Situation Repot of COVID-19 in the ASEAN Region – 30 July 2021

Global Update

• Worldwide, there have been over 197 million cases and over 4 million deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Regional Update

• Philippine President approved the imposition of lockdown measures in the capital region on Friday (July 30), in a bid to contain the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant. The Metro Manila will be placed under the tightest quarantine curbs from August 6 to August 20. Meanwhile, Metro Manila will stay under general community quarantine with heightened and additional restrictions this Friday (July 30) until August 5, 2021 where indoor and al fresco dining will be prohibited. The Department of Health (DOH) projected that the Delta variant could increase Metro Manila’s daily new COVID-19 cases to up to 11,000 by the end of September if health protocols would not be properly followed. The Philippines has so far detected 216 Delta variant cases and has confirmed local transmission in the country.

• Cambodia imposed fresh coronavirus restrictions on Thursday (Jul 29) for eight provinces bordering Thailand, limiting the movement of millions of residents to curb the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Cambodian health authorities raised the alarm this week, citing 39 new Delta cases –21 in migrant workers returning from Thailand and the rest in contacts. The country’s Prime Minister signed an order late on Wednesday for the lockdown, which bans people from leaving their homes, gathering in groups and conducting business, except for those involved in operating airlines. Authorities in the capital Phnom Penh also on Thursday imposed a nighttime curfew for two weeks, restricting residents from leaving their homes between 9AM and 3AM.

• Thailand began its third wave in April 2021, but disease activity has been exponentially rising again since the beginning of June. The seven-day rolling average number of daily new cases increased from 2,932 on June 8 to a peak of 14,336 on July 28. The seven-day rolling average number of daily new deaths has also spiked, with fatalities increasing from 33 on June 8 to 109 on July 28. The Bangkok region has the highest rate of new infections, followed by Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, and Chon Buri. The recent wave has strained the healthcare system, leading Bangkok authorities to convert 15 passenger train carriages (with 240 beds) into a community isolation facility for patients waiting for hospital beds. As of July 28, Thai citizens seeking COVID-19 treatment in the capital of Bangkok are being returned to their hometowns by train to alleviate the burden on the city's medical system.

• Malaysia reported more than 17,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day on Thursday (July 29), with the number of critically ill patients also reaching a new high. The Klang Valley accounted for about half of the new cases, with 7,163 in Selangor and 2,138 in Kuala Lumpur. The number of cases in Kedah and Johor remained high with 1,212 and 1,054 respectively. A further 884 were found in Negeri Sembilan and 776 in Sabah. The health ministry said 49.4% of the new cases were asymptomatic and 48.3% only experiencing mild symptoms. The health ministry on Thursday evening said that Hospital Serdang has been redesignated as a full-time COVID-19 hospital, making it the fourth hospital in the state of Selangor to do so.