World news

India, the third largest economy in Asia, will receive the largest share of the initial funding - US$1 billion to support better screening for the virus, contact tracing and laboratory diagnostics; pay for personal protective equipment; and set up new isolation wards for those infected, the bank said. … [Read more...] about World Bank approves initial US$1.9 billion in emergency coronavirus funds

-- The administration of Ha Tinh Province, located in north-central Vietnam, on Thursday demanded that local healthcare authorities suspend a local hospital's vice-director after Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported on a line of cars running on a street on the way to his son's wedding, despite the prime minister's directive on nationwide social distancing in place from April 1 to 15. … [Read more...] about Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – April 3

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia is expected to peak in mid-April and there are signs of a flattening of the infection curve, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on April 2. Based on available data, the WHO Country Office has projected that Malaysia will see a peak in hospitalised cases in mid-April, said Ying-Ru Lo, the WHO's head of mission and representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. The number of critically ill patients is estimated to reach the peak within the next week, she added. Malaysia has the highest number of known infections in Southeast Asia with 2,908 confirmed cases, including 45 deaths. Furthermore, the Malaysian government has set up a special Cabinet committee to develop strategic measures to safeguard the country’s economy and labour market impacted by COVID-19. The committee will be co-chaired by Minister of International Trade and Industry Mohamed Azmin Ali and Minister of Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob. … [Read more...] about WHO expects Malaysia’s COVID-19 cases to peak in mid-April

Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit was quoted by local media on April 2 as saying that the Thai government will ship 2.5 million masks every 15 days, with the goal of distributing 10 million masks in total. According to the Interior Ministry, Bangkok capital city is home to 3.05 million households, housing 5.6 million people in 50 districts. There will be 1 piece of face mask per person, Suriya said. The remaining 4.4 million masks will be distributed to neighbouring provinces, as well as southern provinces like Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. Also on April 2, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the government is considering starting a new national holiday to prevent the annual mass exodus usually occurring at the end of the Muslim fasting month Ramadan amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19. At a cabinet meeting, he said that measures could be put in place during the new holiday such as making tourist attractions free to help calm the people. Nearly 90 percent of … [Read more...] about Cambodian government offers financial support for tourism sector

Although masks are a common sight in many parts of Asia, Austria is only the fourth European country to enforce the use of masks in public - following in the footsteps of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. BBC … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: The unusual ways countries are managing lockdowns