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 / HANOI / MANILA / BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in parliament on Monday that the city-state government estimates about 60 percent of local residents are likely to have been infected with COVID-19, Singapore-based Asian news network CNA reported.
Ong added that it does not mean Singapore now has "herd immunity", as scientists around the world do not think herd immunity is achievable because the virus will continue to mutate, escape the protection of vaccines and infect people.
The minister said that Singapore is still in the middle of an infection wave driven by the Omicron variant BA.5, but over the last 10 days, infection numbers have been falling.
Ong said that Singapore should see the wave subsiding further this week.
Singapore reported 4,709 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with two deaths were reported from COVID-19, bringing the total death toll to 1,520.
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 685 new daily COVID-19 cases on average in the past week, a reduction of approximately 50 percent from 1,199 per day the previous week, the country's health ministry said on Monday.
According to the health ministry's weekly briefing on COVID-19, a total of 65,339 Antigen Rapid Test (ART) test results were uploaded to the government within one week, of which 7.3 percent were positive.
One case requires treatment at the intensive care unit while five others require respiratory assistance, it said.
Over 99 percent of the cases detected in the past week do not require hospital treatment, the health ministry said.
Brunei is no longer sharing its daily number of new cases or active cases of COVID-19 since June 22 "as the Early Endemic Phase has ended."
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 3,553 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,780,178.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases rose to 34,268, and 10 additional patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 60,737.
The DOH said Metro Manila tallied 1,185 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 71.4 million people.
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 1,377 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down by 101 from Sunday, according to its Ministry of Health.
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 10,781,009. The country reported no new deaths from the pandemic on Monday, with the total fatalities staying at 43,093.
As of Monday, there were 50 severe cases in need of assisted breathing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.