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Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 22:58
M'sia in deal with China for COVID-19 vaccine development
By Agencies
Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 22:58 By Agencies

Men walk past a statue of comic book character Spider-Man wearing a face mask at the Wangsa Walk Mall, amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 4, 2020. (MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

TOKYO / SOUEL / ISTANBUL / TEHRAN / SYDENY / BANGKOK / KUALA LUMPUR / KABUL / DHAKA / TOKYO / ULAN BATOR / HANOI / JAKARTA - Malaysia said on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with China to cooperate on the development of a safe and efficacious vaccine, as part of efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the agreement, in force for an initial period of five years, the Southeast Asian nation will be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed by China. Both will share knowledge and expertise and facilitate scientific and technological capabilities to advance vaccine development in their countries, Malaysia said in a joint ministerial statement.

Under the agreement, in force for an initial period of five years, the Southeast Asian nation will be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed by China

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin signed the agreement with his Chinese counterpart Wang Zhigang in a virtual ceremony.

Cooperation between Malaysia and China under the agreement would be supervised by a committee chaired by the foreign affairs ministers of both countries that was formed in October to address post-pandemic challenges.

“Both countries will also support the participation of their public and private sectors including universities, institutions, societies and organizations in joint collaborative projects,” the joint statement read.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s king on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in a parliamentary constituency in the eastern state of Sabah to prevent a by-election being held there, citing fears that it could lead to a fresh coronavirus outbreak.

The Southeast Asian nation has seen a sharp spike in cases in recent weeks. Sabah, on Borneo island, has been worst-hit by the recent jump, reporting nearly half of the country’s infections, most of which were linked to an election held there in September.

Malaysia reported 660 new COVID-19 infections, the health ministry said on Wednesday, bringing the national total to 50,390.

Four more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 322.

Australia

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall announced a six-day lockdown on Wednesday to stamp out a coronavirus outbreak that has now expanded to 22 new cases, warning that the strain of virus detected was especially worrying. 

All schools, takeaway food, pubs, cafes and universities will be closed. Regional travel is not approved either, Marshall said.

South Australia is urging 4,000 people to self-isolate to contain a cluster of COVID -19 infections in the state capital of Adelaide.

Twenty people have been infected after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel was exposed to the virus and health authorities are conducting extensive contact tracing in an effort to prevent a wider outbreak. Officials are urging anyone who has visited a list of places including schools, shopping centers and restaurants or taken particular public bus routes to get tested and stay at home for 14 days.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan on Wednesday reported 243 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases after health authorities conducted 1,201 tests within a day, bringing the number of total cases to 43,924, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.

During the past 24 hours, 243 positive  cases were recorded in 10 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

Up to 1,645 deaths have been recorded, an increase of seven within the past 24 hours.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported 2,111 new COVID-19 cases and 21 new deaths on Wednesday, making the tally at 438,795 and death toll at 6,275, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

Combodia

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen ended his 14-day self-quarantine at home after his final test conducted on Wednesday showed a negative result.

Hun Sen wrote on his official Facebook page that the results of the fourth and last tests indicated that he and his wife, Bun Rany, as well as his bodyguards and chauffeurs were negative for the virus.

"So, from tomorrow, Nov. 19, 2020, I will go to work or exercise outdoors like before Nov. 4; however, I still do not let my children and grandchildren come to my house yet in order to make certain that I don't have the virus to spread to them," he said.

India

Some of the world’s leading long-distance runners and hundreds of others will take part in a half-marathon and shorter races this month in New Delhi, the organiser said on Wednesday, despite concerns over the Indian capital’s toxic air.

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who won a bronze last month at the women’s World Athletics half marathon championships in Poland, is among those who will run the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020 on Nov 29.

Ethiopian pair Tsehay Gemechu and Andamlak Belihu, the defending champions, will both be aiming for a third successive victory in Delhi’s half marathon.

Several hundred other running enthusiasts will run at routes of their choosing for the 10-km and 5-km races between Nov. 25 and Nov 29, using a mobile app to post race timings, organisers said.

This month, the Delhi’s air quality was its worst for the year, with the concentration of deadly PM 2.5 particulate matter rising to 30 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit. On Wednesday, the index was in a rare “moderate” category after a brief spell of rain.

The Indian capital is also grappling with a surge in coronavirus infections this month fuelled by large crowds at religious festivals.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in India ticked up to 8.91 million as of Wednesday, with 38,617 new infections, according to government data. Virus-related deaths reached 130,993. 

India has the second-largest number of cases in the world, behind the US, and the third-most deaths, after the US and Brazil.

Indonesia

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 4,265 within one day to 478,720, with the death toll adding by 110 to 15,503, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

Iran

Iran's health ministry reported 13,421 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the total nationwide infections to 801,894.

The pandemic has so far claimed 42,941 lives in Iran, up by 480 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily briefing.

READ MORE: Southeast Asia's virus hotspot counts on early vaccine rollout

Iraq

In Iraq, the health ministry reported 2,961 new COVID-19 cases and 40 more deaths, bringing the nationwide infections to 524,503 and the death toll to 11,752. The tally of recoveries rose by 3,460 to 453,025.

In a separate statement, the ministry predicted a significant increase in COVID-19 infections during the coming weeks as a result of lower temperatures.

Israel

Israel recorded 600 new coronavirus infections and one more death as of early Tuesday evening, raising the tally of COVID-19 cases in the country to 325,355 and the death toll to 2,736.

Israel's total number of recoveries increased by 474 to 314,567, while 319 patients remained in critical condition.

People wearing facemasks as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, commute late evening in Tokyo on Nov 17, 2020. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Japan

Japan on Wednesday recorded 2,189 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, renewing a record number of daily infections and exceeding the 2,000-mark for the first time, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities.

Earlier, Japan reported record daily case spikes for three days in a row through Saturday when the number hit 1,737.

Jordan

Jordan confirmed 6,454 new coronavirus cases and 66 more deaths, pushing the tally of infections to 155,993 and the death toll to 1,909. The total recoveries in the kingdom rose to 90,267, while 474 patients were treated in intensive care units.

Kuwait

Kuwait reported 556 new COVID-19 cases and six more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 137,885 and the death toll to 848 in the country.

The Kuwaiti health ministry also announced the recovery of 627 more patients, taking the total recoveries in the country to 129,041.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's COVID-19 cases reached 67,894 on Wednesday as 425 new cases have been registered across the country in the past 24 hours.

The national headquarters for combating COVID-19 said that the new cases included 110 in the capital city Bishkek, and 117 in the northern region of Chui Oblast.

The number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Kyrgyzstan increased to 58,846 after 531 more have been added over the past day.

The headquarters also reported five new deaths, taking the national count to 1,212.

Still there are 7,116 active COVID-19 cases in the country, 3,136 of them are receiving treatment in hospitals, and 3,980 patients at home.

Maldives

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing facilities have been arranged for tourists on safari in nine islands of the Maldives, local media reported here Wednesday.

The National Boating Association of the Maldives has arranged the testing facilities to ensure that tourists do not have to travel to the capital Male to be tested for COVID-19.

State-owned PSM News reported that 122 safaris have been permitted to resume operations since the government reopened its borders for tourism on July 15, after the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Maldives has received a donation of 5,000 PCR test kits from the United Nations Children's Fund to strengthen the testing capacity.

According to data from the Health Protection Agency, the country has 12,355 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 11,388 recoveries and 45 deaths. 

Mongolia

A total of 18 more locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were reported across Mongolia on Wednesday, according to the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD).

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country reached 473, including 55 locally transmitted cases as of Wednesday evening.

Visitors wearing face masks watch a 'changing of the palace guards' ceremony at the main gate of Deoksugung Palace in Seoul on Nov 18, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

New Zealand

New Zealand reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, all detected in recent returnees in managed isolation.

Of the recent returnees who have tested positive for COVID-19, one person arrived from Britain via Dubai on Nov. 14, and two people arrived from Dubai on the same day. All three people tested positive during routine testing around day 3 of their time in managed isolation, according to the Ministry of Health.

There are 64 active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, and the total number of confirmed cases is now 1,652, said a ministry statement.

Oman

The Omani health ministry reported 329 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total confirmed cases in the Sultanate to 120,718. The death toll from the virus in Oman rose by 12 to 1,350, while the tally of recoveries increased by 350 to 111,446.

Palestine

Palestine on Tuesday recorded 1,158 new COVID-19 cases and 11 more fatalities, bringing the tally of infections to 77,320 and the death toll to 658.

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip threatened to impose a full lockdown on the coastal enclave if the daily infections continue to rise.

ALSO READ: Iran reports highest daily COVID-19 tally and toll

Qatar

In Qatar, the health ministry announced 194 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 136,222. The tally of recoveries rose by 207 to 133,217, while the death toll remained at 235 for the second day running as no new death was added.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia reported 362 new COVID-19 infections and 16 more deaths, bringing the tally of infections to 353,918 and the overall death count to 5,692.

The total number of recoveries in the kingdom increased by 436 to 341,104, while 816 patients were treated in the intensive care units.

Singapore

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported six new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 58,130.

All of the new cases are imported cases.

On Tuesday, six more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 58,039 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, the ministry said.

South Korea

South Korea reported on Wednesday 313 new daily COVID-19 cases, the highest since August, as cluster infections continued to emerge from offices, medical facilities and small gatherings, prompting authorities to tighten social distancing rules. 

The daily tally has been above 200 for a fifth consecutive day and surpassed 300 for the first time since late August, when a large outbreak erupted from a church whose members attended a political rally, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). 

The government decided on Tuesday to impose stricter social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area a month after easing them, warning of an even bigger crisis if its current anti-COVID-19 efforts fail to blunt a spike in new cases.

Employees wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) talk to an arriving international flight passenger about his hotel transfer for the compulsory 14-day Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ), to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Nov 16, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

Thailand

Thailand will extend a nationwide state of emergency through Jan. 15 to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections during the peak New Year’s travel period.

A meeting of the COVID -19 task force chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha approved the extension to help authorities enforce mandatory quarantines and streamline disease-control plans, Taweesilp Witsanuyotin, a spokesman for the panel, told reporters in Bangkok Wednesday.

The extension, which is expected to be approved by the cabinet next week, would be the eighth since the initial order in March. The Southeast Asian nation has been gradually relaxing some of its virus measures over the past several months to allow businesses to fully reopen and some visitors to return.

While Thailand has been largely free of community transmission of the deadly virus, its economy has been battered by the hit from the pandemic to its exports and tourism sectors, its two key growth drivers.

The COVID-19 panel discussed relaxing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors from select low-risk countries but a decision was deferred following concerns raised by some officials, Taweesilp said. The proposal included allowing visitors to leave the quarantine centers after 10 days and travel to some restricted areas, he said.

A woman smokes a cigarette while suing her mobile phone in a street in Ankara on Nov 13, 2020. (ADEM ALTAN / AFP)

The Philippines

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Wednesday reported 1,383 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the country to 412,097.

The Philippines has recorded less than 2,000 new cases for nine consecutive days since Nov. 10.

The DOH said 143 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 374,666. The death toll climbed to 7,957 after 95 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added.

The DOH said it had tested 5 million people in the Philippines so far. The country has a population of about 110 million.

Turkey

Turkey said on Wednesday new coronavirus measures limiting the working hours of restaurants and cafes and introducing a partial lockdown on weekends will take effect from the evening of Nov. 20, according to an interior ministry statement. 

Restaurants, cafes, shopping malls and hairdressers will only be allowed to operate from 0700 GMT to 1700 GMT, the statement said, while restaurants and cafes will only be open for takeaway and delivery services.

Turkey reported 3,819 new coronavirus infections and 103 more deaths from the virus on Tuesday, raising the tally of COVID-19 cases to 421,413 and the death toll to 11,704.

The tally of recoveries in Turkey rose by 2,688 to 359,063, while 3,657 patients were treated in the intensive care units.

Vietnam

Vietnam reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 infection on Wednesday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 1,300 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to its Ministry of Health.

All the new cases are Vietnamese citizens who recently entered the country from abroad and were quarantined upon arrival, said the ministry.

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