The coronavirus has started winding down in some Southeast Asian countries but business segments continue to experience the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Malaysian Tourism Industry Hit Hard by Pandemic
Malaysia has been easing out of its movement control order (MCO) that kept most people at home over the past two months. However, people are still wary of going back to life as usual, specifically in terms of visiting tourist spots, The Star reported.
One of the examples of Malaysia's tourism industry being impacted by the coronavirus is the devastating drop in people visiting the Kuala Lumpur Central Market. On Wednesday, the traffic rate was down by 67 percent.
Nine malls across five cities in the country also logged declines in physical traffic as most citizens continue to fear the possibility of getting infected in areas where people often visit.
Of the multiple tourist destinations in the country, only two locations, the Kuala Terengganu and Mydin Emporium Kuala Ibai recorded an increase in footfall.
As of Wednesday, Malaysia logged a total of 6,428 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 107 deaths.
Indonesian Governor Requests Delay of Workers' Arrival from China
Governor Ali Mazi of Indonesia's Southeast Sulawesi on Thursday urged for the delay of the supposed arrival of 500 Chinese workers as part of the contract with mining company PT VDNI, headquartered in Konawe District.
According to ANTARA News, Mali reiterated that the province is "not rejecting" the workers' arrival. Instead, the government just wants their arrival to be delayed amid ongoing concerns about imported cases rising in Indonesia.
Further explaining to journalists, Mazi noted that he "must secure" the health of his province's residents. He said that his government does not want to stop the arrival of the workers as it was approved by the central government.
Indonesia registered a total of 12,438 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 895 deaths as of Wednesday. The country saw a hike of 367 new infections over the last 24 hours.
Thailand Retains Single-Digit Rise in New Cases
In Thailand, the situation appears to have been controlled compared to the first few weeks of community transmission in the country as three new coronavirus cases were added to the national toll on Thursday, the Bangkok Post reported.
Two of the new COVID-19 patients were workers who returned from Kazakhstan during the weekend. As part of the measures to contain the virus should other people on the plane the patients boarded have been infected, all other returnees have been placed on a two-week quarantine.
No new fatalities were logged in the country on Thursday. Thailand now has a total of 2,992 confirmed coronavirus cases and 55 deaths.
Vietnam Goes Five Days with Zero Local or Imported Transmissions
For the fifth day in a row, Vietnam saw zero new COVID-19 infections, setting an example to the rest of the world in terms of effective quarantine measures and unity among citizens ordered to stay at home.
According to the Vietnam Express, Thursday marked another milestone in the country's coronavirus battle as it logged zero new community-transmitted infections for the 21st consecutive day.
Aside from zero new cases, Thursday also saw the first day of social distancing measures being lifted throughout the country. Still, all passengers who will board public transportation are will be required to wear face masks for extra precaution.
Despite Vietnam's easing on movement control restrictions, the government noted that importance of tightening control on international arrivals to ensure that the winning streak over COVID-19 will be retained.
So far, Vietnam registered a total of 271 confirmed coronavirus cases and no fatalities from the fast-spreading disease.
Virus-Struck Ruby Princess Docks in Manila Bay
The coronavirus-hit cruise ship Ruby Princess finally docked in at the Manila Bay on Thursday morning, carrying over 200 Filipino crew members who will undergo COVID-19 testing, CNN Philippines reported.
The Ruby Princess previously docked in Australia and was quarantined at Port Kembla for over 15 days. The cruise ship finally set sail to the Philippines on April 23.
The said ship has been linked to around 600 coronavirus infections and at least 20 deaths from the highly-infectious disease. The ship is also under criminal investigation in Australia due to the infections in question.
As of Wednesday evening, the Philippines recorded a total of 10,004 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 658 deaths.
