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 / KUALA LUMPUR – Singaporeans should expect a new wave of COVID-19 infections with more people traveling and due to the upcoming year-end festivities, the Straits Times website quoted Health Minister Ong Ye Kung as saying on Sunday.
"There is bound to be more infections but it is not something we have not seen before. This year alone, we have already seen three infection waves," he said.
Ong said at an event held at Nanyang Junior College on Sunday that it is more important to monitor developments overseas and watch if a new variant of concern emerges when winter hits the northern hemisphere.
Singapore reported 846 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 2,172,396.
No new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Sunday, leaving the death toll unchanged at 1,705.
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Malaysia
Malaysia reported 1,502 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Sunday, bringing the national total to 5,000,332, according to the health ministry.
There is one new imported case and 1,501 cases of local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
Another three new deaths have been reported, pushing the death toll to 36,713.
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 1,173 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 4,041,023.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the number of active cases dropped to 18,256, while 24 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 64,725.
Metro Manila, the capital region with over 13 million people, tallied 409 new cases.
Vietnam
Vietnam recorded 204 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down 189 from the previous day, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
This is the lowest daily figure recorded in the past 40 days, said the ministry, noting that all the new cases were locally transmitted.
The new infections brought the total tally to 11,517,722. The Southeast Asian country reported no new deaths from the pandemic on Sunday, with the total fatalities staying at 43,177.