Health & Environment

No Philippine visas for foreigners amid warning cases could hit 75,000 by June

Visa-free privileges of all foreign nationals have also been suspended, as thousands of people try to flee the country amid a lockdown on the main island of Luzon.

20 Mar 2020 - 4:37AM
Coronavirus: Hokkaido ends state of emergency; Japan schools to reopen

Panel of experts in Japan advises authorities to reopen schools and allow regions with few coronavirus cases to hold sporting events.

20 Mar 2020 - 2:52AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Coronavirus: nursing home clusters emerge in South Korea

Experts have warned that hundreds of substandard long-term care facilities could serve as hotbeds for infection, just as they have in the US and Italy.

19 Mar 2020 - 5:38PM
Japan’s suicide rate is falling – except among its young people

About 20,000 people took their own lives in Japan last year, down from more than 34,000 16 years before. But one age group did see an increase: the under-20s.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:02PM
Cambodia coronavirus cases spike, travellers from US and Italy banned

Phnom Penh has announced 35 confirmed cases in the country, up from 12 on Sunday, most of them people who had recently travelled overseas.

19 Mar 2020 - 2:06PM
Coronavirus: Singapore tells all arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days

The new measure – which will be ‘strictly’ enforced – comes as the health ministry reports 47 new cases, the largest single-day increase yet.

18 Mar 2020 - 10:35PM
Hong Kong, Singapore seen as safe harbours as global virus cases rise

An influx of people seeking treatment and testing are heading to the cities, which are renowned for their health care standards, but experts say this risks starting a new wave of infections.

18 Mar 2020 - 11:52PM
Doctors slam India’s limited virus testing as fears of spread grow

India has recorded 151 cases and three deaths, but restrictions on who is eligible to take the Covid-19 test masks the true scale of the situation, experts say.

18 Mar 2020 - 10:47PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
South Korea fears worst is not over as new coronavirus clusters emerge

A spate of new cases near Seoul is raising concerns of runaway cases nationwide, even as the country’s aggressive testing strategy has won it worldwide praise.

19 Mar 2020 - 8:52AM
Bangkok closes bars, schools amid public rumours of pandemic lockdown

Thailand’s flip-flopping on measures to curb the outbreak, along with a minister mask-hoarding scandal, have seen a deterioration of public trust.

18 Mar 2020 - 9:08AM
Philippines to prioritise pneumonia patients for coronavirus testing

The government received much-needed new testing kits this week from China and South Korea. It previously had just 2,000 left in stock.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:27AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Coronavirus: Singapore scrambles to house workers commuting from Malaysia

Putrajaya’s measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 include an overseas travel ban for residents and a 14-day self-quarantine for those returning to the country.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:35AM
Philippine health workers fear virus exposure without proper equipment

With hospitals preparing for an expected surge in cases in the weeks ahead, the race is on to get doctors and nurses the equipment they need in time.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:27AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Explainer | The big questions over Malaysia’s coronavirus partial lockdown

The measures, which will be in place from March 18-31, are mainly aimed at limiting large gatherings to decrease the chance of the virus spreading.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:35AM
Japanese company launches ‘15-minute coronavirus testing kit’

Osaka-based Kurabo Industries claims the US$235 kits have an accuracy rate of 95 per cent and can be used 10 times to test for the Covid-19 virus.

17 Mar 2020 - 3:17PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Singapore calms food and labour supply fears as Malaysia shuts borders

Officials say Singapore has ‘months’ of stockpiled fresh and packaged food, but 415,000 people who travel between the land borders daily will be affected.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:35AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Malaysia in partial lockdown to limit coronavirus spread

The lockdown will take effect for two weeks from March 18, with Malaysians barred from travelling overseas and mass gatherings across the country prohibited.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:35AM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Coronavirus: anti-Chinese conspiracy theories go viral in India

Social media users in India, including an opposition leader, are spreading fake news and racist rhetoric about China, as cases rise in the South Asian country.

16 Mar 2020 - 11:36PM03571EC5-13F4-4283-B996-99444BE88411
Coronavirus: In Malaysia, calls for a lockdown grow as cases climb to 553

The country reported 125 new cases on Monday, 95 of which are linked to a mass Islamic religious meeting held last month.

19 Mar 2020 - 12:35AM