Southeast Asia is moving to contain the virus to prevent outbreaks such as those in Europe and the United States, with Malaysia tightening its grip on quarantine violations.
Malaysia to Charge MCO Violators
Malaysia's town of Penang will charge 185 people in relation to their violations of the movement control order (MCO) rolled out by the government as part of its action plan against CoVID-19.
According to the Malay Mail, it was confirmed on Tuesday that 62 of the violators will be charged at the Bukit Mertajam court, 98 will be charged at the Butterworth court, while 25 will be charged at the George Town court.
Details about their violations have yet to be released to the public. The Malaysian government has repeatedly urged people to abide by the guidelines to fight the coronavirus outbreak following a massive cluster detected at a tabligh assembly earlier this month in Kuala Lumpur.
As of Tuesday, Malaysia reported at least 2,626 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and at least 37 deaths.
Thailand Reports Over 120 New Cases
In Thailand, the number of new CoVID-19 cases jumped by 127 on Tuesday, bringing the country's total to 1,651 and at least 10 deaths, the Bangkok Post reported.
So far, Bangkok still has the most number of coronavirus cases in the country at 796, followed by Nonthaburi with 79, and Phuket with 55. In the country, a total of 61 provinces have reported infections.
Cambodia Confirms 4 More Cases
The Cambodian Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday that four new coronavirus cases were recorded, bringing the country's total to 107.
Cambodia remains one of the least-affected countries in Southeast Asia but some experts noted that the numbers could climb in the coming days, especially after Thailand shut its borders on March 23.
With the closure of the Thailand-Cambodia border, around 400,000 Cambodian workers have returned home to prevent getting locked out of their country during the period through which the Thai government implements strict coronavirus measures.
Vietnam's Latest Case is a Child
One of Vietnam's latest confirmed CoVID-19 cases is a 10-year-old boy who returned to the country from Prague, then to Turkey before coming home on March 14.
According to Vietnam Express, the child flew from Istanbul on the same flight where Vietnam's Patient 83 was in. The boy was then sent to a quarantine camp in Ho Chi Minh City's District 12 but he tested negative.
After the boy's negative test, a person quarantined in the same room with the boy revealed that the latter sneezed several times. The boy was tested again and on March 27, he tested CoVID-19 positive.
Vietnam now has a total of 204 coronavirus cases and zero deaths so far from the highly-infectious disease.
Three New Clusters Detected in Singapore
Singapore on Monday announced three new clusters in the city-state, as well as 35 new coronavirus cases.
The new clusters were detected at the Hero's pub at Circular Road, apartments at 25 Wilby Road, and the S11 Dormitory at Punggol and 2 Seletar North Link, Channel News Asia reported.
Meanwhile, the new cases include 26 patients who had no recent travel history. Furthermore, 12 of the new cases in Singapore have been linked to previous cases, and nine of the cases are imported.
As of Monday, Singapore recorded a total of 879 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and three deaths.
Philippine Health Team to Determine Potential Lockdown Extension
The northern island of the Philippines, Luzon, has been on "enhanced community quarantine" for roughly two weeks now, raising further questions on whether the lockdown should be extended or not.
According to ABS-CBN News, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) has established a team that will develop recommendations on the issue regarding the extension or lifting of the lockdown.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles noted that in this case, "science is in charge." He went on to debunk rumors suggesting that the government will ultimately extend the enhanced quarantine, noting that no official decision has been made yet.
As of Monday evening, the Philippines recorded a total of 1,546 confirmed coronavirus cases and 78 deaths.
Indonesia's Widodo Mulls Stricter Mobility Measures
Indonesians in Jakarta have started fleeing the capital over the past few days as the region has the most coronavirus cases in the country. However, President Joko Widodo announced on Monday that he has plans to implement stricter movement measures.
At a cabinet meeting on Monday, Widodo said he is ordering more effective and stern implementation of social distancing guidelines, the South China Morning Post reported.
Furthermore, it is expected that the Indonesian government will announce stricter rules on social activities for citizens as well as more intense health quarantines following reports that thousands of people have fled Jakarta.
Widodo said people who left Jakarta have traveled to East Java, West Java, and Yogyakarta. The exact number of people who left the capital is unclear but Widodo was quoted to have mentioned 14,000 people.
As of Monday, Indonesia reported at least 1,414 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and at least 122 deaths.
