A health worker takes a nasal swab test sample from an essential worker to detect the COVID-19 novel coronavirus before the workers return to work in Singapore on June 10, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

KARACHI / NEW DELHI / ANKARA / ADEN / DOHA / TOKYO / SEOUL — Singapore on Wednesday approved the use of Gilead Sciences Inc’s antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of severely ill patients with COVID-19 infection.

Remdesivir is the first drug shown to be effective against the novel coronavirus in human trials, with South Korea, Japan, India and the United States having already approved the drug for emergency use.

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the conditional approval would allow treatment of adult patients if they have low blood oxygen levels, require supplemental oxygen or intensive breathing support.

Singapore's Ministry of Health reported 218 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 38,514.

Of the new cases, six cases are in the community, while 212 cases are Work Permit holders residing in dormitories, including in factory-converted dormitories,

Of the new cases, 97 percent are linked to known clusters, while the rest are pending contact tracing.

Another 509 cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 25,877 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, the ministry said.

A woman wearing a face mask walks before a sign promoting social distancing measures in Sydney on May 13, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

Australia 

Australia is on course to have largely eradicated the coronavirus by July, a public health official said on Wednesday, as the country’s most populous state announced the removal of restrictions on community sports.

“Our view has been that we had hoped that by June/July that we would see coronavirus largely disappearing from the country, so this is pretty much on track,” said Bill Rawlinson, a senior medical virologist with New South Wales Health.

New South Wales said it would resume community sports like netball and cricket from July 1, after the state went for two weeks without any cases of community transmission.

Australia logged an increase of seven cases overnight in the eastern states, three in NSW and four in Victoria, bringing total nationwide cases to 7,274. Three of the most recent cases were from unknown sources, after the country recorded no cases acquired from an unknown source overnight to Tuesday.

Despite the low numbers, some Australian states including Queensland and Western Australia have kept their borders shut, resisting calls to reopen them by their hard-hit tourism industries.

The state border closures have also slowed progress towards opening a travel bubble between Australia and neighboring New Zealand, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said.

Pakistan

The World Health Organization has recommended Pakistani authorities reimpose “intermittent lockdowns” of targeted areas to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, stating the country did not meet the global body’s conditions for lifting restrictions.

A surge of new cases has hit the nation after the government lifted its lockdown on May 9 citing economic pressures. A total of 108,316 cases and 2,172 deaths, have been recorded, with Monday seeing a single-day record of 105 fatalities.

In letters sent by the WHO on June 7 to health authorities of Pakistan’s two most populous provinces, Punjab and Sindh, it stressed the need to mitigate the risk of the health system collapsing.

More than one in five people have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last two weeks, compared with one in 10 before the lockdown was lifted, government statistics showed.

“WHO strongly recommends the government adapt the two weeks off and two weeks on strategy,” said the letter signed by WHO’s Head of Mission in Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala.

It was not immediately clear if the same advice was also sent to other provinces or the federal government.

The letter said the WHO recommends six conditions for lifting restrictions, including the disease transmission being “under control”, being able to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact, essential places having established preventive measures, and communities being educated, engaged and empowered to “live under a new normal”.

Pakistan, a country of over 207 million people, has tested a maximum of 24,000 people daily.

India

Indian capital New Delhi will have an estimated over half-a-million COVID-19 cases by the end of July, and it might need around 80,000 beds for patients admitted in various hospitals, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told media on Tuesday.

He also said that COVID-19 cases were doubling every 12 to 13 days in Delhi.

The city presently has around 20,000 beds in both government and private hospitals reserved for COVID-19 patients. Hence, there is a shortage of 60,000 beds, added Sisodia.

Over the past several weeks, Delhi has been one of the hotspots in the country in terms of fresh COVID-19 cases, as over 1,000 new cases are detected every day. As of Tuesday, the city has nearly 30,000 COVID-19 cases out of which around 18,000 are active cases. Almost 900 deaths have been reported so far in the capital city.

India's federal health ministry Wednesday morning said that 279 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 9,985 positive cases were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 7,745 and total cases to 276,583.

 "As on 8:00 am (local time) Wednesday, 7,745 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," reads information released by the ministry.

On Tuesday morning the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was 266,598, and the death toll 7,466.

According to ministry officials, so far 135,206 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.

"The number of active cases in the country right now is 133,632," reads the information.

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Japan

The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 44 to reach 17,267, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Tuesday.

The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at a total of 933 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the cruise ship.

South Korea

South Korea reported 50 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of midnight Wednesday, raising the total number of infections to 11,902.

The daily caseload rose above 50 in three days. Of the new cases, seven were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,307.

Small cluster infections were still found linked to religious gatherings, nightclubs, a table tennis facility, a distribution center, an amusement park and a health product retailer in the metropolitan area.

Two more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 276. The total fatality rate stood at 2.32 percent.

A total of 22 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 10,611. The total recovery rate was 89.2 percent.

Since Jan 3, the country has tested more than 1.05 million people, among whom 1,013,847 tested negative for the virus and 26,223 are being checked.

Turkey

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday Turkey was largely lifting stay-at-home orders for people aged over 65 and for children as part of a further easing of restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Turkey had already lifted restrictions on intercity travel and allowed restaurants, cafes, parks and sports facilities to reopen on June 1 after a sharp slowdown in the number of new cases and fatalities due to COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the virus.

In a televised statement following a cabinet meeting, Erdogan also said his government would provide incentives to boost employment and would support industry to maintain export- and production-oriented growth to revive the economy.

“We will support employment for young people under 25 and enable them to get (work) experience,” he said, adding that “normalisation support” would be provided to employers.

The Turkish economy is expected to tip into recession as a result of the government’s containment measures, but Erdogan has said there will be a quick recovery.

Health Ministry data showed 993 new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed on Tuesday, bringing the total number to more than 172,000, with more than 4,700 deaths.

Yemen

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 524 on Tuesday, as 28 new cases were confirmed.

The Yemeni Health Ministry said in a brief statement that during the past 24 hours, the number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas remained at 23 since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on April 10.

Also, the government announced that the death toll from the deadly respiratory disease climbed to 127 in different areas under its control, including the southern port city of Aden.

The Yemeni government has taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including imposing a partial overnight curfew in Aden and other major cities under its control.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's tally of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to  108,571, after 3,288 new cases were recorded, the highest in the Mideast.

The Saudi Health Ministry tweeted that the number of recoveries climbed to 76,339 after 1,815 more cases were added, while the death toll increased to 783 after 37 deaths were added.

The ministry also announced the opening of 214 24-hour clinics across the kingdom to provide medical help for those with coronavirus symptoms.

Iran

Iran reported 2,095 new cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total confirmed novel coronavirus cases to 175,927.

Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that 72 people died overnight, taking the death toll to 8,425.  

Oman

The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday 712 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 18,198.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, all new cases, including 362 Omanis, are related to community contact.

The statement also said 359 patients of COVID-19 had recovered, bringing the total recovered cases to 4,152. And two new death were reported, bringing the death toll to 83.

The ministry called on people to observe the procedures for quarantine, avoid public places or places of worship, and ensure public hygiene.

Kuwait

Kuwait's Health Ministry reported 630 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 33,140 and the death toll to 273.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 920 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 22,162.

Iraq

Iraq confirmed 787 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number to 14,268, while the death toll climbed to 392 after 22 more fatalities were reported.

Deputy Health Minister Hazim al-Jumaili said that the ministry is planning to resort to home quarantine if the hospital beds are not enough for the increasing infections.

The United Arab Emirates

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced 528 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 39,904.

The tally of recoveries in the UAE increased to 22,740 after 465 more patients fully recovered from the virus, while the total fatalities from the virus rose to 283, after two new deaths were reported.

Qatar

Qatar's Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 1,721 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 71,879.

A total of 1,634 more people recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 47,569, while five more patients died, raising the fatalities to 62, the ministry said in a statement.

It revealed that the infections had doubled due to people's gatherings and visits, and ignoring of preventive measures recommended by the government, the most important of which is staying home and maintaining social distancing.

A total of 265,035 persons in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added.

Jordan

Jordan on Tuesday reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the kingdom to 845.

The new cases included four non-Jordanian truck drivers, who tested positive at the border crossing with Saudi Arabia, and eight Jordanian citizens, who returned home recently and were placed under quarantine, the Jordanian Health Ministry said in a statement.

Two new positive cases were registered among healthcare workers who were infected while working in a hospital designated for COVID-19 patients, said the ministry.

The ministry added that 6,236 coronavirus tests were conducted, increasing the overall number of tests conducted since the beginning of the outbreak to 235,014.

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Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 148 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number in the country to 18,180.

According to the ministry, the death toll increased by one case to 299, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 29 to 31, out of 111 patients hospitalized.

The number of recoveries rose to 15,159, with 32 new ones, while the number of active cases grew to 2,722, the highest since May 20.

Thailand 

Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Wednesday said that the government is set to lift the night curfew for 15 days as a trial, however the state of emergency will still remain to ensure continued containment of COVID-19.

CCSA spokesman Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin said on national TV that the 15 day trial is important as it will determine Thailand's imminent future in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and how to move Thailand's economy forward.

"The 15 day trial is more like testing the waters, to evaluate public behavior as well as their reactions, and also to see if a second wave of infection may occur after 2 weeks," said Taweesin.

He said there is no definite date of when the lifting will take place. However, he hinted that the coming Friday is a possibility, a day ahead of the weekend.

The curfew is currently in effect across Thailand from 11 pm to 3 am, which government officials have maintained that it is necessary to prevent people from hanging out in groups.

In regards to the state of emergency, Deputy Army Chief Gen. Nathapol Nakpanit, who also is the deputy chief of the CCSA, said with the emergency decree in place, the government will then have full control should incidents occur.

Thailand on Wednesday saw four new imported virus cases from returning Thais from India, Pakistan, and Madagascar.

There were no reports of new fatality on Wednesday.

Total infections now stand at 3,125 with total deaths at 58.

New Zealand

The Ministry of Health reported no cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand on Wednesday, 19 days since the last new case was reported in the country.

The combined number of confirmed and probable cases was 1,504, including 1,154 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization, said a ministry statement.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand was 22. The number of recovered cases was 1,482, it said.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's health ministry reported on Wednesday 38 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 2,093.

Nurbolot Usenbaev, the country's deputy health minister, told a news briefing that 89 patients have been discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours. In all, 1,572 have fully recovered from the infection, he added.

At the same time, the deputy minister reported two new virus-related deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to 26.

Currently, 495 people remained hospitalized, and two patients are in intensive care.

Malaysia 

Malaysia will begin reopening schools from June 24, its education minister, Mohd Radzi Jidin, said on Wednesday, as the country enters recovery mode after three months of strict curbs on movement and businesses to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy began lifting most coronavirus restrictions from Wednesday, after the government declared that the outbreak was under control.

Schools will be reopened in stages, beginning with students facing public examinations and equivalent international school examinations this year, the minister said.

Malaysia on Wednesday reported two new coronavirus cases, the lowest since curbs on movement were imposed in mid-March, raising the total number of infections to 8,338.

The health ministry also reported one new death, bringing the number of fatalities from the outbreak to 118.

Indonesia 

Indonesia reported on Wednesday its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases for a second successive day, with 1,241 new infections, taking its total to 34,316.

There were 36 new COVID-19 related deaths, taking the number of fatalities to 1,959, according to health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

There are 12,129 patients who have recovered, he said. Datafrom Indonesia's COVID-19 task force shows at least 287,470 people have been tested.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry has confirmed 684 new COVID-19 positive cases over the past 24 hours, totaling the number of patients infected with the disease to 22,143 in the country, said a statement of the ministry released Wednesday.

According to the statement, 21 patients have died over the period, bringing the number of COVID-19 related deaths to 405 since the eruption of the virus in February in Afghanistan, while 324 patients have recovered over the past 24 hours, totaling the number of recovered ones to 2,975 in the country.

Palestine 

Palestine on Wednesday declared the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has climbed up to 662, after eight new cases were confirmed in the West Bank since Tuesday night.

Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila said in a press statement that the latest case is for a woman from the city of Jericho, while the seven others were found in the southern Hebron district.

"Out of the total cases, 320 cases are in East Jerusalem, while 272 in the West Bank and 70 in Gaza Strip," al-Kaila was quoted as saying.

She noted that 565 cases have recovered, representing an over 85 percent recovery rate.

The Philippines

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rose to 23,732 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 740 more infections on Wednesday.

The DOH said in a daily bulletin that the number of recoveries further climbed to 4,895 after 159 more patients have recovered.

The death toll also increased to 1,027 after 10 more patients have died, the DOH added.

According to the DOH, 191 of the daily reported cases were in Metro Manila, 84 cases in the Central Visayas region in the central Philippines and 419 cases were reported in other parts of the country.

The DOH added that 46 overseas Filipino workers repatriated by the government have also tested positive for the virus.

Bangladesh 

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh reached 74,865, including 3,190 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, the biggest daily jump since March 8, an official said on Wednesday.

With 37 new deaths, Professor Nasima Sultana, additional director general of Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health, said the death toll in the country reached 1,012 on Wednesday.

She said 15,965 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh, which previously recorded the highest daily increase of 3,171 cases on June 9.