There are no plans for any comprehensive national measures; however, Japan is encouraging regional authorities to take their own counter-measures against the spread of a new coronavirus variant that has sent cases surging to record levels. This is despite the fact that there is currently no plan in place for any such measures. As the BA.5 strain of the virus …

An outbreak of COVID-19 in North Korea is “finally defusing,” according to a state news agency statement on Monday, July 18, while Asian neighbors are dealing with a new wave of illnesses caused by Omicron subvariants. As of late April, the North claimed 99.98 percent of its 4.77 million fever sufferers had recovered, but it hasn’t disclosed any data on …

THAILAND: Adi Mohammad, a resident of Singapore and a lifelong motorcyclist, is an expert in his field. Until the COVID-19 outbreak made traveling abroad difficult, he spent the last two decades riding throughout the world. He was unable to travel to Thailand, his favorite vacation spot, for more than two years. A month on leave and COVID-19 guidelines that allow …

Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) anticipates a robust recovery in its business, as well as a seamless operation with no labor shortages, after the resumption of interstate flights. According to group chief marketing and customer experience officer Lau Yin May, MAB, in a show of unity, retained its full workforce in readiness for traffic recovery despite a difficult time …

The ASEAN Music Showcase Festival (AMS) in its second edition will be holding its 3-day event online in September. The festival’s showcase will go online from September 11 to 12 on YouTube while featuring performances by artists across the region. A private networking event will follow the showcase on September 13 and will also be holding virtual speed meetings to …

As the global virus outbreak hit every sector of the economy, remittances of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are being hit hard by Covid-19 as thousands of Filipinos have been returning from countries around the world. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), they expect the remittances to shrink for the first time in almost two decades. The central …

MANILA – Maritime experts expect a delay in the crafting of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea (COC) with the continues Chinese aggression compounded by threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China said that they initially wanted the South China Sea code of conduct to be completed by 2022 – …

Vaccines and drugs against COVID-19 are currently being researched and developed. Scientists are also trying other alternatives that are more practical and brief by using the blood plasma of patients recovering from COVID-19 as a ‘medicine’. The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) for Jakarta region, expressed willingness to collect blood of recovered COVID-19 patients for trial of treatment using convalescent blood …

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has grounded the majority of its fleet as part of the large-scale social restriction (PSBB) to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. And, the number of air travels is expected to continue to drop in May 2020, especially right through the normally busy Idul Fitri holiday at the end of the month. “We will have salary cuts and …

Tourism ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to integrate efforts to revive tourism. Countries in the region will work together after the end of the (COVID-19) coronavirus. Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said ASEAN ministers including him reached the agreement in a special video conference. In the video conference they discuss tourism situations in Southeast …