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Friday, May 15, 2020, 22:56
Singapore: More construction laborers to return to work
By Agencies
Friday, May 15, 2020, 22:56 By Agencies

A housing construction site stands idle in the Punggol area of Singapore on April 20, 2020. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

DHAKA / DUBAI / CAIRO / SEOUL / NEW DELHI / TOKYO - Singapore will allow more construction laborers to return to work as the city-state looks to restart an economy that has been largely shut because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The country will gradually add about 5 percent of the construction workforce, or about 20,000 workers, from June 2, on top of an existing 5 percent currently working on critical infrastructure projects, officials said at a briefing Friday. Authorities will gradually allow projects to resume, including tunneling projects for mass transit transport networks and sewerage systems as, well as suspended residential renovation works, they said.

An outbreak among low-wage migrant workers staying in cramped dormitories has led Singapore to record one of the largest virus tallies in Asia. Of the nearly 27,000 total confirmed cases, about 90 percent are infections among workers in dormitories. Officials said this week that infection rates among this group are “stabilizing” and some 20,000 foreign workers will be ready for discharge from care facilities by the end of May.

“We are venturing into an unknown space to operate safely in the COVID world,” Hugh Lim, chief executive officer of the Building and Construction Authority, said at a briefing Friday. Lim said the authority will work closely with the industry so that more projects can resume over the next few months.

Singapore plans to test all of the more than 300,000 foreign workers who live in the dorms. The government has also ramped up medical services to accommodate hundreds of new infections each day.

A pedestrian wearing a protective mask walks along a street in Tokyo, Japan, May 14, 2020. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

Japan

Tokyo unveiled a roadmap to reopening the economy in the world’s largest metropolitan area, as the city of almost 14 million people was reported to have just nine coronavirus cases on Friday.

In an outline of a fuller plan to be announced next week, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike unveiled seven criteria that the city will use to monitor the virus, even after the state of emergency is lifted. These include fewer than 20 new virus cases a day, with more than half of those able to be traced, and infections not rising from the previous week.

From a peak of more than 200 cases a day in mid-April, Tokyo has managed to reduce new infections to a level where the restrictions could shortly be lifted although large parts of Japan have released from a state of emergency on Friday. 

However, Kyodo News reported that antibody tests of 500 Tokyo residents conducted by the health ministry indicated that 0.6% had been exposed to the virus. That would correlate to about 55,000 cases, based on the capital’s population of 9.2 million, more than 10 times the official figures for infections.

Japan reported over 16,100 infections and some 700 deaths as of Friday.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry has registered 414 new COVID-19 positive cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the number of patients infected with the disease to 6,053, deputy to spokesman for the ministry Tawhid Shakohmand said Friday.

Shakohmand also told Xinhua that 17 patients had died due to COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, totaling the number of deaths to 153 since the outbreak of the virus in February in Afghanistan.

Australia

Restaurants, cafes and bars in Australia’s most populous state were reopening on Friday after a two-month shutdown under coronavirus lockdown measures, boosting the federal government’s bid to get people back in work and the economy back on track.

The easing of quarantine measures in New South Wales (NSW) state comes just a day after the national statistics office reported unprecedented record high job losses and Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that worse was still to come.

However, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that complacency could see COVID-19 infections rise again as eight new cases were reported overnight, bringing the state's total cases to 3,071.

Meanwhile, Indigenous Australians have called for the government to lift travel restrictions to 76 remote communities in the Northern Territory before the scheduled date on June 18. 

As of Friday afternoon the country had confirmed 7,017 infections, up from 6,989 from a day before.

Bangladesh

An ethnic Rohingya refugee and another person have tested positive for COVID-19 in one of Bangladesh's camps, a senior Bangladeshi official and a UN spokeswoman said. It was the first confirmed case in camps more densely populated than most crowded cities on Earth.

Bangladesh has widened social safety net to help millions of people vulnerable amid COVID-19 lockdown that was extended again to May 30 in the country on Thursday.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman said 5 millions of low-income families would be eligible to get 2,500 taka under the scheme through mobile financial services (MFSs) and that the disbursement will be completed between May 14 and 18.

The number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 18,863 while fatalities stood at 283.

Brunei

As the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Brunei is basically under control, the country will ease some restrictions in public and commercial areas starting from May 16, with certain conditions, Haji Mohammad Isham, Brunei's Minister of Health said on Thursday.

In the first phase of lifting curbs, premises such as driving schools, sports facilities, food courts, stalls and markets will be allowed to re-open, but entries to most of these places will be limited and monitored by a mobile application, said the BruHealth.

According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, no more recoveries were recorded on Thursday, maintaining the total number of recovered cases at 134. The number of active cases being treated at the National Isolation Center is still 6.  

Bhutan 

Bhutan registered eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours, taking its tally to 19, the health ministry said Thursday evening.

All the eight cases returned from the Middle East and were detected in quarantine facilities in the capital Thimphu. They will be moved to the isolation ward, the ministry said.

Indonesia

Indonesia reported 490 new coronavirus infections and 33 new deaths, taking the total number of cases to 16,496 and deaths to 1,076, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said on Friday.

Health workers wearing PPEs patrol the MGR Central railway station as passengers are about to board a special train to New Delhi after the government eased a nationwide lockdown, in Chennai on May 15, 2020. (ARUN SANKAR / AFP)

India

India will spend 1.5 trillion rupees (US$20 billion) to help its farmers and fishermen boost exports and profits as the economy gradually reopens after the world’s biggest lockdown.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will offer loans to build warehouses and cold storage systems, support overseas sales of some local specialties such as mangoes and saffron, and help double exports of shrimp and other seafood. The administration also proposes to amend laws and allow farmers to sell their produce without any curbs.

“Where entitlements are due, yes they will be given, but largely our focus is making sure India stands up on its own, in turn generate more jobs and so on,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at a briefing on Friday. “Empowering people through creation of skill, creation of logistics and so on.”

Friday’s announcements were her third in the last three days, part of a US$265 billion package that includes several monetary measures and is equivalent to 10 percent of gross domestic product. While India’s economy is set for its first annual contraction in four decades, the government forecasts agriculture output will grow faster than expected, emerging as the lone bright spot.

India also plans to enact a law to allow farmers to sell their produce across the country without any state barriers. Currently, cultivators are bound to sell their crops in state-run wholesale markets.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India surpassed the 80,000 mark, reaching 81,970 in the country, and the number of COVID-related deaths rose to 2,649 on Friday, said the official data issued by the federal health ministry.

Iran

Iran has recently reopened its trade borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan after a period of halt over the spread of novel coronavirus, Eghtesadonline reported on Thursday.

Iran reported 1,808 new coronavirus cases and 71 more deaths, bringing the tally of infections to 114,533 and the death toll to 6,854. The number of recoveries rose to 90,539, while 2,758 patients were in critical condition.

READ MORE: S. Korea to boost virus tracing privacy amid fears of backlash

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed 111 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 3,143 in the country.

Most of the new cases were recorded in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which registered 70 cases and the remaining cases were 33 in Basra, five in Maysan and one in each Wasit, Nineveh and Sulaimaniyah, the ministry said in a statement.

So far, 115 people have died from the disease, while 2,028 have recovered, the statement said, adding that no deaths were registered during the day.

Israel

The Israeli Health Ministry on Thursday said that the active COVID-19 cases in the country dropped by 259  to 3,793.

This is the first time that the number of active cases in Israel has dropped below 4,000 since March 28. The highest number of active cases was 9,808 recorded on April 15.

The ministry also reported 31 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 16,579, while the number of recoveries increased by 289 to 12,521.

ALSO READ: India to provide free food grains to millions of migrant workers

Kuwait

Kuwait on Friday reported 885 new cases of COVID-19 and eight more deaths, raising the tally of infections in the country to 12,860 and the death toll to 96, the health ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 9,124 patients are receiving treatment, including 190 in ICU, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 189 more patients, raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 3,640.

The Kuwaiti government has imposed a full curfew in the country to curb the rapid rise in coronavirus cases.

On March 13, Kuwait suspended all commercial flights. The government also closed stores, malls and barbershops in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

Rohingya refugees, without wearing any mask or any other safty gears, walk along a market area in Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia March 24, 2020. (SUZAUDDIN RUBEL / AFP)

Kyrgyzstan 

Kyrgyzstan reported on Friday 29 new COVID-19 cases, raising its total tally to 1,111. Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usenbaev said that two patients, a 55-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman, have died over the past day, rasing the total fatalities to 14.

Lebanon

Lebanon's COVID-19 infections increased on Friday by five cases to 891 while the death toll remained unchanged at 26, the National News Agency reported.

Lebanon has continued testing people randomly all over the country to create a better assessment for the cases prevailing in different regions.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan said that people will have to be forced to wear masks if general mobilization measures will be reduced by next week.

He also urged all arrivals from infected countries to stay home and avoid gatherings and family visits.

Lebanon has shut down the country on Wednesday until Monday and a report will be submitted about COVID-19 situation by the health minister on Sunday.

Malaysia

Malaysia reported 36 new coronavirus cases on Friday with no additional deaths, the health ministry said. The country has recorded a total of 6,855 infections with 112 fatalities.

Maldives 

Maldives recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the country's total case count to 968, according to information from the Health Protection Authority.

Lockdown on the capital region of Greater Male, which has reported the majority of confirmed cases, has been extended by two weeks and is now scheduled to end by May 28, local media reported.

Maldives Police Service has said that individuals found violating lockdown orders will be fined US$65, with multiple offenses resulting in arrest or transfer to a quarantine facility.

Mongolia 

A total of 205 Mongolian nationals were evacuated from Russia via the Altanbulag border point on Thursday amid the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reported Friday, citing the country's State Emergency Commission (SEC).

It has so far evacuated around 9,500 nationals via chartered flights or buses from COVID-19-hit countries.

As of Friday, Mongolia has confirmed 98 COVID-19 infections, including four foreign nationals. All cases were imported, and there have been no local transmissions and deaths reported in Mongolia so far.

New Zealand

New Zealand reported one more case of COVID-19 on Friday after three consecutive days of zero cases in the country, said a statement of the Ministry of Health.

This means New Zealand's combined total of confirmed and probable cases is now 1,498, of which 1,148 are confirmed, it said.

Oman

The Omani Ministry of Health on Thursday announced 322 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 4,341.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, all new cases, including 80 Omanis, are related to community contact.

The statement also said 14 patients have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,303. One more death was recorded, bringing the death toll to 18. 

Qatar

Qatar's Health Ministry announced 1,733 new COVID-19 infections, increasing the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 28,272, including 14 deaths.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia announced the registration of 2,039 new COVID-19 cases, as the total number of infections in the kingdom climbed to 46,869. 

Saudi Health Ministry also reported 10 more deaths and 1,429 recoveries from the virus, raising the death toll to 283 and total recoveries to 19,051.

Health workers disinfects a street in the Itaewon district of Seoul on May 12, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

South Korea

South Korea’s finance ministry pledged on Friday to introduce more measures to minimize the employment shock from the coronavirus pandemic, saying risks to the economy were intensifying as domestic and global demand slump.

The country’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.8% in April, but the number of employed fell at its fastest pace in more than two decades, data showed on Wednesday, as efforts to contain the health crisis shut businesses and reduced social activity.

The government plans to urgently create more than 550,000 jobs, and protect the self-employed and those in temporary jobs.

South Korea reported 27 more cases of the COVID-19 on Friday, raising the total number of infections to 11,018 with the toll remained at 260. Among all confirmed infections, 153 were linked to a nightclub in Itaewon. 

Syria

As many as 2,270 Syrians have returned to Syria over the past two weeks as part of the government's effort to bring back the Syrians stranded abroad as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The arrivals were put into quarantine centers for 14 days, said the report, adding that all services provided for the quarantined people are free.

On Wednesday, the ministry said a new COVID-19 infection was recorded in Syria, bringing the total number in the country to 48.

Thailand

Thailand allowed shopping malls to reopen from Sunday in the latest leg of an economic restart after coronavirus cases dwindled.

Malls will have to close at 8 pm, while cinemas and gyms must remain shut as part of ongoing efforts to restrain the pathogen, Taweesilp Witsanuyotin, a spokesman for the Covid-19 center, said in a briefing Friday. Some other retail operations can also resume, he said.

Thailand remains under a state of emergency through May but began a phased easing its lockdown at the start of the month by lifting an alcohol ban and permitting restaurants to take dine-in customers. Some provinces have also allowed hotels to open their doors again.

Thailand reported seven imported coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally to 3,025, while the number of deaths remained unchanged at 56. 

The Philippines

The Philippines on Friday reported 215 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12,091 in the country.
The Department of Health (DOH) said in a bulletin that 123 more patients have recovered from the disease, bringing the number of recoveries to 2,460, and 16 more patients have died, bringing the death toll to 806.

Turkey

Turkey on Thursday confirmed 1,635 new COVID-19 cases and 55 new deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. 

Turkey's total confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 144,749 and the death toll reached 4,007, Koca tweeted. 

A total of 2,315 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 104,030, the minister stated.

Iranians attend Laylat al-Qadr prayers, one of the holiest nights during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, outside a mosque in the Tehran, on May 13, 2020. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

UAE

The United Arab Emirates announced 698 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally to 21,084. Meanwhile, 407 more patients recovered from the virus, raising the total recoveries in the country to 6,930, while the death toll rose to 208 after two new fatalities were confirmed.

Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan's quarantine measures to counteract the spread of COVID-19 will be extended until June 1, while domestic air and rail links will be partially resumed starting on May 18, the Special Republican Commission to Combat Coronavirus said Friday.

Uzbekistan has registered 2,652 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 11 deaths, and 2,136 people have recovered from the disease so far as the country resumed airlifting its citizens from abroad this week. 

Vietnam

Vietnam reported 24 new coronavirus infections on Friday, all of which were imported cases involving Vietnamese citizens returning from Russia who were placed under quarantine on arrival, the country's health ministry said. 

The Southeast Asian country has gone 29 days without a domestically transmitted infection and has registered a total of 312 cases, with no deaths, the ministry said.

Yemen

Yemen's Saudi-backed government on Thursday reported the first cases of novel coronavirus in the southern province of Al Dhalea, underlining fears that the infection had found a foothold in the war-torn country. 

The government's coronavirus committee said on Twitter seven more cases has been confirmed in the port city of Aden where it is based and that Al Dhalea had recorded its first three infections, bringing the total in areas under its control to 85 cases with 12 deaths.

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