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 / NEW DELHI / KUALA LUMPUR / HANOI / MANILA – Singapore reported 4,631 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total tally to 2,096,520.
Of the new cases, 550 were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 4,081 through ART (antigen rapid test), according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.
Among the PCR cases, 527 were local transmissions and 23 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 3,746 local transmissions and 335 imported cases.
A total of 526 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 12 in intensive care units.
Two more deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, taking the total death toll to 1,674.
India
India's daily COVID-19 caseload increased to 1,604 on Sunday from Saturday's 1,574, officials said.
According to federal health ministry data released on Sunday morning, 1,604 new cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,652,266 in the country.
With the reporting of fresh cases, India's active caseload stood at 18,317.
The country also logged eight COVID-19-related deaths during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 529,016 since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, the ministry said.
Malaysia
Malaysia reported 3,189 new COVID-19 infections, as of midnight Saturday, bringing the national total to 4,896,922, according to the health ministry.
There are three new imported cases, with 3,186 cases being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
One new death has been reported, leaving the death toll at 36,464.
A man shops for face masks in Divisoria, a local shopping district in Manila on May 17, 2022. (JAM STA ROSA / AFP)
Philippines
The Philippines reported 1,391 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 4,002,080.
The Department of Health said the number of active cases dropped to 21,176, while 36 additional patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 63,995.
Metro Manila, the capital region of over 13 million people, tallied 401 new cases.
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 263 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, down by 378 from Friday, according to its ministry of health.
All the new cases were locally transmitted, said the ministry.
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 11,502,169. The country reported a new death from the pandemic in the southern Tay Ninh province on Saturday, bringing the total fatalities to 43,163.