Malaysia updated its lockdown rules ahead of Ramadan, Singapore’s migrant workers continue to take ill by the hundreds and signs that the pandemic is taking a toll on mental health are emerging among Thailand’s poor.
An 8pm curfew for Malaysia’s eateries and shops will continue during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins tonight. However, wet markets will be allowed to stay open two hours later until 2pm, and public transport will run another hour, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri announced today.
For the fourth day in a row, Singapore reported more than a thousand new cases. Confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 11,178 today after 1,037 new infections were discovered, mostly in the virus-plagued migrant worker dormitories.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has begun taking a toll on people’s mental well-being. In Thailand, economic desperation has been cited in a spate of tragic cases.
One bright spot was a reversal of some of market losses with exchanges throughout the region rising on the global reaction to a stabilized oil market.
More updates from Coconuts’ newsrooms in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong:
Singapore
- By the numbers, COVID’s exponential growth among migrant worker dorms made for 94% of cases in last week (Charts)
- Barter Buddies: Singapore, Indonesia trade millions of masks for thousands of beds
Indonesia
Philippines
Thailand
