on New Zealanders' movements retained, but will permit aspects of the economy to reopen "in a safe way," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern explained Thursday as the country reached a four-week milestone of COVID-19 national lockdown next week.

At a press conference on Thursday, Ardern explained details of what life and business activities look like under Alert Level 3.

The country entered a four-week lockdown, or epidemic response Alert Level 4, from midnight March 25. The government will decide on next Monday whether to ease the Alert Level 4 restrictions before the lockdown period ends next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, New Zealand reported six new confirmed and nine new probable cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable infections to 1,401 in the country.

A man wearing face masks walks on a bridge near a bus station in Istanbul on April 15, 2020 a day after Turkish President ordered a fresh lockdown for the next weekend, warning the move would be imposed as long as necessary to stop the spread of the COVID-19. (OZAN KOSE KOSE / AFP)

Oman

The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday 97 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases registered in the country to 910.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, all the new cases are related to community contact.

The death toll from the virus remains at four, the ministry said, calling on everyone to observe the procedures for quarantine, not to go to public places or places of worship, and to ensure public hygiene.

Qatar

Qatar's Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 283 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 3,711.

The number of deaths remains at seven, the official Qatar News Agency quoted the health ministry's daily statement as saying.

Some of the new cases are related to contact with existing cases among citizens and residents and a number of the new cases are among migrant workers.

A total of 54,484 people have undergone lab tests for the virus in the country.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday the registration of 493 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 5,862.

The Spokesperson of the Health Ministry Mohammed Al Abdulaali told a press conference that the country registered also six new deaths, making the total toll to 79 cases, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the kingdom also registered 42 recoveries, raising the total recoverees to 931

Singapore

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 447 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, hitting a new daily record high and bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 3,699.

 Of the newly confirmed cases, 68 percent were linked to known clusters, while the rest were pending contact tracing.

Death toll from the COVID-19 infections remained at ten.

Sri Lanka

The number of positive COVID-19 patients rose to 237 in Sri Lanka on Wednesday after four new cases were detected, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Sri Lanka has so far reported seven deaths from the virus, the Health Ministry said.

The government last week announced that schools would remain closed till May 11 while universities would remain closed for all students till May 18.
South Korea

South Korea reported 22 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Thursday local time, raising the total number of infections to 10,613.

The daily caseload hovered below 50 for the eighth straight day. Of the new cases, 11 were imported from overseas, raising the combined number to 967.

Four more deaths were confirmed, lifting the death toll to 229. The total fatality rate came in at 2.16 percent.

Syria

Syria reported four new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 33, including five recoveries and two deaths, said the statement.

The Syrian government has taken several measures such as imposing a partial curfew, suspending schools and universities, and shuttering non-essential businesses, to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Iraqi health workers stand at the "Building of Life" in the central Iraqi Shi'ite holy shrine city of Karbala on April 13, 2020 where people suffering from the COVID-19 coronavirus disease are being treated. (PHOTO / AFP)

The Philippines

The Philippine health ministry on Thursday reported 13 new coronavirus deaths and 207 additional infections.

In a bulletin, the health ministry said total deaths have reached 362 while infections have increased to 5,660, with the Philippines recording the most cases in Southeast Asian nations. But 82 patients have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 435, it added.

The UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday announced 432 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 5,365.

UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement the new cases include several nationalities and they are all in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment.

It also confirmed five more death, rising the country's death toll to 33.

Turkey

Turkey's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surged by 4,281 in the past 24 hours, and 115 more people have died from the novel coronavirus, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.

Turkey's total confirmed cases stood at 69,392, and the death toll reached 1,518, the minister tweeted.

Turkey conducted a total of 34,090 tests in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out to 477,716, he said. 

Vietnam

Vietnam's Ministry of Health confirmed one more COVID-19 case on Thursday morning, bringing the total in the country to 268.

The latest patient is a 16-year-old girl from the northern Ha Giang province, according to the ministry.

Vietnam has also recorded 310 suspected cases with over 68,000 being monitored and quarantined as of Thursday morning, while 171 patients have recovered with no deaths reported in the country, according to the health ministry.