Coronavirus kills 13 more in Indonesia, toll rises to 170
N. Korea insists it is free of COVID-19; S. Korea to allow absentee voting for virus patients; Malaysia reports 208 new cases; social media users slam Abe over handling of the crisis
Indonesia’s coronavirus ( COVID-19) death toll rose to 170 on Thursday as the world’s fourth most populous nation passed South Korea as the country with the highest number of recorded fatalities in Asia after China.
Indonesia reported a further 13 deaths and 113 new cases, taking its total number of infections to 1,790. South Korea has reported 169 deaths and 9,976 infections, according to the latest figures released there.
North Korea remains totally free of the coronavirus, a senior health official in Pyongyang has insisted, despite mounting scepticism overseas as confirmed global infections near one million.
Pak Myong Su, director of the anti-epidemic department of the North’s Central Emergency Anti-epidemic Headquarters, insisted that the efforts had been completely successful.
“Not one single person has been infected with the novel coronavirus in our country so far,” Pak said.
“We have carried out preemptive and scientific measures such as inspections and quarantine for all personnel entering our country and thoroughly disinfecting all goods, as well as closing borders and blocking sea and air lanes.”
South Korea will allow coronavirus patients to vote by mail or as absentees in parliamentary elections this month, as a two-week campaign kicked off on Thursday in a country grappling with a steady rise in new infections.
Voters go to the polls on April 15 to elect 300 members of the National Assembly for the next four years, in an exercise posing challenges over how to rein in the virus at polling places while ensuring people’s right to vote.
Roughly 4,000 patients receiving treatment will be able to case ballots by mail or absentee voting ahead of time, Interior Minister Chin Young said.
“We will guarantee the confirmed patients’ right to vote as much as possible,” he told a briefing, adding that the government was still exploring measures for those who had not tested positive but were in self-quarantine.
Facing calls to declare a coronavirus state of emergency, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was derided on social media on Thursday for instead offering people cloth masks, pointing to growing frustration with his handling of the crisis.
“You can use soap to wash and re-use them, so this should be a good response to the sudden, huge demand for masks,” he said.
Twitter users were scathing, with Abe and mask references trending.
“Is the Japanese government for real? This is a total waste of tax money,” wrote a user with the handle Usube.
Malaysia reported 208 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the total to 3,116, the highest in Southeast Asia.
The Ministry Of Health recorded a total of 50 deaths, with five reported on Thursday.
The number of cases is expected to peak in mid-april and there are signs of a flattening of the infection curve, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, as curbs on travel and movement help curtail the spread.
Malaysia has the highest number of known infections in Southeast Asia with 3,116 confirmed cases, including 208 reported on Thursday in the biggest daily increase in a week.
“Based on available data, the WHO Country Office has projected that Malaysia will see a peak in hospitalised cases in mid-april,” Ying-ru Lo, the WHO’S head of mission and representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore told Reuters in emailed comments.
The number of critically ill patients is estimated to reach the peak within the next week, she said, adding that the WHO projections could change.
Thailand is to announce a nationwide curfew between 10pm and 4am starting ON Friday to try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the government said in a statement on Thursday.
The curfew will have some exceptions, including for the transport of medical supplies, movement of people into quarantine, patients and travel of medical personnel, according to the statement shown to reporters.
“The prime minister will make the announcement this evening on national television around 6pm,” deputy spokeswoman deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said when reached by telephone.