The novel coronavirus is moving gradually faster in Asia, albeit not as fast as the way it is spreading across western nations such as the United States and Europe.
China's Wuhan Retains Strict Health Checks at Toll Station
Wuhan, the origin city of the novel coronavirus that has killed thousands in China and around the world, retained its strict health check and identification measures at the west highway toll station despite an apparent recovery in the region, Xinhua reported.
The retention of strict checks and tracing of people was agreed on by local officials as more and more people travel to the metro due to the reopening of business operations in different segments.
Lockdown to be Lifted Soon
Wuhan was placed on lockdown around two months ago but Beijing announced on Tuesday that it will finally lift the lockdown on April 8 following the apparent reduction of new infections across Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located.
According to CNN, other cities in Hubei will see their lockdowns lifted on Wednesday as part of the country's efforts to slowly get the economy back on its feet.
For the past five days, Hubei reported zero cases, marking a significant milestone in China's road to recovery from the CoVID-19 crisis.
China so far has reported a total of 81,218 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,281 deaths.
Japan Sees Mixed Reactions on Tokyo Olympics Postponement
Japan on Tuesday finally postponed the Tokyo Olympics for up to a year but not everyone is happy about the decision as others voiced their concerns about the government's move.
According to Kyodo News, some among the Japanese masses said it was best to cancel the sports meet instead of postponing it due to rising costs that the government and other organizations are experiencing from earlier preparations.
Japanese athletes, on the other hand, overwhelmingly supported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision of moving the Olympics to a further date or at least until the world overcomes the coronavirus crisis.
Japan as of Monday recorded a total of 1,090 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and 42 deaths, as was stated by data from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. However, reports from local governments make up for a collective 1,148 confirmed cases.
South Korea Announces 2-Week Quarantine for All U.S. Arrivals
All people arriving from the United States to South Korea will now have to undergo a 14-day quarantine as part of the South Korean government's efforts in preventing further infections due to imported cases, Yonhap News reported.
The move came after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed 100 new cases on Wednesday, as driven by a spike in imported cases.
South Korea now has a total of 9,137 confirmed coronavirus cases and 126 deaths.
Armed Forces to Assist in India's Lockdown Measures
India's Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday that the country's armed forces will "work beyond mandate" to assist the government in its bid to take down the CoVID-19 strain, the Times of India reported.
Rawat's comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day lockdown on all of India on Tuesday evening. Modi noted that there will indeed be an economic price to pay but it will not compare to the lives that will be lost if the government doesn't move soon.
India has at least 492 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and 11 deaths.
North Korea Rolls Out E-Book to Raise Awareness on CoVID-19
North Korea has reported zero coronavirus cases as of Wednesday but it rolled out a new e-book to raise awareness about the novel virus among citizens, NK News reported.
The e-book is said to answer frequently-asked-questions about the CoVID-19 strain and also provides prevention measures to help North Koreans have a better understanding of how the novel virus moves.
North Korea has maintained earlier that it has no coronavirus cases but some reports emerged earlier this month, suggesting that at least 180 soldiers have succumbed to the disease and around 3,700 military men were quarantined due to the CoVID-19's spreading among the armed forces.
