In this photo provided by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea government, a worker in protective gear stands on an empty sidewalk in Pyongyang, the DPRK, on May 17, 2022. (KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY / KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP)
SEOUL / HANOI / MANILA / SINGAPORE – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reported no new fever cases on Saturday for the first time since its COVID-19 outbreak in mid-May, state media reported.
The DPRK said earlier this month it was on a path to "finally defuse" its first coronavirus outbreak even as Asian neighbors experience a resurgence in infections driven by Omicron subvariants.
The official KCNA news agency said 99.99 percent of its 4.77 million fever patients since late April have fully recovered.
KCNA said a rapid mobile treatment force was still on high alert and efforts were under way to "detect and stamp out the epidemic" until the last patient is fully recovered. The state media said 204 fever patients were under treatment as of Friday.
The latest report on the death toll among fever patients stood at 74 as of July 5.
A child receives the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 as a performer dressed as superhero character Spider-Man looks on at a gym in San Juan City, suburban Manila on Feb 7, 2022. (TED ALJIBE / AFP)
Philippines
The Philippines reported 4,127 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,768,474.
Friday's number of new cases is the highest daily tally since Feb 10. The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases jumped to 32,637. It also added that an additional 14 people died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 60,718.
The Philippines reported its highest single-day tally of 39,004 new cases on Jan 15. The country, with a population of around 110 million, has fully vaccinated over 71.4 million people.
Singapore Airlines stewardesses walk past a giant lollipop candy display at Changi International Airport in Singapore on April 1, 2022, as Singapore reopened its land and air borders to travelers fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. (ROSLOAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 7,938 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total tally to 1,702,392.
Of the new cases, 797 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 7,141 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.
Among the PCR cases, 763 were local transmissions and 34 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 6,866 local transmissions and 275 imported cases, respectively.
Two death was reported from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total death toll to 1,494, the ministry said.
Passengers wait for transportation outside the arrival hall of Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 15, 2022, as Vietnam announced the return of a visa exemption policy for 13 countries in an effort to kickstart its tourism sector. (NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 1,805 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, up by 106 from Thursday, according to its Ministry of Health.
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 10,776,484. The country reported a new death from the pandemic in the northern Quang Ninh province on Friday, bringing the total fatalities to 43,093.
As of Friday, there were 45 severe cases in need of assisted breathing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.