Report: Serum Institute of India expects Omicron jab in 6 months

This photo shows security officers guarding Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker, in Pune, India, Jan 11, 2021. (PHOTO / AP)

MANILA  / HANOI / BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN / SINGAPORE / YANGON – Serum Institute of India's (SII) Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said he expects an Omicron-specific vaccine in the country in six months, NDTV reported on Monday.

SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker, produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine under the brand name Covishield.

SII did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Brunei

Brunei logged a daily average of 420 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, the country's Health Ministry said on Monday.

According to the ministry's weekly briefing, 62,348 antigen rapid test (ART) results were uploaded to the government platform within one week, with 4.7 percent of them being positive.

Currently, no hospitalized cases are held in intensive care unit, but two cases require assisted breathing, according to the ministry.

As of Aug 14, 76.1 percent of Brunei's population have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines, while 8.5 percent have taken the fourth dose.

A woman receives a shot of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug 29, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Myanmar

Myanmar confirmed 18 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 614,407 on Monday, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry said it tested 7,097 people for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, and the daily positivity rate was 0.25 percent.

It said that the death toll from COVID-19 in the country remained unchanged at 19,435 as no new deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

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 3,484 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,835,422.

The Department of Health said the number of active cases fell to 38,982, and 42 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 61,078.

Metro Manila, the Philippine capital with over 13 million people, tallied 1,131 new cases.

The Philippines reported its highest COVID-19 single-day tally of 39,004 new cases on Jan 15. The country, with a population of around 110 million, has fully vaccinated over 71.5 million people.

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 2,665 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the country's total tally to 1,796,734.

Of the new cases, 271 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 2,394 through antigen rapid tests (ART), according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

Among the PCR cases, 244 were local transmissions and 27 imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 2,264 local transmissions and 130 imported cases, respectively.

One death was reported from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 1,560, 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 1,695 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, up by 266 from Sunday, according to its Ministry of Health.

All the new cases were locally transmitted, said the health ministry.

The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 11,367,479. The country reported no new deaths from the pandemic on Monday, with the total fatalities staying at 43,098.

As of Monday, there were 124 severe cases in need of assisted breathing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.

Nearly 251.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, including over 216.3 million shots on people aged 18 and above, said the ministry.