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World
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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020
New COVID-19
infections in Thailand
rebound to 111, with
three deaths
People wearing face masks donate blood at the Thai Red Cross in Bangkok. PHOTO:AP
BANGKOK (XINHUA) - Thailand yesterday
reported new 111 cases of COVID19, with
three fatalities who are all foreigners, the
government said.
Total infections were up to 2,369, with the
death toll at 30.
A cluster infection of 42 members of a
group of 76 Thais, returning from a religious
event in Indonesia, has resulted in a rebound
in Thailand’s daily new infections to 111, after
52 on Monday and 38 on Tuesday, according
to the Centre for COVID19 Situation
Administration (CCSA).
One of the three fatalities was a Russian,
who visited Phuket and developed symptoms
as he was returning to Pattaya. His doctor
advised him to stay at home, where he died
on April 5.
The second victim was a 69-year diabetic
Indian businessman. He was admitted for
treatment at a hospital in Bangkok and was
pronounced dead on Tuesday.
The third victim was a 69-year old
American who suffered from chronic kidney
disease. He was admitted for treatment at
a hospital in Buri Ram province and died
on Tuesday.
“Since all three victims were of foreign
nationals, it is crucial that all overseas arrivals,
including Thai nationals, be subjected to
rigorous screening and observation,” said
CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin
at a news conference yesterday.
Using the latest graph of infections,
Taweesin said that Phuket now ranks irst
in quickest infections with 33 per cent in
every 100,000 of the population, compared
to Bangkok’s 21.7 per cent, although
Bangkok has the highest total conirmed
cases at 1,223, followed by Nonthaburi
province’s 141 cases and Phuket’s
140 cases.
SINGAPORE (XINHUA) - Singaporean
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called
for close cooperation among all coun-
tries to ight against the COVID19 pan-
demic in a video message posted on
Facebook yesterday.
He said in the video message, which is
for the World Health Organization (WHO)
Western Paciic Regional Ofice for a virtual
meeting of health ministers, all countries
must cooperate closely with one another and
learn from one another’s experience.
“This is the only way humanity can bring
this pandemic under control,” he said.
Lee said COVID19 is a crisis that requires
all countries to ight together. “Each country
has different circumstances, social norms
and resources,” he said. “But we are ighting
the same enemy, COVID19.”
The Prime Minister said the battle against
COVID19 is far from won, but it can be won if
all countries ight together.
As for Singapore, Lee introduced the city-
state’s efforts to ight COVID19, including the
Circuit Breaker, the month-long substantially
tighter safe distancing measures started this
on Tuesday.
He said the Circuit Breaker measures are
painful but essential, and the next weeks will
be crucial.
A cyclist rides across a quiet street in the central business district of Singapore. PHOTO: AFP
COVID-19 requires all countries
to fight together: Singaporean PM
Fire destroys garment factory in Ipoh
IPOH (BERNAMA) - A ire destroyed a garment
and stocking factory on Jalan Industri Kecil
Bercham 7 yesterday morning.
Ipoh Fire and Rescue Station Operations
Chief Azman Hussin said the ire engulfed 90
per cent of the 20,000 square foot factory.
He said 65 members of the Ipoh, Meru
Raya and Simpang Pulai ire and rescue
stations had been dispatched to the scene
after receiving a distress call at 10.40am.
“Upon arrival about seven minutes later, the
ire was still spreading. However, there were
no victims as the factory was closed following
the implementation of the Movement
Control Order (MCO),” he told
Bernama
when contacted.
At press time, Azman said they were still
working on extinguishing the ire.
Thailand’s Pattaya imposes temporary
lockdown to keep out all visitors
BANGKOK (XINHUA) - Thailand’s eastern
seaside tourist city Pattaya is imposing a
temporary lockdown to keep out all visitors
in sustained effort to stem the COVID19
pandemic.
ProvincialGovernorofChonburiprovince
where Pattaya is located, Phakharathorn
Thianchai conirmed yesterday, no entry
by any visitors, Thai or foreign, into Pattaya
under the lockdown, effective from today
until the end of this month, in addition to
curfew, currently enforced nationwide
between 10pm and 4am daily.
Only those who are oficially veriied
to have a home or be currently employed
in Pattaya are allowed to enter the city,
according to the provincial governor.
Several road checkpoints have been set
up to screen people entering the city areas
around the clock.
Cambodia says ASEAN FMs to discuss
COVID-19 via video conference
PHNOM PENH (XINHUA) - Foreign Minis-
ters (FMs) of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold a meet-
ing via video conference today to discuss
collective response to the rapid spread of
the COVID19, said a Cambodian Foreign
Ministry statement yesterday.
The ASEAN Coordinating Council
meeting on COVID19 via video confer-
ence was initiated by Vietnam, the cur-
rent chair of ASEAN, the statement said,
adding that Cambodian Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sok-
honn will take part in the meeting from
Phnom Penh.
“During the meeting, the ASEAN
Foreign Ministers will discuss and
exchange views on ASEAN collective
response to the rapid outbreak of the
COVID19 as well as the preparation for
the Special ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN
Plus Three Special Summit on COVID19
in the near future,” it said.
“This meeting will mark a step forward to
the collective actions of ASEAN in response
to the global health crisis threatened by
COVID19, as well as strengthen ASEAN’s
resilience,” it added.
Cambodia has so far recorded a total
of 117 conirmed cases of the COVID19,
with 63 patients cured, according to a
Ministry of Health statement yesterday.
21 doctors die in the Philippines
due to COVID-19
ANKARA (BERNAMA) - At least 21 doctors
have died in the Philippines due to the novel
coronavirus, reported
Anadolu Agency
quoting local media.
The country has reported 177 deaths
as the conirmed cases of COVID19 has
climbed to 3,764.
“Doctorswhodiedduetothecoronavirus
was primarily due to patients lying about
their condition or exposure history,” local
broadcaster
GMT
quoted President of the
Private Hospitals Association in the country
Rustico Jimenez as saying. So far, 740
medical staff in the Philippines contracted
the coronavirus and are under 14-day self-
quarantine after suspected exposure, said
the association.
Jimenez argued that the shortage of
personal protective equipment (PPE) for
doctors and other health staff in private
hospitals was also behind their deaths.
“Private hospitals do not receive PPEs,
we buy our own. But at this point, it’s hard
to buy supplies,” said Jimenez.