The coronavirus outbreak in some Asian countries that first experienced a beating from the fast-spreading strain has slowed down over the past few weeks but other nations have yet to reach the peak.
Wuhan Residents Begin Delayed Burials
Following the very emotional lifting of the lockdown in the COVID-19 strain's origin city of Wuhan in China, residents have started the process of delayed grieving as they retrieve the ashes of their deceased loved ones, CNN reported.
Social media has been filling up with photos of Wuhan residents in long lines outside funeral parlors as they start retrieving the ashes of their loved ones who succumbed to the novel virus.
All funerals in Wuhan were banned by the government on January 25 as part of the efforts to prevent further COVID-19 infections. The government also ordered that all bodies of suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients be cremated immediately.
With the lockdown over, residents can finally start grieving their loved ones, but the pain of the coronavirus crisis and their losses remain.
Tokyo Reports Record-High Daily Spike in New CoVID-19 Cases
On Saturday, the Japanese government registered 197 new coronavirus cases in Tokyo, marking a record-high in daily new cases recorded in the metro.
According to Kyodo News, the government further reported that of the new confirmed cases, health authorities could not find a clear infection route for 152 of the patients. None of the new cases had severe symptoms upon reporting.
The new infections also mark the fourth consecutive day that Tokyo's cases went over 100.
As of Saturday, Japan registered a total of 6,005 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 99 deaths.
South Korea's New Cases Decline Further
In South Korea, things seem to be taking a downward trend as the country reported only 32 confirmed coronavirus cases on Sunday, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) noted that the new cases at a little over 30 clearly shows a sharp drop from the peak of daily cases late in February, when 909 new infections were reported.
Furthermore, the country saw three deaths on Sunday, bringing South Korea's total death toll to 214. The country now has 10,512 confirmed CoVID-19 cases, with 7,368 recovered patients.
Singapore Designates 2 New Lodges for CoVID-19 Isolation
Two more dormitories were designated by the Singaporean Ministry of Health (MOH) as isolation sites for people being observed for potential COVID-19 infection.
According to Channel News Asia, the Cochrane Lodge and the Acacia Lodge have become isolation areas, as declared under the Infectious Diseases Act of the city-state.
The news came after seven more cases were linked to the cluster previously detected at Cochrane Lodge 1, where there are now 22 confirmed coronavirus cases. It remains to be seen whether additional cases will be added as some patients wait for test results.
Last week, Westlite Toh Guan and S11 Dormitory were designated as isolation areas. The orders came following a spike in new coronavirus cases among dormitories where foreign workers were staying.
As of Saturday, Singapore has registered at least 2,299 confirmed coronavirus cases and 8 deaths.
