People wearing protective masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk across a pedestrian crossing in Tokyo on July 29, 2022. (SHUJI KAJIYAMA / AP)
SEOUL / KUALA LUMPUR / YANGON / ISLAMABAD / MANILA / SINGAPORE / HANOI / TOKYO / NEW DELHI – Japan on Monday expanded its simplified system for reporting COVID-19 cases in order to reduce the administrative burden on hospitals and health care facilities.
Rather than medical facilities entering the details of all people infected with the virus into a nationwide computer network, medical facilities will now only be required to report details of patients at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill
Rather than medical facilities entering the details of all people infected with the virus into a nationwide computer network, medical facilities will now only be required to report details of high-risk patients.
Such patients include those who may be at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill, including those aged 65 or older, pregnant women, or those with underlying conditions.
Medical facilities will still have to report the number of daily infection cases each day by age group so the government can keep track of the spread of the virus, but the reporting of names and addresses of younger people with milder symptoms will no longer be required.
READ MORE: Report: Japan weighs relaxing COVID-19 border rules
Some of the nine prefectures that adopted the new system earlier this month, however, have expressed concerns that the new reporting system will make it difficult for younger people who have presented with mild symptoms from being contacted swiftly if their symptoms become more severe.
The simplified system now covers the entire country following prefectural governments putting into place health centers to follow up on younger patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms.
If a positive case of the virus is reported to local health authorities or not, those infected are able to isolate at home or at designated facilities. Provisions of food will be delivered as necessary and the government will ask those testing positive to refrain from going outside and for close contacts to also isolate.
Japan reported 46,788 new daily COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 5,621 of the cases being in Tokyo.
People wearing face masks visit to celebrate Chuseok holidays, the Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, at the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept 11, 2022. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)
India
India's daily COVID-19 caseload on Monday decreased to the 4,129 mark, officials said.
According to federal health ministry data released on Monday morning, 4,129 new cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,572,243 in the country.
With the reporting of fresh cases, India's active caseload currently stands at 43,415.
The country also logged 20 related deaths during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 528,530 since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry said.
At present, the Indian government is focusing on improving booster dose coverage as the uptake for the third dose has been low. The aim is to boost the immunity of the people in the wake of the detection of new variants.
Malaysia
Malaysia reported 1,608 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Sunday, bringing the national total to 4,831,822, according to the health ministry.
There are two new imported cases, with 1,606 cases being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
Another two deaths have been reported, pushing the death toll to 36,350.
ALSO READ: Vietnam reports 2,545 new COVID-19 cases
The country reported 1,173 vaccine doses administered on Sunday alone and 86 percent of the population have received at least one dose, 84.2 percent are fully vaccinated and 49.7 percent have received the first booster and 1.5 percent have received the second booster.
Myanmar
Myanmar confirmed 278 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 621,402, according to the Ministry of Health on Sunday.
The death toll from COVID-19 in the country remained unchanged at 19,455 on Sunday with no new deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the ministry said.
The Southeast Asian country detected its first COVID-19 cases in March 2020.
Pakistan
Pakistan has recorded 47 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the country's ministry of health said on Sunday.
The overall tally of the infected people climbed to 1,572,316 after adding the fresh cases, according to the data released by the ministry.
A total of 30,612 people have died of COVID-19 in Pakistan, with no new death reported in the past 24 hours, according to the ministry.
READ MORE: HK logs 8,278 new COVID-19 cases, 16 more deaths
Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea reported 14,168 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Sunday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 24,634,296, the health authorities said Monday.
Thirty-three more COVID-related deaths were confirmed in the Republic of Korea, leaving the death toll at 28,246
The daily caseload was down from 25,792 in the previous day and lower than 19,389 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Among the new cases, 220 were imported from overseas, lifting the total to 66,050.
The number of infected people who were in a serious condition stood at 427, up 11 from the previous day.
Thirty-three more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 28,246. The total fatality rate was 0.11 percent.
The Philippines
The Philippines reported 3,520 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,938,203.
The country's Department of Health said the number of active cases or patients still battling COVID-19 rose to 35,399 from Saturday's 32,323. The DOH said 31 patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 62,790.
Passengers arrive from their flight at the reopened Changi International Airport Terminal 4 in Singapore on Sept 13, 2022, following its closure for more than two years due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 1,797 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 1,891,341.
Of the new cases, 225 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 1,572 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.
Among the PCR cases, 215 were local transmissions and 10 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 1,491 local transmissions and 81 imported cases.
A total of 215 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with nine cases in intensive care units, according to the ministry.
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 961 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down 215 from Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health.
All the new cases were locally transmitted, said the ministry.
READ MORE: COVID: Philippine capital back to moderate risk
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 11,472,301. The country reported no new deaths from the pandemic on Sunday, with the total fatalities staying at 43,146.