Risk Assessment Report – 23 march 2020
Risk Assessment Report – 23 march 2020
Rapid Risk Assessment
March 23, 2020
Risk Assessment Report – 23 march 2020
Time Period Covered March 23, 2020 - March 23, 2020
- On March 23, WHO warned that national “lockdowns” aren’t enough to defeat the COVID-19, and that public health measures are urgently needed to prevent a resurgence of the disease once the numbers of infections begin to fall. Given the failure of the ‘lockdowns’ and border closures in Italy four weeks ago, the WHO are asking national governments to step up and enforce much more stringent orders to slow down the spread of the virus. He stated “What we really need to focus on is finding those who are sick, those who have the virus, and isolate them, find their contacts and isolate them. The danger right now with the lockdowns… if we don’t put in place the strong public health measures now, when those movement restrictions and lockdowns are lifted, the danger is the disease will jump back up.”
- WHO has updated the case definitions. Full guidance document can be found in the WHO Situation Report—61.
- In Malaysia, four locations in the federal capital considered as “COVID-19 red zones” have been placed under “intensive” monitoring by the authorities during their Movement Control Order (MCO) enforcement activity. These areas are the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency, Titiwangsa, Kepong and Cheras. Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa aid 5,000 people including 1,413 members of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and 1,500 policemen operating in three shifts had been deployed to several parts of the Federal Territory to ensure compliance of the two-week long MCO that is expected to last until end of this month.
- On March 23, Vietnam Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son just signed Decision No. 1271 / QD-BYT promulgating the Interim Guidance on Prevention and Management of COVID-19 in pregnant women and infants in the context of an epidemic. complicated and worldwide movements have recorded some pregnant women infected with the disease.
- On March 23, The House Committee of the Philippines has approved the House Bill No. 6616 seeking to declare a national emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic and to authorize the President “for a limited period and subject to restrictions, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out the declared national policy.” Under this bill, the President can: 1) issue rules, regulations and directives as may be necessary to carry out; 2) reprogram, reallocate, and realign any appropriation in the 2020 national budget for whatever purpose the President may deem necessary and desirable to fund measures in addressing COVID-19; and 3) direct the operation of any privately-owned hospitals and medical and health facilities, hotels, and other similar establishments to house health workers, serve as quarantine areas, quarantine centers, medical relief, and aid distribution locations, or other temporary medical facilities; and public transportation to ferry health, emergency, and frontline personnel and other persons
- On March 22, the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee has agreed that Malaysians with Singapore work permits will continue to be able to work in Singapore during this period, with appropriate accommodation arrangements. Likewise, the transport of all types of goods between Malaysia and Singapore will also be facilitated.
- The Health Ministry of Vietnam has advised all arrivals to self-isolate at home if they have not been quarantined in a centralized zone in the past 14 days. Public transport passengers are required to fill out health declaration forms. These include travelers on long-haul buses, trains, tourist boats, and domestic flights. The government has also asked religious organizations to cancel religious festivals, activities, and conferences that attract large crowds as a precaution.
- A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, today (March 23) to help the country fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven-member expert team were warmly greeted by Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian at the Phnom Penh international airport. The Chinese medical team, from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, came over with medical supplies including ventilators, medical masks, test kits and others.
- A shipment of 800,000 COVID-19 testing kits supplied by China arrived in Indonesia's capital on Monday (March 23). Xiamen Airlines' Jakarta office said that the cargo, consisting of medical gloves and other epidemic prevention supplies, landed at Jakarta International Airport early morning today (March 23)
Risk Assessment Report – 23 march 2020