The Sydney skyline is seen as a man walks past in Circular Quay, usually packed with tourists, in Sydney on June 16, 2020. (SAEED KHAN / AFP)

MANILA / DUBAI / TOKYO / CARIO / SYDNEY / WELLINGTON - Australia's widespread easing of COVID-19 restrictions has remained on track despite a dozen new confirmed cases, with state leaders confident that milder distancing measures will be sufficient.

On Tuesday, a third school this week was forced to close in the state of Victoria after a student tested positive, one of nine new confirmed cases in that state alone.

Crowds of up to 10,000 people will soon be allowed to attend sporting matches in Australian stadiums with a capacity of over 40,000, as patrons also return to cinemas, gyms and music festivals.

From July 1, all businesses in the State of New South Wales (NSW), including cinemas, theaters, amusement parks, show grounds and brothels will be allowed to reopen with social distancing measures in place.

The most populous state on Tuesday also said it would nearly double its public transport capacity starting July 1, allowing more locals to avoid driving as it continues to ease curbs designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Bangladesh

In view of the growing COVID-19 cases and fatalities, Bangladesh has announced a slew of fresh measures to fight the pandemic.

The Bangladeshi government Monday night ordered that all offices which fall under the red zones of the COVID-19 in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country will remain closed for a certain period.

Bangladesh's Cabinet Division in a revised circular Monday night also said offices in yellow and green zones will remain open on limited scale maintaining health safety guidelines.

Bangladesh's national committee for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic has already spotted 45 areas in Dhaka and dozens of places elsewhere in the country as red zones due to high infection and death rates.

Since March 8, the virus has spread to nearly every Bangladeshi district and the number of cases rose to over 90,000 with more than 1,200 deaths so far.

India

After giving up on a costly lockdown, India’s coronavirus outbreak is projected to nearly triple by July 15 to over 800,000 cases as its leaders tell citizens to ‘learn to live with the virus’, according to a forecast from a team of data scientists at the University of Michigan.

That would put India just below Brazil, the world’s second worst-hit country at present, and on track to surpass the Latin American country given its massive population of 1.3 billion people and the ongoing relaxation of containment measures.

India's health ministry on Tuesday morning said 10,667 more COVID-19 cases and 380 new deaths were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 9,900 and total cases to 343,091.

The federal government Tuesday said testing capacity for detecting COVID-19 in infected people in the country was continuously being ramped up.

The government said so far 5.9 million tests have been conducted and during the past 24 hours 154,935 samples were tested.

"The country now has the capacity to test 300,000 samples per day. The total number of samples tested thus far is 5,921,069 with 154,935 samples tested in the last 24 hours," the health ministry said.

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry on Monday recorded 1,106 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 21,315 in the country.

It said that 45 more people died from the coronavirus during the day, bringing the death toll to 652, while 9,271 patients have recovered.

Israel

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 182 new cases on Monday, bringing the total to 19,237. 

According to the ministry, the number of death cases has risen from 300 to 302, including a 26-year-old patient who died Sunday evening, the youngest coronavirus victim in the country.

Japan

Only 0.1 percent of people in Tokyo tested positive for antibodies against the coronavirus, a survey conducted by Japan’s Health Ministry found, indicating the spread of the virus in the capital remains limited.

The survey of 1,971 participants suggests there are around 14,000 cases in Tokyo, compared to the more than 5,000 cases identified so far. The antibody results, which indicate exposure to the virus, are far lower than those seen in Western cities that became hot spots in the global pandemic.

Kuwait

Kuwait on Monday reported 511 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 36,431 and the death toll to 298.

An Iranian woman wearing a face mask waits for a train carriage at a metro station in the capital Tehran on June 10, 2020 amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic crisis. (PHOTO / AFP)

Lebanon

Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Monday by 18 to 1,464, while death toll remained 32. 

Malaysia

Malaysian health authorities reported 11 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, raising the cumulative total to 8,505 infections. Total fatalities in the country remain at 121, with no new deaths reported.

New Zealand

New Zealand said on Tuesday that it has two new cases of the coronavirus, both related to recent travel from the UK, ending a 24-day streak of no new infections in the country.

New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week, after declaring it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.

However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned that new cases may come up in the future as New Zealanders return home, and some others were allowed in under special conditions.

This takes the total number of cases recorded in the country to 1,506 cases, deaths from the disease remain at 22.

Oman

The Omani Ministry of Health announced on Monday 1,043 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 24,524.

It also said four new deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 108. 

READ MORE: India sees biggest daily jump in virus cases, tally tops 300,000

Palestine

On Monday, Palestine announced that 10 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the West Bank, bringing the total cases to 686.

Qatar

The Qatari health ministry on Monday announced 1,274 new infections of COVID-19, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 80,876.

Meanwhile, the ministry said three new fatalities were reported, raising the death toll to 76.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will offer a 3.7 billion-riyal (US$1 billion) stimulus package to support more than 500 small and medium-sized industrial companies hurt by the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday 4,507 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total number in the kingdom to 132,048.

Meanwhile, the kingdom reported 39 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,011.

Singapore

Singapore scientists testing a COVID-19 vaccine from US firm Arcturus Therapeutics plan to start human trials in August after promising initial responses in mice. 

More than 100 vaccines are being developed globally, including several already in human trials from the likes of AstraZeneca and Pfizer, to try and control a disease that has infected more than 8 million people and killed over 430,000 worldwide. 

The vaccine being evaluated by Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School works on the relatively-untested Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which instructs human cells to make specific coronavirus proteins that produce an immune response.

South Korea

South Korea reported 34 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. Tuesday local time, raising the total number of infections to 12,155.

The daily caseload stayed below 40 for the third straight day. Of the new cases, 13 were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 1,359.

Small cluster infections were still found linked to religious gatherings, a health product retailer, distribution centers, call centers and indoor sports facilities in the metropolitan area.

One more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 278. The total fatality rate stood at 2.29 percent.

A COVID-19 QR code attached to a barrier for patrons to scan as they enter the stadium ahead of the Super Rugby Aotearoa rugby game between the Highlanders and Chiefs in Dunedin, New Zealand, June 13, 2020. (JOE ALLISON via AP)

Thailand

Thailand's cabinet approved on Tuesday a domestic tourism package worth 22.4 billion baht (US$722.35 million) to revitalise a key sector hit by the coronavirus pandemic, an official said.

The package will offer incentives for medical personnel and health volunteers as well as the general public to travel in the country, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek saud. 

Thailand would not launch the so-called Travel Bubble campaign to promote tourist industry until after July, said Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) director Chula Sukmanop on Tuesday.

Under the Travel Bubble campaign, international tourists may visit Thailand without undergoing the 14-day state quarantine upon arrival but will be required to carry medical certificates issued in their own countries within the last 72 hours to assure they not be infected with the COVID-19.

The Philippines

The Philippines will keep its capital under loose restrictions, allowing most businesses to continue operating even as coronavirus cases rise.

Metro Manila will remain under a so-called “general community quarantine” from June 16 to 30, where most citizens are allowed to go out, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said at a televised briefing Monday night. The capital, along with two other regions in the main island placed under the same quarantine, account for over 60% of the nation’s economic output.

Strict stay-at-home orders will be reimposed in Cebu City in central Philippines due to widespread community transmission, Duque said. Meanwhile, most areas in the country will be under looser quarantine.

The Philippines' health ministry reported 364 new coronavirus infections and five more deaths on Tuesday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 26,781 and fatalities to 1,103. 

The Department of Health (DOH) also said 301 more patients had recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 6,552.

ALSO READ: Singapore to remove most virus restrictions from Friday

Turkey

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Monday reported 1,592 new novel coronavirus cases, making the total to 179,831.

In a single day, 18 people died, taking the death toll to 4,825, the minister tweeted.

UAE

 The United Arab Emirates announced on Monday that citizens and residents are allowed to travel to specific destinations as of June 23, state news agency (WAM) reported.

A list of the destinations, the groups authorized to travel, and the procedures that must be adhered to before, during, and after returning from travel for citizens and residents will be announced later, WAM reported.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday announced 342 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 42,636. 

The UAE's health ministry also confirmed two more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 291.

Yemen

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 844 on Monday as 116 new cases were confirmed.

The Yemeni Health Ministry announced that the death toll from the deadly respiratory disease climbed to 208 in different areas under its control, including the southern port city of Aden.

Iran 

Iran reported 2,563 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the total number to 192,439, official IRNA news agency reported.

Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during her daily update that 115 people died overnight from the virus, taking the total fatalities to 9,065.

So far, a total of 152,675 have recovered and 2,815 remain in critical condition, said Lari.

According to the spokeswoman, 1,293,609 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Tuesday.

Currently, the 10 provinces of Khuzestan, West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan, Hormozgan, Lorestan, Kordestan, Kermanshah, Khorasan Razavi, Golestan, and Sistan and Baluchestan are in the high-risk "red" condition, she noted.

Bangladesh 

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh exceeded 94,000 on Tuesday after a record 3,862 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours.

Professor Nasima Sultana, a senior Health Ministry official, told an online briefing in Dhaka that "another 53 COVID-19 deaths including 47 men and six women were confirmed in a 24-hour period, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country since March 18 to 1,262."

Bangladesh previously reported the highest 46 deaths of COVID-19 patients in a day on June 12.

According to the official, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased to 94,481 with the biggest daily rise of 3,862 cases reported in the last 24 hours on Tuesday.

Kuwait 

Kuwait on Tuesday reported 527 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 36,958 and the death toll to 303, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 8,449 patients are receiving treatment, including 194 in ICU, according to the statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 675 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 28,206.

Turkey

Turkish authorities made the wearing of face masks mandatory in five more provinces on Tuesday, raising the number of provinces with the regulation to 42 out of 81 following an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"We cannot struggle against the virus without masks," Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted Tuesday.

Turkey confirmed 1,459 COVID-19 cases on June 13, 1,562 on June 14 and 1,592 on June 15, showing a rapid increase following a stable course achieved since May.

The upward trend came after Turkey stepped up measures for normalization, including opening cafes, restaurants, gyms, parks, beaches and museums, and easing stay-at-home orders for the elderly and youth.

Indonesia 

Students in Indonesia will get back studying at schools located in low-risk areas under tight health protocols after the closure of education facilities for months due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesian Education Minister Nadiem Makarim said that senior high schools and junior high schools will be reopened gradually starting next month, while elementary schools and kindergartens will resume schooling activities in September and November respectively, media reported on Tuesday.

Still, the students whose schools will be reopened must get permissions from their parents for studying at the schools, Makarim remarked.

Indonesia has gradually eased restrictions applied during the pandemic in a bid to bring life activities back to normal conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 2,231 people across the country and infected 40,400 others, the government's spokesman for the Novel Coronavirus-Related Matters Achmad Yurianto said on Tuesday.