The hardest-hit countries in Southeast Asia have yet to see signs of a let-up in daily COVID-19 infections, with the Philippines continuing to log thousands of new cases.
Philippines Daily Cases Still on the Rise
On Thursday, the Philippines recorded an increase of 4,339 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the national infection toll to 178,022.
While Thursday's log showed a slight decline on an average daily basis, the country's thousands of daily infections indicate that the country's COVID-19 battle is still being waged at a higher level compared with other Southeast Asian nations.
The news came amid debates over whether restrictions on religious facilities should be further tightened.
Bishop Questions Church-Related Guidelines
On Thursday, Catholic Bishop Broderick Pabillo expressed concerns regarding the new General Community Quarantine (GCQ) regulations issued by the government for areas in lockdown.
Pabillo, who is the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdioceses of Manila, noted that churches should be allowed the same attendee capacity count as that given to businesses in areas under GCQ.
The GCQ guidelines state that church gatherings are restricted to a total of 10 people. Pabillo further argued that the government's decisions regarding quarantine categories keep changing.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has since asked for more understanding from the Church, noting that the GCQ will only last for 10 days.
University of Indonesia Releases COVID-19 Management Books
The University of Indonesia has released three books focused on coronavirus management, urging "stakeholders and decision makers" to read the materials.
The head of the university's Disaster Research & Response Center, Fatma Lestari, said they are hoping Indonesians will read the books to help the country in its battle against the virus.
The news came as Indonesia remains in the top two of hardest-hit nations in Southeast Asia. As of Thursday, the country has logged a total of 144,945 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 6,346 deaths.
New Cluster Confirmed in Malaysia
The Malaysian state of Sarawak's disaster management committee on Thursday confirmed that a new coronavirus cluster has been detected in the area.
In a statement, the committee said there are now four cases linked to the cluster, all falling under the "imported infections" group. The cluster was linked to crew members of an oil tanker.
The oil tanker was en route to Bintulu when the crew members started displaying symptoms similar to COVID-19. At least five crew members were found with early coronavirus symptoms, the Bintulu health office revealed.
While the infected staff have since been brought to a Bintulu treatment center, the 22 other crew members will be tested for potential infection.
Malaysia is one of the least hard-hit countries in Southeast Asia,but recent concerns have been raised regarding potential outbreaks from imported transmissions.
As of Thursday, Malaysia has logged a total of 9,325 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 125 deaths.
