Commuters wearing face masks walk along a concourse at Shinagawa station in Tokyo on Dec 10, 2020. (PHOTO  / AFP)

NEW DELHI / ANKARA / JERUSALEM / SEOUL / DUBAI / SINGAPORE - Japan said on Thursday it will buy 10,500 deep freezers to store novel coronavirus vaccines as it prepares for the “extraordinary task” of protecting its people, while the capital, Tokyo, reported a record number of new infections.

Japan, with a population of 126 million, has agreements to buy a total of 290 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca Plc and Moderna Inc, or enough for 145 million people.

Pfizer’s vaccines need to be kept at around minus 75 Celsius, and Moderna’s at about minus 20C, posing complex logistics challenges in rolling them out.

“An extraordinary task awaits us,” Tokuaki Shobayashi, director general of the health service bureau at the ministry of health, told a media briefing on preparations.

A 90-year-old grandmother in Britain became the world’s first person to receive a fully tested COVID-19 shot on Tuesday.

Though Japan has seen far fewer coronavirus cases than many Western countries, new infections are on the rise as colder weather keeps people indoors.

In all, it has recorded more than 165,000 infections and about 2,500 fatalities as of Wednesday, with Tokyo particularly hard hit.

The capital reported a record 602 new cases on Thursday, with nationwide daily infections at 2,078, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Top officials said the situation called for “maximum caution” as the spread showed little sign of easing.

Japan will start administering COVID-19 vaccines on a reservation basis at facilities prepared by municipalities, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Those being administered with the vaccine, the health ministry said, will be required to make a reservation in advance with local authorities in the cities, towns or villages in which they are registered as residents.

The vaccines, according to a panel of experts, could potentially begin to be rolled out in March at facilities including medical centers, public health centers, gymnasiums, event venues and even shopping malls.

Singapore

A passenger who tested positive for COVID-19 aboard a ‘cruise-to-nowhere’ from Singapore, forcing the ship to return to dock and nearly 1,700 guests to isolate, has been found not to have the virus, Singapore’s health ministry said on Thursday.

Passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas vessel were held in their cabins for more than 16 hours on Wednesday after an 83-year old man tested postive for COVID-19 after he came to the ship’s medical centre with diarrhoea.

When the ship returned to port on Wednesday, the passenger was taken to hospital where he took two further tests which did not reveal infection. A third negative test on Thursday led authorities to declare him virus free.

“A final confirmatory test ... has confirmed that the 83 year-old male Singaporean...does not have COVID-19 infection,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Afghanistan 

Public Health Ministry in Afghanistan has registered 213 new COVID-19 positive cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of patients affected with the disease to 48,753 since the outburst of the epidemic in February in the country.

A total of 18 patients have died over the period, bringing the number of COVID-19 related deaths to 1,939 since February in the country, a statement of the public health ministry released here Thursday said.

Cambodia 

Cambodia confirmed one more local COVID-19 case, bringing the total number of infected people linked to the first-ever community transmission to 39, said a Ministry of Health (MoH)'s statement on Thursday.

The first community transmission was detected on Nov. 28 after six people in a family, who reside in both capital Phnom Penh and northwest Siem Reap province, tested positive for the virus, as the origin of their infection has not been determined yet.

India

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., India’s largest hospital chain, says it’s ready to administer one million coronavirus vaccine doses a day, but the government has not made clear how vaccines will be distributed and whether private health-care networks will be involved.

The chain has so far trained 6,000 staff to give out jabs across its network of 71 hospitals, hundreds of clinics and thousands of pharmacies, according to Managing Director Suneeta Reddy, who said the company’s talks with officials in New Delhi had yet to provide any firm guidance.

A drug approval panel in India has asked the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd. and Bharat Biotech to submit more data on the safety and efficacy of their coronavirus vaccines before it can consider their applications for accelerated approvals of their shots.

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India's COVID-19 tally reached 9,767,371 on Thursday as 31,521 new cases were registered, according to the latest data from the federal health ministry.

The death toll mounted to 141,772 as 412 COVID-19 patients died since Wednesday morning.

Israel

At the Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the vaccines carried in a cargo flight from Brussels, expecting that this vaccine will receive the regulatory approvals "in the coming days."

Speaking at a press conference hours after the arrival of the Pfizer vaccines, Netanyahu announced that a COVID-19 vaccination for the population will begin on Dec. 27, with 60,000 shots prepared on a daily basis.

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 1,527 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total infections in the country to 349,024, while the death toll from the virus rose to 2,933, with eight new fatalities added.

A man wearing a face mask walks down steps before an inflatable bear outside the Sejong theatre in central Seoul on Dec 10, 2020. (ED JONES / AFP)

Jordan

In Jordan, the number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday rose by 3,088 to 250,219.

Kuwait

Kuwait reported 304 new COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, bringing the national count to 145,204, according to the Health Ministry.

Five more deaths from the virus were registered, raising the death toll to 905, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, a total of 140,989 people have recovered from the disease across Kuwait.  

Lebanon

In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday rose by 1,274 to 140,409.

Mongolia 

Mongolia reported five more COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its national tally to 898, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Thursday.

"The latest confirmed cases were locally transmitted. One of them is a nurse of the NCCD, and others are members of one family," Amarjargal Ambaselmaa, head of the NCCD's Surveillance Department, said at a press conference.

Oman

Oman reported 164 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising the total number in the sultanate to 125,490, according to a statement by the Omani health ministry.

Pakistan 

Pakistan registered 3,138 new COVID-19 cases and 56 deaths in the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry reported Thursday.

The country's COVID-19 tally now has reached 429,280, while the death toll mounted to 8,603, said the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination in the latest update.

A total of 2,575 cases remain in critical condition and 374,301 patients have recovered, said the ministry. 

Palestine

In Palestine, 1,883 new cases and 23 deaths were reported on Wednesday, raising the total number of infections in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem to 117,233 and the death toll to 984.

Ibrahim Milhem, the Palestinian government spokesman, told a news briefing in Ramallah that Palestine is exerting efforts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus to avoid the collapse of its health system.

Qatar

The Qatari health ministry on Wednesday announced 150 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number in the Gulf state to 140,353, official Qatar News Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia reported 159 new coronavirus cases and 13 more deaths, taking the kingdom's tally of COVID-19 cases to 359,274 and its death toll to 6,002.

The total number of recoveries in the kingdom increased to 349,624, after 210 new recoveries were confirmed on Wednesday.

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A staff member tests samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at a vaccine production plant of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) in Beijing, capital of China, April 11, 2020. (ZHANG YUWEI / XINHUA)

South Korea

South Korea authorities scrambled on Thursday to build hospital beds in shipping containers to ease strains on medical facilities stretched by the latest coronavirus wave, which shows little sign of abating with 682 new cases.

The resurgence of infections has rekindled concerns about an acute shortage of hospital beds, prompting Seoul city to begin installing container beds for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Health authorities plan to step up testing by launching temporary sites at some 150 locations across the greater Seoul area.

“We’re in a critical situation where our anti-virus efforts and medical system’s capacity could reach their limits before long,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a meeting, vowing to mobilise all available resources.

Citizens in greater Seoul area can take virus tests for free for the next three weeks regardless of their symptoms, South Korean Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a government meeting Thursday.

The Philippines

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines on Thursday reported 1,383 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total number in the country to 445,540.

The DOH said 133 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 409,058. The death toll climbed to 8,701 after 24 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Thursday called on Filipinos to remain vigilant amid reports of COVID-19 vaccine rollout, stressing that the risk of contracting the deadly virus "is still as high."

The UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Wednesday the official registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm.

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that the official registration is a significant vote of confidence by the country's health authorities in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.

The interim analysis of the phase III trials shows the Chinese vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection, according to the statement.

As the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID-19 cases, the UAE health ministry on Wednesday announced 1,313 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 180,150.

The ministry also reported 789 new recoveries and two deaths, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 161,084 and the death toll to 598.

Turkey

The number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey increased by more than five times compared to the figures in April, the Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday.

"Compared to the previous peak in April, there is a five-fold increase in the number of daily cases and a 55-percent increase in the number of deaths," he said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, a total of 216 health workers died due to the infection in Turkey, he said, noting that the number of the medical staff diagnosed with the coronavirus exceeded 120,000, more than 10 percent of the total health workers, the minister stated.

Turkey reported 31,712 new COVID-19 cases, including 6,213 symptomatic patients, as the total number of symptomatic coronavirus patients in the country increased to 558,517, the Turkish health ministry announced on Wednesday.

Turkey is ready to procure Russia’s coronavirus vaccine if it meets Ankara’s criteria, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday, refuting an earlier media report that cited him as ruling it out.

Malaysia 

Malaysia logged the highest single-day jump in new cases, days after the country extended curbs on movement in some states to help stem the spread of infections but relaxed restrictions in other places. Thursday’s 2,234 cases topped the previous high of 2,188 on Nov. 24. Malaysia’s richest state of Selangor posted the highest number at 1,428, followed by Borneo state of Sabah with 274 cases and Kuala Lumpur at 136, according to the Health Ministry.

Iran

Iran’s health ministry reported 10,403 fresh coronavirus cases and 284 deaths in the past 24 hours, marking the lowest number of daily fatalities reported since Oct. 18. The country has now reported a total of 1,083,023 infections and 51,496 deaths.

Iran said it expects to secure its first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines “soon” after making progress in overcoming hurdles that have been hindering purchases.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that while US sanctions continue to hamper Iran’s ability to transfer money overseas for the vaccines, “fortunately those knots are being loosened,” according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency on Wednesday. He didn’t say when deals could be completed or which of the various vaccines being tested around the world Iran was seeking to buy.

This week, the governor of Iran’s central bank said sanctions were preventing Iran from procuring vaccines using the COVAX payment facility that’s jointly managed by Geneva-based Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization.

A spokesperson for Gavi said there was no “legal barrier” to Iran procuring vaccines through COVAX as the U.S. Treasury’s Office on Foreign Assets Control had issued a license covering coronavirus vaccine procurement.

Namaki didn’t mention COVAX or specify how Iran was paying for the doses.

Nepal

Nearly nine months after its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Zoo of Nepal, the only zoo in the Himalayan country, resumed its service on Thursday.

The zoo was shut down on March 18 after the government barred gatherings of more than 25 people as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Myanmar 

Myanmar reported 1,321 more confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing its total tally to 104,487.

The Ministry of Health and Sports said in a release that 27 more COVID-19 deaths were newly recorded, bringing the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic to 2,201.

The ministry's figures showed the number of recovered patients currently stands at 82,813. So far, a total of 1,374,159 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the Asian country.

Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan has started a phase-3 trial of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese company Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, the Uzbek Ministry of Innovative Development said Thursday.

The launching ceremony was attended by Uzbek officials, Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jiang Yan, Chairman and General Director of Chongqing Zhifei Biological Company Jiang Rensheng, and researchers from the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it said.

The Chinese company has delivered 6,000 test vaccines, 12,000 PCR tests, 8,000 antibody tests and all auxiliary materials needed to conduct the trial for 5,000 volunteers, the ministry said, adding that the volunteers' identity would not be disclosed for ethical reasons.

Eight specialists from Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, together with the specialists from the Ministry of Innovative Development and the Research Institute of Virology of the Ministry of Health, have conducted vaccination trainings for Uzbek doctors and nurses, according to the ministry.

So far, Uzbekistan has registered 74,498 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 611 deaths.  

Bangladesh 

Bangladesh recorded 1,861 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 37 new deaths on Thursday, raising its total tally to 485,965 with 6,967 deaths, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

The number of recovered patients increased to 410,452 including 4,486 new recoveries from the coronavirus epidemic, said the DGHS.

Official data showed that 16,265 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh. The COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh currently stands at 1.43 percent and the recovery rate at 84.46 percent.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan health authorities on Thursday urged people to minimize shopping for the Christmas season as the country's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has surpassed the 30,000-mark.

The Health Ministry, in a set of new health guidelines released ahead of the festive season, said people must limit their shopping during the Christmas season, and that only one member of a family should go shopping to purchase necessary items.

The ministry further called on the public to avoid gatherings, saying Christmas should be celebrated among household members.

It required people to maintain social distance when queuing to buy things, and asked people to avoid kissing and to greet each other only when maintaining proper social distance.

In addition, the ministry urged the public to purchase goods online.

Sri Lanka is facing a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak after two new infection clusters were detected in October on the outskirts of and in the capital Colombo.

The Asian country has reported 30,072 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 144 deaths.

Samoa

Samoa's two imported COVID-19 cases have been discharged from quarantine after negative test results reported earlier in this week.

According to a report on Thursday by Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Samoa's Director General of Health Leausa Take Naseri said the coronavirus was no longer active in the men aged 23 and 73.

Leausa also said the South Pacific island nation remains free of community transmissions.

The two men tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday. They arrived in the South Pacific island country on a repatriation flight from Auckland, New Zealand on Nov. 13. They were the only two confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Samoa.

Vietnam 

Vietnam reported four new cases of COVID-19 infection on Thursday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 1,385 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to its Ministry of Health.

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

It announced that 1,225 patients in the country have been given all-clear as of Thursday.

Indonesia 

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 6,033 within one day to 598,933, with the death toll adding by 165 to 18,336, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

According to the ministry, 4,530 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 491,975.

The virus has spread to all the country's 34 provinces.

Specifically, within the past 24 hours, Jakarta recorded 1,180 new cases, Central Java 998, West Java 960, East Java 796 and South Sulawesi 219.