A health worker takes swab samples of a security officer for COVID-19 testing at the venue of Vietnam's Communist Party congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, Jan 29, 2021. (HAU DINH / AP)
HANOI / SINGAPORE / MANILA – Vietnam recorded 3,191 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, down by 687 from Wednesday, according to its ministry of health.
All the new cases were locally transmitted, said the ministry.
Vietnam has already recorded COVID-19 infections with the Omicron BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.12.1 and BA.2.74 sub-variants, and is accelerating the inoculation of its people with a fourth vaccine dose
The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 11,431,823. The country reported a new death from the pandemic in the northern Quang Ninh province on Thursday, bringing the total fatalities to 43,126.
As of Thursday, 154 severe cases were in need of assisted breathing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.
Nationwide, 10,261,401 COVID-19 patients, or nearly 90 percent of the total infections, have recovered.
More than 257.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, including over 219.4 million shots on people aged 18 and above, said the ministry.
Also on Thursday, the ministry issued a guideline on wearing masks, which made it mandatory for people with an acute respiratory infection or suspected COVID-19 infection, as well as all people aged over five in public places in areas with higher risks of COVID-19 infection to wear masks.
Wearing masks is also required at medical facilities and accommodations hosting people undertaking medical quarantine or supervision, according to the guideline.
Vietnam has already recorded COVID-19 infections with the Omicron BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.12.1 and BA.2.74 sub-variants, and is accelerating the inoculation of its people with a fourth vaccine dose.
A passenger on Singapore Airlines flight arrives, under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), at Changi Airport in Singapore on Oct 19, 2021. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 2,169 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total tally to 1,854,455.
Of the new cases, 212 cases were detected through polymerase chain reaction tests and 1,957 through antigen rapid tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.
Among the PCR cases, 184 were local transmissions and 28 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 1,752 local transmissions and 205 imported cases.
A total of 234 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 10 cases in intensive care units.
No new deaths were reported from COVID-19 on Thursday, leaving the death toll unchanged at 1,601, the ministry said.
Health workers conduct COVID-19 swab tests on residents at a village in Quezon City, the Philippines, on May 31, 2021. (AARON FAVILA / AP)
Manila
The Philippines reported 2,404 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,898,882.
The Department of Health said the number of active cases rose to 24,032, while 39 more patients died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the country's death toll to 62,206.
Metro Manila, the capital region with over 13 million people, tallied 945 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 72.6 million people.