The coronavirus pandemic has spawned various issues on the sidelines, including teleconference hijacking on the increasingly popular Zoom platform and more instances of xenophobia in Singapore.
Indonesian IT experts were “Zoom-bombed” yesterday when an online webinar discussing COVID-19 misinformation was hijacked by a user named “Bin Laden,” who streamed a porn video in the group chat. The raunchy embarrassment was also live-streamed on YouTube.
Outbreaks at migrant worker dormitories in Singapore appear to have led to greater racist and xenophobic reactions among some locals, especially those who have been snitching on people for breaking COVID-19 rules like walking around mask-less in public. A number of people targeted appear to be of Indian descent.
Forty-four Thai provinces that have not reported new cases in the past two weeks could reopen in May, according to a health official who labeled those areas as “low-risk.” Provinces that have not reported new cases recently include Buriram and Chiang Rai.
Meanwhile, police officers in the Philippines said they are ready for a total lockdown of the country should President Rodrigo Duterte call for it.
Hong Kong reported a single-digit increase in infections for the sixth day in a row. Only four new cases were announced today.
More updates from Coconuts’ newsrooms in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong:
Indonesia
- Officer uses tractor to disperse crowd in Bali’s Kedonganan Beach
- Zoom-bombed: Indonesian ICT board’s virtual meeting discussing COVID-19 misinformation hijacked with porn video
Singapore
- Singapore’s COVID-snitches harass and shame strangers in racially charged videos
- Singapore commuters packed into trains after services cut to save money (Photos)
Thailand
- 44 ‘low-risk’ Thai provinces could reopen in May, no plans for mass testing: official
- Rap Against Contagion: Thai cops drop infectious COVID-19 diss track (Video)
Philippines
- Police force ready for total lockdown, 65 cops infected with COVID-19
- 18 inmates and personnel of Quezon City Jail positive for COVID-19
- ‘I don’t understand’: Health Secretary Duque baffled by senators’ calls for resignation
- Photocopying COVID-19 cash aid forms is illegal, warns Interior Department
- ‘Like Martial Law’: Duterte warns of military takeover if Filipinos continue to break quarantine
