In this photo provided by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea government, a worker in protective gear stands on an empty sidewalk in Pyongyang, the DPRK, on May 17, 2022. (KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP)

COLOMBO / HANOI / YANGON / SINGAPORE / CANBERRA / WELLINGTON / KUALA LUMPUR / SEOUL / PYONGYANG - More than 29,910 fever cases were reported in the past 24 hours through 0900 GMT on Tuesday in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with zero deaths, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday.

From late April till Tuesday, the total number of fevered persons in the country has reached 4.53 million, of which nearly 4.48 million have recovered, with a recovery rate of 98.8 percent, the report said, citing information by the state emergency pandemic prevention headquarters. The total death toll since late April stands at 72.

Meanwhile, the central emergency anti-pandemic sector is re-examining and re-setting the assignments for every department and official in line with the specific conditions before coping with the ever-changing anti-pandemic situation, it said.

According to the report, officials of the Cabinet and the Ministry of Public Health have seriously analyzed and reviewed successes, experience and lessons drawn from the work of the last month since the maximum emergency anti-pandemic system came into force, and rapidly mapped out the written measures for maintaining and consolidating the anti-pandemic stability.

The KCNA reported on May 12 that the Omicron subvariant BA.2 was detected after samples were collected from a group of patients in the capital Pyongyang on May 8, marking the first time that COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the country.

Staff check a client at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Jan 8, 2022. (MARK BAKER / AP)

Australia

The Australian government has acknowledged the recommendation that mask-wearing will no longer be mandated in airport terminals but still be required on all flights.

In a statement released Tuesday night, the federal government announced that, on the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), the mask mandate in airport terminals will be lifted from Saturday.

But travelers will still be required to wear masks on planes to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The AHPPC said it did not consider the mask mandate in airports to be "proportionate" amid relaxed mask rules in most other environments across the country.

However, the AHPPC "continues to strongly recommend" continued mask-wearing in airport terminals and other indoor settings, especially where physical distancing is not possible.

"The government notes the AHPPC has strongly recommended Australians continue to wear masks as a key measure to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and influenza," the statement read.

On Wednesday morning, Australia reported more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 40 deaths.

Malaysia

Malaysia reported 1,922 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Tuesday, bringing the national total to 4,530,312, according to the health ministry.

There are three new imported cases, with 1,919 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.

Four more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 35,720.

There are 22,961 active cases, with 32 being held in intensive care and 18 of those in need of assisted breathing.

In this June 5, 2020 photo, a medical worker (center) wearing full protective gear takes a swab sample from a man to be tested for the coronavirus on a street in Male, Maldives. (AHMED SHURAU / AFP)

Maldives

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the Maldives has warned that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was on the rise again, local media reported on Tuesday.

The agency said 142 people had tested positive for the virus over the past week, a sizable increase from low numbers in the previous weeks.

The HPA said they would continue to monitor the situation, urging people to be vigilant as the number of cases is increasing.

The Maldives has recorded 179,979 COVID-19 cases and 299 deaths to date.

A woman receives a shot of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug 29, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Myanmar

Myanmar reported eight new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total tally to 613,460, according to the country's Health Ministry.

The health authorities tested 6,413 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 0.12 percent.

It added that the death toll from COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian country remained unchanged at 19,434 with no new deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

New Zealand

New Zealand recorded 5,554 new community cases of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Among the new community infections, 1,659 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry said.

In addition, 70 new cases of COVID-19 were detected at the New Zealand border.

Currently, 368 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, including seven in intensive care units or high dependency units.

A notice warning people not to gather in groups larger than five persons as part of restrictions to hald the spread of the coronavirus is displayed at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on Jan 4, 2022. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

Singapore

Singapore reported 5,130 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total tally to 1,348,775.

Of the new cases, 4,692 were local transmissions and 438 were imported cases. Among the local cases, 387 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 4,305 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

A total of 250 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with two cases in intensive care units.

Three deaths were reported due to COVID-19 infection, pushing the death toll to 1,401, the ministry said.  

Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea reported 9,435 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 18,248,479, the health authorities said Wednesday.

The daily caseload was down from 9,778 in the previous day, hovering below 10,000 for the sixth consecutive day, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 8,618.

Among the new cases, 104 were imported from overseas, lifting the total to 33,557.

Passengers wait for transportation outside the arrival hall of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 15, 2022, as Vietnam announced the return of a visa exemption policy for 13 countries in an effort to kickstart its tourism sector. (NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)

Vietnam

Vietnam recorded 856 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, up by 239 from Monday, according to its Ministry of Health.

All the new infections were domestically transmitted in 39 provinces and cities.

The Vietnamese capital Hanoi was the pandemic hotspot with 151 new cases recorded on Tuesday, followed by the central city of Da Nang with 64 and the northern Phu Tho province with 56.

The infections brought the total tally to 10,733,285 with 43,083 deaths.

More than 224 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, including over 201.1 million shots on people aged 18 and above, said the ministry.