People return to Melbourne's central business district on Nov 9, 2020 as Australia's Victoria state government announces an easing of restrictions. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

MELBOURNE / TOKYO / SEOUL / ISTANBUL / JAKARTA / MANILA / PHNOM PENH / BEIRUT / KUALA LUMPUR / HANOI / ULAN BATOR / DHAKA / YANGON / BAGHDAD / JERUSALEM / NEW DELHI - Australia's triumph in reining in COVID-19 while infections spiral up in many parts of the world is making the country a "victim of our own success," as Australians overseas want to come home, a cabinet minister said on Sunday.

"With what's happening with COVID-19 in other parts of the world, we're almost becoming a victim of our own success here in Australia, with more people wanting to come back," Education Minister Dan Tehan told Sky News television on Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday that with a growing number of Australians wanting to return, there are not enough quarantine facilities for others, such as thousands of international students.

South Australia recorded three locally acquired coronavirus cases on Sunday, its first in months, after a worker from a quarantine hotel infected family members, health officials said

"Within the existing caps, priority has to be given to returning Australians," Tehan said on Sunday. He said, however, that states and territories have been asked to submit plans for a safe return of international students.

South Australia recorded three locally acquired coronavirus cases on Sunday, its first in months, after a worker from a quarantine hotel infected family members, health officials said.

This came after Australia saw on Saturday its first week of no coronavirus community transmissions and no related deaths since the start of the pandemic. Victoria, the hotspot of the pandemic, recorded on Sunday its 16th consecutive day of no additional cases and no deaths.

Australia has recorded more than 27,700 infections and 907 COVID-19 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported 1,531 new COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths on Saturday, taking the tally to 430,496 and death toll to 6,173, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

The total number of recoveries rose to 347,849 as another 1,462 patients have recovered from the disease, said the DGHS.

Cambodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Saturday the country would donate two million face masks and other medical supplies to neighboring Laos to help it combat COVID-19.

"Ministry of Health Secretary of State Youk Sambath will fly the materials to Laos on Monday next week," he was quoted as saying by a Fresh News report.

Meanwhile, Youk Sambath said that some 1,195 people, who had direct and indirect connections with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto's visit on Nov 3, have tested negative in their third tests on Saturday.

Cambodia has so far recorded 302 confirmed cases with no deaths, the Ministry of Health said. An American man tested positive after arriving in Cambodia from the United States, a spokeswoman for the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

India

India's Home Minister Amit Shah called for an urgent meeting Sunday evening to discuss the COVID-19 situation in New Delhi as cases spiked in the capital, officials said.

Official are likely to discuss about the acute shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients in Delhi's hospitals, according to local media reports.

Earlier in the day, the federal health ministry said 7,340 cases and 96 additional deaths were recorded in Delhi.

Nationwide, 41,100 new cases were reported to lift India's tally to 8,814,579, while deaths rose by 447 to 129,635, according to the ministry.

There were 479,216 active cases in the country, according to the ministry.

Indonesia

Indonesia reported 4,106 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, taking the total caseload to 467,113, data from the country's COVID-19 task force showed.

It recorded 63 additional COVID-19 deaths, taking the toll to 15,211.

Bali, the hardest-hit economy among Indonesia’s provinces last quarter, is seeing a pick-up in activity as its governor continues debating when and how the island can reopen to international travelers.

I do hope that in December we will see an increase in domestic tourist arrival in Bali as an initial momentum for the recovery of Bali’s tourism.

Wayan Koster, Bali's governor

The island saw a surge in holidaymakers during a long weekend at the end of October, which lifted occupancy at luxury hotels to 30 percent that week, from an average of 9 percent since Bali started welcoming domestic travelers, according to Ricky Putra, Chairman of Bali Hotels Association.

Flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia has also seen a revival in ticket demand toward the year-end with an increase in advance booking, said President Director Irfan Setiaputra.

“I do hope that in December we will see an increase in domestic tourist arrival in Bali as an initial momentum for the recovery of Bali’s tourism,” Governor Koster said.

READ MORE: Indonesia gives free Bali staycations to test tourism readiness

However, the current virus surge could put at risk the long weekend from Christmas Eve to New Year. The government is reviewing policies on distancing and mask-wearing, and will recommend “the holiday be maintained” only if new infections don’t spike again, according to Doni Monardo, the nation’s COVID-19 task force chief.

This undated photo taken in Septembeer 2020 shows an empty beach in Bali , Indonesia. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

Iran

Iran will impose stricter restrictions from next Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani said on state television, as the Middle East country hardest hit by the virus battles a third wave of COVID-19.

The toughest measures - classified by health officials as "red" or level 3 - will be imposed in the capital Tehran and about 100 other towns and cities.

Non-essential businesses and services will be shut and cars will not be allowed to leave or enter, Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said in a televised media briefing.

Some 150 towns and cities are rated "orange" or level 2, he said. In these places, one-third of employees can go to work whereas in 155 towns where the rating is "yellow" or level 1, two-thirds of the workforce can work from their workplaces.

Iran reported 452 COVID-19 deaths over the past 24 hours to take the toll to 41,034, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV on Saturday, while its total cases rose by 11,203 to 749,525.

Iraq

The Iraqi Health Ministry reported on Saturday 2,419 new COVID-19 cases, raising the number of infections in the country to 516,915.

The ministry also reported 43 additional deaths and 2,370 new recoveries, raising the death toll to 11,623 and the total number of recoveries to 444,226.

Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi held a meeting to discuss means to increase testing capacity to contain the spread of COVID-19, the ministry said in a separate statement.

Al-Tamimi stressed the need to build new oxygen factories in all the provinces to treat COVID-19 cases, in addition to activating health awareness campaigns among the citizens, according to the statement. He also pointed out the need to activate inspection teams to ensure health protocols were implemented in the private sector, according to the statement.

Israel

The number of coronavirus cases in Israel rose to 323,268 on Saturday as the Ministry of Health reported 573 new cases.

The death toll rose by four to 2,720.

The number of patients in serious condition decreased from 303 to 294, out of a total of 562 patients who were hospitalized.

The number of recoveries rose by 442 to 312,573, while the number of active cases stood at 7,975.

People wearing face masks take a selfie against fall foliage colors on a mountain in Kyoto, western Japan, Nov 13, 2020. (KIICHIRO SATO / AP)

Japan

Japan reported on Saturday 1,733 fresh COVID-19 cases, breaking its record for new infections for the third consecutive day, according to the latest figures released by the health ministry and local authorities.

The latest increase brought the nation's total caseload to 117,261, excluding infection discovered on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo earlier in the year.

The national death toll rose by two to 1,900, including 13 that were from the Diamond Princess.

The health ministry said there were 234 patients on ventilators or in intensive care units.

Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, saw 352 new cases, exceeding the 300-mark for the fourth day and bringing the capital's tally to 34,496.

ALSO READ: Japan posts record daily virus cases amid fears of winter wave

Lebanon

Restaurants, bars, cafes, gyms and malls closed their doors on Saturday as Lebanon entered its first day of a two-week lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Vehicles are permitted to drive on specific days based on their plate numbers. However, most of the streets in the capital city Beirut were empty, reported LBCI local TV channel.

Police was deployed in most areas of the country, issuing tickets for people who violate lockdown rules.

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab urged people a day earlier to commit to lockdown measures while prioritizing people's health over the economy.

Lebanon has so far recorded 104,267 confirmed cases and 806 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

A worker cleans an empty street amid a nationwide two-week lockdown, in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov 14, 2020. (HUSSEIN MALLA / AP)

Malaysia

Malaysia reported 1,114 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, raising the tally to 46,209.

The health ministry also recorded two more deaths, taking the death toll to 306.

Mongolia

Mongolia confirmed eight new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the tally to 424, according to the country's health ministry.

Three of new cases were locally transmitted, taking the number of local infections to 20, Dorj Narangerel, head of public relations and surveillance department of the health ministry, said at a press conference.

Myanmar

Myanmar registered 1,277 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and 18 more deaths in the past 24 hours, according to a daily release by the Health Ministry on Saturday.

As of Saturday, Myanmar has recorded 68,011 confirmed cases and 1,552 deaths, the ministry said.

The Philippines

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) reported 1,530 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 41 additional deaths on Sunday, bringing the tally to 407,838 and the death toll to 7,832.

The DOH said 11,290 more patients have recovered, taking the number of recoveries to 374,329. 

President Rodrigo Duterte cleared his newly appointed police chief of any violation of rules when he celebrated his birthday in May amid coronavirus restrictions

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday cleared his newly appointed police chief of any violation of rules when he celebrated his birthday in May during one of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdowns.

"If he has (committed) any offence, he is pardoned already. I do not see any wrongdoing with moral implications and malice," Duterte said, adding that Sinas was not at fault for receiving a surprise festivity.

Sinas has been under investigation by the justice ministry for celebrating his birthday with fellow officers in May despite coronavirus curbs and at a time police were arresting thousands of people for quarantine violations. He has apologized for "causing anxiety to the public".

It was not immediately clear if Duterte's comments meant those investigations were no longer active. 

South Korea

South Korea reported 208 new coronavirus cases as of Saturday midnight, marking the eight straight day of triple-digit increases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Sunday. It was also the biggest increase since Sept 1.

READ MORE: S. Korea new COVID-19 cases top 200 for first time since Sept

Of the new cases, 176 were domestically transmitted and 32 imported. Nearly 70 percent of the locally transmitted cases were from Seoul and Gyeonggi province, a densely populated area near the capital.

The latest tally takes the country's total infections to 28,546 with 493 deaths, according to the KDCA.

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday urged authorities and local governments to raise their awareness of the spread of the coronavirus, reinforcing thorough supervision of safety guidelines such as mandatory mask wearing.

Turkey

Istanbul's mayor on Saturday called for a lockdown of at least two weeks to contain an "out of control" rise in COVID-19 cases, and said COVID-related deaths in the city alone outstrip reported nationwide figures.

"Especially in the last week... there is at least 50 more deaths in Istanbul alone than the number reported in the whole of Turkey," said Ekrem Imamoglu.

The mayor - who himself had COVID-19 last month - said he endorsed a local committee's proposal for an immediate 2-3 week lockdown followed by a controlled opening and robust contact-tracing period.

Earlier on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish hospitals were not overwhelmed for now but things could worsen if people did not follow rules such as wearing masks and social distancing.

Turkey reported 3,116 new infections on Saturday, raising the tally to 411,055, the Health Ministry said. Deaths rose by 92 to 11,418.

Vietnam

Vietnam on Saturday reported no newly confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The country's tally remained at 1,256 with 35 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health said that two more patients have been recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,103.