Risk Assessment Report – 15 May 2020
Risk Assessment Report – 15 May 2020
Rapid Risk Assessment
May 15, 2020
Risk Assessment Report – 15 May 2020
Time Period Covered May 15, 2020 - May 05, 2020
- World Health Organization (WHO) has published an interim guidance document on Laboratory biosafety for testing of clinical specimens of patients that meet the case definition of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
- WHO Director-General highlighted during his media briefing the urgent need for all countries to invest in strong health systems and primary healthcare, as the best defense against outbreaks like COVID-19. The World Health Statistics published by WHO, show that people around the world are living longer and healthier lives overall with the biggest gains in low-income countries. However, the report also shows that the rate of progress is too slow to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and will be further thrown off track by COVID19.
- Jakarta's (Indonesia) satellite areas of Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in West Java have extended their large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) policy until May 26 with stricter regulations in place to ensure public compliance to COVID-19 health protocols. Under the new regulation, all employees who still commute to work are not only required to bring their ID cards, but they must also bring an official letter of duty from the company and a medical statement from a hospital declaring that they are free from COVID-19 based on the result of a rapid or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
- Denpasar City, Bali Indonesia is set to impose its own kind of mobility restrictions starting today (May 15) in an effort to clamp down on the transmission of COVID-19. The restrictions of community activities (officially called as PKM) aim to limit people's daily activities, make masks mandatory in public, tighten security at all of the city's entry points and enforce a policy of physical distancing. The new policy allows all businesses, including sidewalk shops, restaurants, malls, traditional markets and grocery stores, to keep operating and other social activities to keep running normally but with stricter health protocols in place.
- Classes for Grade 5 at primary school and Grades 4 and 7 at secondary school in Vientiane, Laos are set to reopen on May 18. All state and private schools nationwide are advised by the government authority to implement precautionary measures, recommended by The Ministry of Education and Sports and National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
- Myanmar extends its COVID-19 related measures until end of May. The extension will be applied to Myanmar government's temporary entry restrictions for visitors from all countries, the suspension of all types of visas, stayhome period, the restriction of organizing public events, the restriction of mass gatherings with five or more people, and nighttime curfews.
- COVID-19 cases in Singapore has reached more than 26,000. In the daily briefing of the Ministry of Health (MOH), it was stated that there are 752 new COVID-19 cases (as of May 14) but also worth-noting that 1,164 more patients have been discharged, the first time the number of recovered patients has crossed the 1,000 mark.
- Thailand’s COVID-19 task force has developed a contact-tracing app as the fight to eradicate the virus continues. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society says the app, known as Thai Chana (Thailand Wins) will be used to track people’s movements in order to easily contact anyone who may have visited a venue where the virus has been detected. The restaurants, shops and other businesses will be required to register online and provide a QR code for customers to scan as they arrive and leave the premises. Anybody found to have visited a “high risk” venue will be notified and advised to be tested for the virus.
- Brunei reports no new COVID-19 case/s for 8 days since May 7.
- Cambodia reports no new COVID-19 case/s for 33 days since April 12.
- Laos reports no new COVID-19 case/s for 33 days since April 12.
- Vietnam reports no new COVID-19 case/s for 8 days since May 7.
- Japan has lifted its state of emergency imposed due to the COVID-19 in 39 out of 47 prefectures. The order will still be applied in Tokyo, Osaka and on the northern island of Hokkaido, where new cases are emerging daily.
- South Korea reported 29 additional cases of the new coronavirus as of May 14, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 10,991. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said among the cases confirmed the previous day, 12 were from Incheon, six from Gyeonggi Province and four from Seoul. North Chungcheong Province reported three new cases. The total number of infections traced to the popular nightlife area of Itaewon stood at 131 as health authorities made concerted efforts to carry out testing and contact tracing to prevent the virus from spreading further.
- Chinese authorities are preparing to test 11 million people in Wuhan after a cluster of six was confirmed for COVID-19. Fearful of another outbreak and a return to the draconian lockdowns, the authorities are drawing up plans for “10 days of battle”, directing each district of Wuhan to develop and submit plans to test all their citizens.
Risk Assessment Report – 15 May 2020