Coronavirus: Malaysia, Myanmar are Asia’s newest hot spots as New Zealand says it has contained second wave

Malaysia and Myanmar have seen a recent surge in cases, as Southeast Asian neighbours Philippines and Indonesia still struggle to bring infections under control

New Zealand, however, is easing restrictions from Wednesday with PM Jacinda Ardern announcing that it had ‘beat the virus again’

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A Malaysian woman wearing a face mask crosses a street draped with national in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

Published: 11:11am, 5 Oct 2020Updated: 10:55pm, 5 Oct 2020

Malaysia and Myanmar have emerged as Asia’s two newest coronavirus hotspots, even as the Philippines and Indonesia struggle to bring their caseloads under control.

Elsewhere, though, there are signs of a gradual return to normal, as New Zealand prepared to ease restrictions in its largest city, while Japan and South Korea expected to resume two-way business travel.

Malaysia reported 293 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking its total number of infections to 12,381. Fatalities remained at 137, with no new deaths recorded. Malaysia reported record daily increases in virus cases last week, partly because of clusters linked to an election in its second-largest state of Sabah.

In Sabah, out of its 126 new cases, 31 were from across three different clusters, while 78 were detected from screening of symptomatic individuals, 12 from close contact screening and two from workplace screening.

The state of Kedah has also been hit hard – out of its 113 new cases, 112 were from the Tembok cluster in the Alor Setar prison, now subject to a targeted enhanced movement control order.

In Myanmar, coronavirus infections have soared, and a record 41 deaths were recorded on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 412 from only seven a month ago. The toll is now the third-highest in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia and the Philippines, and both deaths and case numbers are doubling more quickly than anywhere in the world.

The number of cases rose to 17,794 in Myanmar, which has one of the world’s weakest health systems.

“The situation is not good. Our ambulances and crews can’t even get a break,” said Kyi Myint, 66, who leads a volunteer group in Yankin township, one of the worst hit in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon.