COVID-19 Report: Malaysia mulls lockdown extension, Bangkok bans alcohol sales

Malaysian medical workers in protective gears in a photo dated April 7, 2020. Photo: Noor Hisham Abdullah/Facebook
Malaysian medical workers in protective gears in a photo dated April 7, 2020. Photo: Noor Hisham Abdullah/Facebook

Malaysia is expected to announce whether it will extend its month-old lockdown as known coronavirus cases continue to surge there with 4,228 cases reported since the outbreak began.  Since mid-March, Malaysians have been barred from traveling, attending school, going to work or gathering. 

The reliably rowdy Thai New Year festival set to begin next week has prompted authorities in Bangkok to halt the sale of alcohol for 11 days starting Friday in a bid to keep people out of the streets and spreading COVID-19.

Infections have picked up steam in Singapore as its own semi-lockdown begins. The city-state reported set a new daily record of 142 new cases last night, including infections at migrant worker dormitories. Officials are vowing stricter enforcement.

The Philippines joined Singapore in opening makeshift hospitals this week. Six stadiums and convention centers have been transformed into quarantine facilities and are expected to accept COVID-19 patients soon.

Markets across Asia offered mixed results Thursday, though the overall direction was into lossy territory.

More updates from Coconuts newsrooms in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong: 

Singapore

  • Those breaching new regulations such as dining at eateries or gathering socially will be warned on their first offense, pay a S$300 (US$210) fine on the second, and be prosecuted on the third; Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli announced today. 
  • Singapore finally implemented safe-distancing measures on public transportation today. Photos show markers on floors and seats aboard trains and buses to ensure 1-meter space between commuters. 
  • Singapore reported a new daily high of 142 cases last night, pushing the total number of infections to 1,623. A 32-year-old man from India who posthumously tested positive for COVID-19 died yesterday. 
  • Total cases linked to migrant worker dormitory clusters rose to 253 last night. A total of 118 cases are now linked to the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol. 

Malaysia

  • Malaysia will announce its decision tomorrow on whether the country’s lockdown, which began March 18, will be extended.
  • Malaysia’s king and queen have completed their 14-day quarantine and are free of the disease. They were quarantined after a number of palace staff members tested positive. 
  • Confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 4,228 today and the death toll to 67. Selangor remains the hardest hit area with 1,118 cases. 
  • Malaysia’s major infection clusters include the one linked to the Kuala Lumpur mosque gathering (1,682 cases), a church gathering in Kuching (112 cases), a patient who visited Italy (41 cases), and a wedding in a town in Selangor called Bandar Baru Bangi (94 cases).

Thailand

  • Bangkok has banned alcohol sales for 11 days starting Friday in a bid to discourage partying during the Songkran holiday period. 
  • Thailand has extended all visas to prevent crowding at immigration centers. 
  • Confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 2,423 and the death toll to 32. 

Hong Kong

  • Hong Kong reported only 13 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing its total of confirmed infections to 973. Most recent cases have involved people who recently traveled overseas. 
  • The low number of new cases does not necessarily mean that infections are slowing in the city. 
  • “The figures for one day cannot represent the overall trend, even though the numbers have been gradually slowing down. We hope this is a good sign,” Chuang Shuk-kwan, the chief of the communicable disease from the Centre for Health Protection, told the South China Morning Post. 

Philippines

  • Six stadiums and convention centers in Metro Manila have been transformed into makeshift hospitals and are ready to accept patients. They all have a combined capacity of 1,500 beds, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority today.
  • Confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 4,076 and the death toll to 203.

Indonesia

  • Fifteen Indonesian cruise ship crew members who recently returned to Bali have tested positive, Governor Wayan Koster announced yesterday.
  • More than 19,000 workers in Bali have been told to stay home and nearly 500 have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to latest government statistics. The numbers are expected to grow, according to Bali’s manpower agency.
  • Confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 3,293 and the death toll to 280.

Myanmar

  • Confirmed cases rose to 22 infections and three deaths.

 



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on