Employees clean a Starbucks coffee shop in preparation for the shop's reopening after the Thai government announced measures to relax the country's coronavirus restrictions. In Bangkok, Thailand, on April 30, 2020. (MLADEN ANTONOV / AFP)
TOKYO / SEOUL / AMMAN / ISTANBUL / RIYADH / MUSCAT / BAGHDAD / DUBAI / SYDNEY / NEW DELHI / WELLINGTON / BANGKOK / BISHKEK / MALE / SINGAPORE / KABUL / HANOI / CANBERRA / KUALA LUMPUR / MANILA / JAKARTA / DHAKA / TASHKENT / ULAN BATOR - Thailand will start reopening on Sunday some businesses after the numbers of new coronavirus infections dropped into single digits this week, a government spokesman said.
Thailand on Thursday reported seven new coronavirus cases and zero deaths, taking its tally to 2,954 cases while fatalities remained at 54.
The country's new daily infections have stayed in the single digits for four consecutive days.
Thailand on Thursday reported seven new coronavirus cases and zero deaths. The country's new daily infections have stayed in the single digits for four consecutive days
Nearly 91 percent of patients have recovered and gone home, leaving 213 still in the hospital, according to Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration.
Even after Sunday's reopening, a nighttime curfew and ban on sales of alcohol will stay until the end of May unless otherwise specified, said Taweesin.
Among the six categories set to reopen are small retailers, street food stalls and restaurants outside shopping malls, and parks and outdoor sports facilities, he said.
But department stores, movie theaters, gyms and spas, as well as most indoor sports venues will stay closed, to ensure there are no large gatherings.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is extending its order to temporarily halt Phuket airport operations in an effort to curb the coronavirus’s spread in the southern island province, according to the agency’s official order posted on its website.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan has confirmed its first 15 coronavirus cases, the Central Asian nation's healthcare ministry said on Thursday.
Five cases have been confirmed in the capital city of Dushanbe and 10 more in the Sughd province which borders Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the ministry said.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, wearing a face mask, answers questions during a upper house budget committee session at the parliament in Tokyo on April 30, 2020. (PHOTO / STR / JIJI PRESS / AFP)
Japan
Japan is preparing to extend its state of emergency over the novel coronavirus, originally set to end on May 6, for about a month, government sources told Reuters on Thursday, even as some other countries begin to reopen after strict lockdowns.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier in the day that he would consult with infectious disease experts on whether to extend a national state of emergency to contain coronavirus infections, as other nations begin to reopen from strict lockdowns.
"We would like to consult experts' analysts and views," Abe said in parliament about an extension of the emergency declaration, adding he wants to make a decision before the last minute.
Tokyo confirmed 47 new infections on Wednesday. Nationwide there have been 13,929 cases and 415 deaths, according to the health ministry.
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The Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday that the government was planning to extend the nationwide state of emergency by about one month.
The parliament is set to approve on Thursday a US$241 billion supplementary budget to fund a record stimulus package featuring cash payouts and loans to cash-strapped firms to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan has so far reported 14,097 cases.
Yemen
Yemen has reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus, its health minister told Yemen TV late on Wednesday.
Yemeni authorities also reported multiple coronavirus infections, five, for the first time on Wednesday.
The new cases were reported in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, forcing authorities to impose a three-day, 24-hour curfew.
Previously, Yemen had detected only a single case.
Buddhist believers wearing faces masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus receive body temperature check as they arrive to attend a service to celebrate Buddha's birthday at the Chogyesa temple in Seoul, South Korea, April 30, 2020. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)
South Korea
South Korea reported on Thursday no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since its Feb 29 peak, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
The KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247.
Of the total, 1,065 were imported cases, where more than 90 percent were Koreans, according to a KCDC statement.
The health authorities also concluded no local transmission occurred from a parliamentary election this month.
Iran
The death toll from the outbreak of the new coronavirus in Iran increased by 71 in the past 24 to 6,028, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Thursday.
The total number of diagnosed cases in Iran, one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the outbreak, has reached 94,640, he said.
Israel
The number of coronavirus infections in Israel has risen to 15,870, after 36 new cases were added overnight, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
According to the ministry, the number of deaths rose from 215 to 219, while the number of patients in serious conditions increased from 115 to 117, out of 340 patients currently hospitalized.
The number of recoveries reached 8,412, with 179 new recoveries recorded since Wednesday night.
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli parliament approved the Shin Bet internal security service to track the movements of COVID-19 patients, until May 5.
Indonesia
Indonesia confirmed on Thursday 347 new coronavirus infections, taking the total in the Southeast Asian country above 10,000 for the first time with 10,118 infections, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.
Yurianto reported eight new deaths, taking the total of fatalities to 792, while 1,522 have recovered.
More than 72,300 people have been tested.
Malaysia
Malaysian health authorities reported 57 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, raising the cumulative total to 6,002 cases.
The health ministry also reported two more deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 102.
Mongolia
Mongolia will hold a training on disaster preparedness and response in May on the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's National Emergency Management Agency said (NEMA) Thursday.
The training aims to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between government organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine their preparedness against the outbreak, said Batmunkh Uuganbayar, deputy head of the NEMA.
Within the framework of the training, a curfew will be imposed across Chingeltei district from 6 pm (1000 GMT) to 6 am, according to the official.
As of Thursday, Mongolia has reported a total of 38 COVID-19 cases.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 564 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, dipping slightly from Wednesday's high of 641.
Five more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana.
"The total number of positive cases is now 7,667 and death toll stands currently at 168 with the fresh fatalities of three men and two women on Thursday," the official said.
Ten more patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the number of recoveries to 160, the official added.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has eased restrictions related to COVID-19 to allow its citizens to take part in outdoor activities, Uzbek authorities said Thursday.
Starting from Thursday, people are allowed to drive out between 7 am and 10 am and between 5 pm and 8 pm local time, authorities said.
Citizens are allowed to walk near their homes as long as they wear a mask and adhere to social distancing measures, while children under the age of 14 must be accompanied, according to authorities.
Uzbekistan has registered 2,017 confirmed cases so far and has locked down all major cities, including its capital city of Tashkent, to contain the spread of the pandemic.
The Philippines
The number of coronavirus disease cases in the Philippines climbed to 8,488, as the Department of Health (DOH) reported 276 new cases on Thursday.
The DOH also reported that 10 deaths, bringing the country's fatalities to 568.
According to the DOH, 20 more patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,043.
In an online media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said it was still early to say if the COVID-19 incidence in the country has already peaked after the lockdown was imposed six weeks ago.
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded zero new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Thursday morning, the 14th day in a row, Vietnam News Agency reported Thursday.
The country has so far reported 270 confirmed cases. The most recent case was detected on April 24, and the latest case in the community was reported on April 16.
A total of 219 patients have been cured as of Thursday morning, while there are 443 suspected cases and over 34,000 people are under quarantined, according to its health ministry. No deaths have been reported so far.
READ MORE: After aggressive mass testing, Vietnam says virus contained
Singapore
Singapore confirmed 528 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, its health ministry said, taking the city-state's total cases to 16,169.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan on Thursday reported 232 new confirmed COVID-19 cases within the past 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 2,171, according to the country's Ministry of Public Health.
The ministry said in a statement that the new coronavirus cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the pandemic in mid-February, were registered in 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
Three more patients died in the past 24 hours, taking the national death toll to 64, according to the statistics of the ministry.
Four patients were discharged from hospitals in Kabul, bringing the number of recoveries across the country to 260, according to the statement.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the country's tally to 746.
The newly infected patients include four medical workers, said Ainura Akmatova, head of the public health department of the Health Ministry, adding that the total number of infected surpassed 195. Among them, 105 have recovered.
So far, a total of 462 patients had been discharged from hospitals across the country.
Maldives
Maldives has confirmed its first COVID-19 related death after an 83-year-old patient passed away from breathing difficulties, local media reported Thursday.
Maldives has so far reported 280 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and is currently under a State of Public Health Emergency. A lockdown imposed on the region of Greater Male has been extended for 14 days.
India
India's federal health ministry said on Thursday 66 more COVID-19 deaths and 1,263 new cases were reported since last evening across the country, taking the death toll to 1,074 and the country's tally to 33,050.
On Wednesday evening, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 31,787 and the death toll was 1,008.
According to ministry officials, so far 8,325 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
New Zealand
New Zealand reported three new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
The total number of confirmed and probable infections in the country stands at 1,476, the ministry said.
The death toll remains at 19 as zero deaths were reported, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said at a press conference.
Australia
According to the Department of Health, there had been 6,746 confirmed cases in Australia as of Thursday morning, a recent new low increase of eight from Wednesday morning.
Of the 6,746 confirmed cases in Australia, 90 have died and 5,685 have been reported as recovered.
South Australia has achieved a milestone in the suppression of COVID-19 as the state on Wednesday capped a full week of zero new cases of the virus for the first time.
In the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Michael Gunner released the territory's "Roadmap to the New Normal", becoming the country's first state or territory leader to announce a plan to roll back coronavirus restrictions. Under the roadmap, all businesses and venue will be allowed to reopen from June 5.
Meanwhile, a government report published on Thursday concluded that a coronavirus outbreak in Australia’s remote southern island state of Tasmania likely originated from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
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Tasmania has recorded 12 deaths from coronavirus, and all but two were on Thursday linked to the cruise ship.
The Ruby Princess - owned by a unit of Carnival Corp, the world’s largest cruise operator - is Australia’s largest source of coronavirus infections. Hundreds out of some 2,700 passengers have tested positive the coronavirus after disembarking and traveling home across the country, spreading the virus.
Jordan
Jordanians took to the streets after a ban was lifted on driving and many businesses reopened in a rapid return to normality after the authorities relaxed a tough forty-day curfew to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Public buses and taxis were also allowed to resume on Wednesday in the phased reopening of thousands of businesses and industries since last week and now extended to beauty parlors, cosmetics to dentists and garments and malls.
Medical officials, who say with only 451 confirmed cases and only eight deaths the country can risk more steps to open the economy, warned, however, cases could spike again if people did not take heed of safeguards.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia registered on Wednesday 1,325 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country's tally to 21,402, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al Abdulaali said at the daily press briefing that the kingdom also registered five more fatalities, bringing the death toll to 157.
There are now 18,292 active cases in the kingdom, of which 125 of them are critical. So far, there had been 2,953 recoveries reported.
Also on Wednesday, Saudis began tentatively returning to shopping malls and open-air markets on Wednesday after authorities relaxed restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will allow entry into and exit from Qatif province starting Thursday, the state news agency reported on Wednesday citing a source within the interior ministry.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca speaks at a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on April 29, 2020. (MUSTAFA KAYA / XINHUA)
Turkey
The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in Turkey has risen by 89 in the last 24 hours to 3,081, data from the health ministry showed on Wednesday, continuing a downward trend.
The total number of cases rose by 2,936 to 117,589, the data showed, the highest total outside Western Europe or the United States.
A total of 44,022 people have so far recovered. The number of tests carried out in the past 24 hours was 43,498, higher than in previous days.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said earlier that the number of cases in the country has peaked and was starting to decline, adding that he did not expect a second wave if measures against the outbreak were followed.
Oman
The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday 143 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 2,247.
The total number of the recovered cases rose to 364, and 10 have died, according to a statement issued by the ministry
Iraq
The Iraqi health ministry on Wednesday said that a total of 2,003 COVID-19 cases and 92 deaths have been recorded in the country.
There were 75 new cases reported during the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement.
A total of 1,346 patients have recovered, according to the statement.
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday announced 549 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 11,929.
The ministry also confirmed nine more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 98.
A total of 148 more patients have made full recovery, taking the tally of the UAE's recoveries to 2,329, according to the ministry.
