Virus outbreaks in Myanmar jails sow alarm

YANGON: Forty prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19 in Myanmar’s main jail where some of the thousands of anti-coup protesters who have been arrested by the junta are being held, BBC Burmese language news reported on Thursday, citing a prison official.

Authorities at the colonial-era jail have stopped sending prisoners to atend court hearings either at a special facility inside the jail or to courts in the city, Zayar Lwin, an activist and former political prisoner who was freed from Insein in April, said.

The BBC report said authorities at jails in other parts of the country, including in Myaungmya and Taungoo, were also taking action to contain the spread of the virus. Many prisoners in Insein jail became sick and some died earlier during the pandemic, but there was litle COVID-19 testing for prisoners, Zaya Lwin said.

Thailand’s health ministry said on Thursday it had proposed new travel curbs and tighter restrictions in high-risk areas to contain COVID-19 cases, as the country reported a daily record of 75 deaths from the coronavirus.

“We may need to impose tougher restriction to limit travel, stop group activities, close more facilities and take other measures that are necessary,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said, adding a decision would be announced ater the COVID-19 task force meeting.

Thailand and Indonesia are considering offering a booster shot to their medical workers immunised with Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Indonesia on Thursday reported a new daily record of 38,391 coronavirus infections, plus 852 new fatalities, its second-highest daily death toll, official data showed.

South Korea reported on Thursday its biggest daily rise in new COVID-19 cases and a top health official warned the numbers may nearly double by the end of July.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), reported 1,275 cases in the 24 hours to midnight on Wednesday.

Around 80 per cent of the 1,275 locally transmited cases were recorded in the greater Seoul area, comprising the capital, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon city, KDCA data showed.

Taiwan on Thursday received 1.13 million doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine from Japan in the second such donation this year.

Meanwhile, the biggest party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition said Thursday it was withdrawing support for the embatled prime minister and urged him to step down.

Analysts said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was likely to hold on to power in the short term.

Critics charge Muhyiddin was using the COVID-19 crisis to cling to power.