Motorcyclists drive past a poster of Indonesian President Joko Widodo urging people to wear masks in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, on Sept 11, 2020. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

KATHMANDU / BEIRUT / JAKARTA / YANGON - Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has called for more focused lockdown measures to combat the pandemic without further endangering the economy of Indonesia.

The new policy should be more targeted and specific than current large-scale social restrictions, the president said in a statement streamed by his office on YouTube, without providing details of the plan.

“This policy adjustment shouldn’t be considered as flip-flopping,” Widodo, known as Jokowi, said. “COVID is a new issue. Each country is facing different problems and has different ways to handle it, so we have to keep adjusting.”

Indonesia is expected to report its first annual contraction in gross domestic product since 1998 because of the pandemic. Southeast Asia’s largest economy is grappling with infections that have recently climbed to about 4,000 cases a day.

At present, provincial governments in Indonesia impose local lockdowns, with approval from the central government.

Movement Limits

The capital Jakarta, home to more than 10 million people, extended stricter movement limits for another two weeks from Sept. 28. The country’s most-populous province of West Java followed suit by extending its control orders in areas that share a border with the capital.

Jokowi reiterated his pledge to find a better balance in handling COVID-19 and improving the economy. The country would maintain the focus on public health, while ordering ministers to introduce virus-related programs to boost business and employment.

“Our performance so far has not been bad, but don’t be complacent,” Jokowi said. “We still have to stay alert and work hard.”

The Jakarta provincial government submitted a bill to its legislative council that seeks to empower authorities to take action against offenders of the social-restriction measures, Kompas.com reported.

The bill would make it an offense to incite people not to undergo out health checks; falsify results of virus tests; withhold personal data about positive results; and remove corpses of people suspected of having died from COVID-19.

Myanmar

As Myanmar’s coronavirus infections soar, the work never seems to stop for volunteers who have stepped in to help carry those suspected of symptoms to quarantine centres or hospitals.

“The situation is not good. Our ambulances and crews can’t even get a break,” said Kyi Myint, 66, who leads a volunteer group in Yankin township, one of the worst hit in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon.

Myanmar’s thousands of volunteers are a crucial element of the COVID-19 response in a country with one of the world’s weakest health systems.

Myanmar appeared to have avoided the worst of the pandemic with only seven deaths a month ago - but a surge of infections has sent now the death toll to 371 from more than 16,500 cases.

According to Reuters data, Myanmar’s death toll has doubled in 7.8 days - faster than any other country recording more than five deaths.

More than 45,000 people, including COVID-19 patients, those yet to be tested, their close contacts and returning migrant workers, are being housed in buildings from schools and monasteries to government offices and tower blocks.

Most of those are run by volunteers, who generally get no compensation. They are given whatever protection equipment is available and sometimes food and a place to stay.

Iraq

The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Iraq Adham Ismail said that the continuous increase in numbers of COVID-19 infections in Iraq is raising concerns due to the social gatherings and the approaching of winter.

"The spread of the virus in the country at present is still under control and the government is making efforts to contain and control the pandemic," Ismail was quoted as saying by official al-Sabah newspaper on Saturday.

"The WHO warns of a possible increase in the number of infections during the coming period due to the continuation of gatherings, failure to follow protective measures and adherence to health instructions, especially with the approaching of the Arbaeen Shiite ritual and the winter season," Ismail noted.

He said that Iraq now is in the third stage of COVID-19 infections, which is the "communal spread."

Ismail warned that in the coming fourth stage, the country will be completely infected, which will require taking swift and intensive measures including complete lockdown, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Health Ministry reported 3,672 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total nationwide infections to 375,931.

The new cases included 1,505 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 333 in Dhi Qar, 264 in Basra, 263 in Duhok, and 258 in Wasit, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also reported 49 more deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 9,347 in the country.

It also said that 3,861 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 303,665.

A total of 2,330,386 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February, with 18,424 done on during the day, according to the statement.

Iran

Schools, libraries, mosques and other public institutions in Tehran were closed for a week on Saturday as part of measures to stem a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases, state media cited authorities in the Iranian capital as saying.

The closure plan, which will also affect universities, seminaries, libraries, museums, theatres, gyms, cafes and hair salons in the Iranian capital, came after Alireza Zali, head of the Tehran Coronavirus Taskforce, called for the shutdown to help control the epidemic.

Zali warned in an interview on state television that if the spread of the epidemic continues at the current rate in Tehran, there would be a three- to five-fold increase in cases and a rise in the fatality rate to between 1.5 percent and 3 percent.

The lockdown which also applies to all social and cultural ceremonies and conferences will run to Friday Oct. 9.

Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus rose by 179 on Saturday to 26,746, and identified cases by 3,523 to 468,119, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said anyone concealing a COVID-19 infection should face a severe penalty.

“Anyone who feels ill and it’s clear to them that they are ill, must not hide their illness,” Rouhani said in televised remarks. Otherwise, he added, they will be committing “the highest offense” that will demand “the highest punishment”.

Those not wearing a mask in public will be fined, said Rouhani, adding the amount of fines and other penalties will be determined at the next meeting of the government-run Coronavirus Taskforce.

Government employees who fail to observe regulations face measures ranging from warnings to their one-year suspension from their posts. And government offices where people go for services cannot serve people who do not observe health protocols, such as wearing masks.

Businesses that flout regulations could face closure.

Rouhani said penalties would be most severe in Tehran, where in recent weeks the daily death toll from the coronavirus has been more than 100 compared with less than 10 at the end of the first wave of the virus earlier this year, according to Zali.

Iran has registered more than 3,500 new cases in each of the past six days, with a record 3,825 cases announced on Thursday, official statistics showed.

Nepal

At least five aides working at Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's personal secretariat tested positive for COVID-19, two officials at the secretariat said on Saturday.

"Prime Minister's chief advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Foreign Affairs Advisor Rajan Bhattarai, Press Advisor Surya Thapa and Chief Personal Secretary Indra Prasad Bhandari tested positive for coronavirus," Asgar Ali, information technology consultant at the Prime Minister's Office, told Xinhua.

Likewise, Rajan Kafle, personal photography officer at the Prime Minister's personal secretariat, also confirmed to Xinhua that he tested positive for coronavirus.

Of them Rimal, Thapa and Bhattarai said on the social media that they were infected with coronavirus.

An official at the secretariat said on condition of anonymity that Prime Minister Oli tested negative. "His swab was collected on Thursday and he was confirmed not infected with the virus on Friday," the official told Xinhua.

According to officials at the Prime Minister's personal secretariat, swabs of around 250 people including Prime Minister Oli and staff deployed at the official residence were collected on Thursday and Friday.

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Lebanon

Lebanon registered on Saturday the highest daily increase in COVID-19 infections by 1,321 to 43,494, while the death toll went up by 12 to 398, the Health Ministry reported.

Lebanon has been witnessing a remarkable increase in COVID-19 infections prompting officials and medical experts to urge citizens to take serious precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, hospitals have become full amid a severe crisis in the health sector.

Lebanon has been fighting against COVID-19 since Feb. 21.

The country has received several donations from different countries for the fight against COVID-19 including China which offered on Sept. 9 around 10,000 N95 masks, 100,000 medical masks, 100,000 gloves and 6,000 PCR rapid tests. 

Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo defended his record of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, asking for no “polemics” or “commotion” amid criticism that he is putting the economy over public health.

The video statement late on Saturday came as the world’s fourth-most populous country’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 299,506. Its 11,055 coronavirus-related death toll is among the highest in Asia.

The government’s handling of the pandemic since March has drawn criticism from some public health experts for prioritising economic over public health concerns.

The health ministry has recently come under heavy criticism from volunteer groups and more generally on social media for what they say is insufficient spending on the pandemic, insufficient protection for health workers and high prices for private coronavirus tests.

India

India's COVID-19 tally surpassed the 6.5 million mark on Sunday, reaching 6,549,373, said the latest data released by the federal health ministry.

As many as 75,829 new cases were registered across the country during the past 24 hours.

The death toll due to the pandemic reached 101,782, as 940 deaths took place since Saturday morning, added the ministry's data.

There are now 937,625 active cases, while 5,509,966 people have been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals across the country.

According to the figures released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 78,992,534 COVID-19 tests were conducted till Saturday, out of which 1,142,131 were conducted on Saturday alone.  

Israel

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 5,523 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 264,443.

The number of death cases reached 1,682, with 49 new fatalities, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 839 to 840, out of 1,568 patients currently hospitalized.

The number of recoveries reached 191,251, with 6,129 new recoveries, while active cases decreased to 71,509. 

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday announced 1,231 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 97,760.

At the same time, 1,051 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 87,122, UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said.

It also confirmed two more deaths, pushing the country's death toll to 426.

The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID-19 cases. It has been showing solidarity with China in fight against the novel coronavirus.

Turkey

Turkey's number of COVID-19 patients increased by 1,502 on Saturday, raising the tally to 323,014, the Turkish Health Ministry announced.

Meanwhile, 59 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 8,384, according to the data shared by the ministry.

A total of 1,211 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 283,868 in Turkey since the outbreak.

The rate of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients is 6.4 percent and the number of seriously ill patients is 1,470.

Palestine

Palestine on Saturday recorded 406 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the Palestinian territories to 52,013.

In a press statement, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said that 198 cases were reported in the West Bank districts, 94 in East Jerusalem and 114 in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the health ministry reported 11 new fatalities from the COVID-19, raising the death toll to 390, the minister noted.

The recovery rate has reached 82.9 percent and the death rate stood at 0.7 percent, the minister noted.

Palestine currently has 8,516 active cases. 

Qatar

The Qatari health ministry Saturday announced 175 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 126,339, the official Qatar News Agency reported.

The ministry said that 194 more recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 123,302, while one reportedly died, raising the fatalities to 216.

The ministry reiterated the need to take preventive measures, including staying at home and observing social distancing.

A total of 791,424 people in Qatar have taken lab tests for COVID-19 so far. 

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Singapore

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported six new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 57,800.

Of the new cases, four are imported cases, one is a community case and one is linked with the dormitories of foreign workers.

Some 28 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 57,562 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, the ministry said.

There are currently 46 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and none is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Furthermore, 165 patients, who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19, are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Altogether 27 people have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection.  

Australia

Beachgoers in Australia’s state of Victoria have been warned to obey restrictions on public behavior and social distancing to curb the spread of COVID-19, or risk having some popular swimming spots closed.

Victoria police stepped up patrols and said they will increase fines after temperatures as high as 28 degrees Celsius brought out weekend crowds at beaches in the state capital of Melbourne. Local media reported councils were monitoring the situation and have the option of closing some beaches.

“Police are out there and they will fine you,” Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters. “It would be unwise for anybody who is thinking about doing those sorts of things the next time we get a warm day.”

Victoria has been the center of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak after security failures at quarantine hotels for returned overseas travelers led to a resurgence of community transmission. While a curfew in Melbourne was lifted last week, limits on public gatherings of as many as five people still apply and will be reviewed later this month if the city can achieve COVID case targets.

The state had 12 new cases in the last 24 hours and one death, Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services said in a Twitter post on Sunday. The 14-day rolling average in metropolitan Melbourne dropped to 11.9.

Restrictions in Melbourne can be eased from Oct 19 if the rolling average drops to lower than five, and there are fewer than five cases from unknown sources in the preceding 14 days.

The tally of these so-called mystery infections rose to 13 in the two weeks to Oct 1 and this “remains a concern,” Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters. Authorities also want to reduce the total number of active cases, which was unchanged from the previous day, after posting daily declines since mid-August, he said.

South Korea

South Korean police mobilised hundreds of buses to head off any political rallies in the capital, Seoul, on Saturday with authorities determined to prevent another cluster of novel coronavirus cases emerging from a protest.

South Korea has been held up as a coronavirus mitigation success story but it saw a flare-up of more than 1,800 infections linked to a church and a big anti-government rally in August.

The spread of the virus has slowed in recent weeks but the government has banned more than 100 demonstrations planned for Saturday’s National Foundation Day, warning of strict punishment for any illegal protest.

Police parked busses along main avenues and around a central Seoul square to seal them off. They also set up some 90 checkpoints to prevent vehicles bringing protesters while the subway did not stop at several stations at protest venues.

The move drew some scepticism, with opposition lawmakers calling the lockdown of the square an “excessive response” aimed at silencing voices critical of the government.

A group of citizens who took part in the August protest issued a statement accusing the government of violating people’s freedom of speech and rights to assembly.

The government did not respond to the criticism but had said before it would take stern action to control the pandemic. Police said the measure was necessary to prevent potential sources of the spread of the virus.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 75 new infections by midnight on Friday, a third day of double-digit increases, taking the national tally to 24,027 cases, with 420 deaths.

The government had eased some social-distancing rules after new cases edged lower but imposed special measures for the Korean harvest festival holiday of Chuseok, which began on Wednesday.

The rules include banning dining at motorway rest areas and nursing home visits and requiring temperature checks at all stations.

New Zealand

New Zealand recorded five new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

The five new cases were all imported cases from managed isolation facilities in New Zealand, while there was no new case in the community, said the ministry.

The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country reached 1,498, which was the number New Zealand reported to the World Health Organization.

The total number of active COVID-19 cases stayed at 41, while there was no COVID-19 patient in the New Zealand hospital, it is said.

Laboratories across New Zealand processed 3,616 tests on Saturday, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 979,985.

New health requirements for air crew will take effect from 11:59 p.m. Sunday night according to the Changes to Orders made under the New Zealand COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020, said the ministry.

New Zealand's biggest city Auckland is now at COVID-19 Alert Level 2, while the rest of the country is at Alert Level 1. Public gatherings are limited to 100 people at Alert Level 2.  

Malaysia 

Malaysia reported 293 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, bringing the national total to 12,381.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that one of the new cases is imported, and 292 are local transmissions.

Health authorities have also detected two new case clusters, one in Selangor state and one more in the northern Borneo state of Sabah.

Another 67 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 10,283, or 83.1 percent of all cases.

Of the remaining 1,961 active cases, 28 are being held in intensive care and four of those are in need of assisted breathing.

No new deaths had been reported, leaving the national total at 137 deaths.