Some big Asian countries are going through the "recovery" stage as new cases drop significantly and hard-hit areas are starting to get back to life as usual before the coronavirus outbreak forced people to stay at home for months.
Wuhan Clear of COVID-19 Patients
Wuhan hospitals on Sunday confirmed that all coronavirus-stricken patients have tested negative of the COVID-19 strain. The last patient, with the surname Ding, tested negative for the second time on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC) Mi Feng noted that the clearance of all coronavirus patients in "ground zero" of the virus was achieved due to hard work of frontliners.
Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market is believed to be the starting point of the coronavirus' spread in China and three months after the lockdown, the city is now getting back to life as usual.
As of Sunday, China logged 83,909 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,636 deaths.
South Korea Remains Vigilant amid Upcoming Holidays
South Korea is scheduled to celebrate two holidays this week, Buddha's Birthday and May Day. The country is also set to celebrate Children's Day on May 5, prompting the government to stay vigilant despite a significant decline in new COVID-19 cases in the country.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, the government said it will continue to disinfect facilities and hospitals to ensure a stronger defense against further cluster infections.
On Monday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 10 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country's total to 10,738. Seven of the new cases were imported.
Japan to Extend Travel Ban Measures
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Monday that the country will extend the travel ban on foreign travelers to 14 more countries, Kyodo News reported.
The new list of countries in Japan's efforts to reduce the number of imported cases in the country includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
The entry ban will be in effect starting Wednesday. Abe further announced that the suspension of visas to Japan will be extended further until the end of May to further control the potential spike of COVID-19 cases among overseas travelers.
As of Sunday, Japan registered 13,231 confirmed coronavirus cases and 360 deaths.
Singapore Reports Almost 800 New Cases
The Singaporean Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday reported 799 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national toll to 14,423.
According to Channel News Asia, as with the previous week's data, most of the new cases registered on Monday are among work permit holders who are residents of foreign worker dormitories, where the largest clusters in the city-state were detected so far.
Only 14 of the new cases are permanent residents or Singaporeans, marking a significant turn of events from earlier February, when Singapore used to be the only Southeast Asian nation with no deaths from the novel coronavirus.
Despite Singapore's total COVID-19 cases passing the 14,000 mark, the city-state has seen a decline in new cases over the past three days.
