A man dressed in a Spiderman costume sells coffee on a back street in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 19, 2021. (MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
SINGAPORE / SYDNEY / NEW DELHI / KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia reported another 4,701 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Saturday, bringing the national total to 2,501,966, according to the health ministry.
Some 28 of the new cases are imported, with 4,673 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
There are some 65,505 active cases, including 544 being held in intensive care units and 280 of those in need of assisted breathing
Another 54 deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 29,256.
About 5,382 more patients were released after recovery, bringing the total number of cured and discharged to 2,407,205.
There are some 65,505 active cases, including 544 being held in intensive care units and 280 of those in need of assisted breathing.
Australia
Australia's largest city of Sydney will further ease social distancing curbs on Monday, a month after emerging from a coronavirus lockdown that lasted nearly 100 days, as close to 90 percent of people have got both doses of vaccine, officials said.
Although limited to people who are fully inoculated, the relaxation in the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, lifts limits on house guests or outdoor gatherings, among other measures.
"We're leading the nation out of the pandemic," said state premier Dominic Perrottet, as he called for a "final push" to reach, and even surpass, a milestone of 95 percent vaccinations.
ALSO READ: Australia hits 80% full virus vaccine rate for people 16 and up
Several hundred people held an anti-vaccine protest on Sunday in the state's capital of Sydney, but such opposition is slight in Australia, where polls show vaccination opponents number in the single digits.
The southeastern state of Victoria recorded the majority of Australia's 1,417 new coronavirus cases, with public health figures showing 10 more deaths.
There were no new infections in the remote Northern Territory, where a snap lockdown was extended until midnight on Monday to tackle a small outbreak in some areas.
Australia crossed the 80 percent mark of full inoculations on Saturday.
"That should give us all confidence in terms of opening up," federal finance minister Simon Birmingham told broadcaster Channel 9 in an interview on Sunday.
Australia eased international border curbs on Monday for the first time during the pandemic, but only for its vaccinated public from states with high levels of inoculation. read more
However domestic travel is still hindered, as most states and territories keep internal borders shut. Western Australia state will re-open when it hits the 90 percent level of double vaccine doses, its premier said.
Despite the Delta outbreaks that brought lockdowns for months in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's tally of COVID-19 infections is far lower than many developed nations, at just over 180,000 cases and 1,597 deaths.
As Australia's New South Wales state has begun to see a tapering of its vaccination rates, authorities announced on Sunday that the state would transition to the booster program phase of its vaccination rollout.
Fiji
The Fijian government is preparing to inoculate children aged 12 to 14 with the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 from Nov 15.
According to the Fijivillage news website Sunday, the vaccine rollout for this age group came after a total of 32,533 children aged 15 to 17 have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 20,059 have received their second dose.
Fiji's health ministry has encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated to gain maximum protection from the coronavirus epidemic.
The ministry said the COVID-19 vaccination for children is not compulsory while noting that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and can provide protection from severe illness, hospitalization and death.
There have been 674 deaths recorded due to COVID-19 in the Pacific island country, with 672 of them during the outbreak that started in April this year.
India
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 34,355,536 on Sunday, as 10,853 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, 526 deaths due to the pandemic since Saturday morning took the total death toll to 460,791.
There are still 144,845 active cases in the country, a fall of 2,105 during the past 24 hours. India's active caseload is the lowest in 260 days, said the federal health ministry.
A total of 33,749,900 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, out of which 12,432 were discharged during the past 24 hours.
People ride on a mass rapid transit train in Singapore on Nov 5, 2021. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
The number of critically ill and intubated COVID-19 patients in the ICU rose to 74, one of the highest levels in the latest wave, with another 65 in these beds under close monitoring for the virus, the Ministry of Health said.
Of the new cases, 2,928 were in the community, 102 were in migrant worker dormitories and five were imported cases, the Ministry of Health said in a press release.
The city-state added 3,035 cases and 12 deaths, all 60 and older with underlying medical conditions
The city-state added 3,035 cases and 12 deaths, all 60 and older with underlying medical conditions. Singapore, with 85 percent of its population fully vaccinated and 17 percent having received boosters, is reopening travel lanes as it pivots to treat the virus as endemic.
ALSO READ: Singapore prepares more ICU beds for COVID-19 patients
In another development, 3,871 cases were discharged on Saturday, of whom 550 are seniors aged 60 and above.
Twelve more patients have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection, bringing the death toll to 480, the ministry said.