Staff check a client at a drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Jan 8, 2022. (MARK BAKER / AP)
YANGON / HANOI / BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN / SINGAPORE / SEOUL / WELLINGTON / SYDNEY / VIENTIANE / KUALA LUMPUR – Police and health officials will assist the availability of ambulance services in the state of Western Australia (WA) from Thursday, following deadly and "excessive" delays due to staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
St John Ambulance WA, the state's primary provider of first aid services, will see representatives from the state's Department of Health and WA Police stationed at its headquarters to ensure appropriate coordination of the emergency response and provide immediate logistical support.
The multi-agency response will help the ambulance service address staff shortages and fully activate its Business Continuity Plan for COVID-19.
It came amidst significant staff furloughing in the ambulance service which caused an elderly woman's death on Sunday.
Until 8:00 pm local time Wednesday night, WA Health recorded 17,105 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the currently active cases in the state to 88,781. There were 300 people hospitalized with 10 in the intensive care unit. The state also reported six more deaths dating back to May 16.
Workers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant at Suri Seri Begawan Raja Pengiran Anak Damit Mosque in an effort to counter the spread of the COVID-19 in Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei on March 17, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)
Brunei
Brunei reported 300 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the national tally to 145,521.
Among the new cases, 298 were results from Antigen Rapid Test (ART) tests uploaded to the government and two were from 343 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory tests performed in the past 24 hours.
As of May 17, 68.8 percent of Brunei's population have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm.
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)
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is ramping up production of drugs and medical supplies including sterilisers and thermometers as it battles a coronavirus outbreak, state media KCNA said on Thursday.
The country, which has imposed a nationwide lockdown, is also increasing production of traditional Korean medicines used to reduce fever and pain, KCNA said, calling them "effective in prevention and cure of the malicious disease."
At least 262,270 more people reported fever symptoms, and one additional person died as of Wednesday evening, KCNA said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not specify how many people had tested positive for the virus.
The DPRK has so far reported 1,978,230 people with fever symptoms and 63 deaths, and imposed strict anti-virus measures.
Factories are churning out more injections, medicines, thermometers and other medical supplies in the capital Pyongyang and nearby regions "in a lightning way," while more isolation wards were installed and disinfection work intensified around the country, KCNA said.
"Thousands of tons of salt were urgently transported to Pyongyang City to produce antiseptic solution," KCNA said.
Laos
Lao citizens, foreigners and stateless people now can enter Laos through the international border checkpoint in northern Laos' Bokeo province but must continue to comply with COVID-19 prevention measures after arriving in the country.
Northern Laos' Bokeo province is a travel hub in China, Myanmar and Thailand.
Bokeo province issued a notice about the reopening of the border on Tuesday, following a notice issued by the Prime Minister's Office on May 7.
The notice stated that citizens of countries that have signed a bilateral or unilateral visa waiver agreement with Laos can enter Bokeo province, about 350 km northwest of Lao capital Vientiane, without applying for a visa, while citizens of countries that have not signed visa waiver agreements with Laos can apply for a visa at a Lao embassy or consulate in another country.
Visitors can also apply for a visa online or on arrival at the border crossing in Bokeo province. Vehicles will be allowed to enter and exit as normal, the same as before the pandemic.
Malaysia
Malaysia reported 2,017 new COVID-19 infections, as of midnight Wednesday, bringing the national total to 4,483,295, according to the health ministry.
There are four new imported cases, with 2,013 new cases being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
Seven more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 35,630.
A woman receives a shot of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug 29, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Myanmar
Another batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Myanmar's Yangon on Wednesday, said a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.
Of the 10 million doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines that China will donate to Myanmar, 5 million doses arrived at the Yangon International Airport on Wednesday morning, along with 1.98 million syringes donated by the Chinese government.
China has been actively working together with Myanmar in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic since its outbreak.
According to the Chinese embassy, China has already supplied 46.19 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar, accounting for 65.1 percent of the total vaccines received by Myanmar.
China donated 16.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar and supplied 30.09 million doses of the vaccines at reasonable prices, the embassy said.
In addition, Myanmar has been administering locally filled-and-packed doses of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, known as the Myancopharm vaccines, in the country.
New Zealand
New Zealand recorded 9,091 new community cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
Among the new community infections, 3,233 were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry said.
In addition, 90 new cases of COVID-19 were detected at the New Zealand border.
A notice warning people not to gather in groups larger than five persons as part of restrictions to hald the spread of the coronavirus is displayed at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on Jan 4, 2022. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 6,442 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 1,254,113.
Among the new cases, 6,289 were local transmissions and 153 were imported cases.
Of the local cases, 453 cases were detected through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and 5,836 through antigen rapid test (ART) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.
A man passes walks past a billboard on the coronavirus in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec 4, 2021. (NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 1,831 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, up 45 from Tuesday, according to its Ministry of Health.
Among the new infections, only one was imported and the rest were domestically transmitted in 48 provinces and cities.
The infections brought the total tally to 10,701,796 with 43,072 deaths.