Malaysia – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s aide said the former prime minister did “umrah” in March 2021 without a complete Covid-19 or meningococcal meningitis (MM) vaccine because they were not necessary at the time. Mohd Naim Mahmod said in a statement that all of the delegates at the time, including the former prime minister, had received their first dose of Covid-19 …

Malaysia – The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will step up inspections and surveillance to seek down anyone selling counterfeit Covid-19 immunization certificates in Malaysia. Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, Inspector-General of Police, said he couldn’t rule out the potential that such syndicates operated in other states aside from Terengganu. According to him, as a result of this, he have given …

Singapore – According to Dr Janil Puthucheary, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has not received any reports of significant adverse events or myocarditis in children aged five to 11 as of last Friday (Jan 7). “Most adverse effects encountered by children following vaccination have been mild, including as injection site soreness, weariness, and fever, and they normally pass in a …

Malaysia – The Selangor Association For Travel and Tourism Agencies (Saftta) today questioned Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s claim that 14% of Muslims who travelled to Saudi Arabia on pilgrimage lately had no records of receiving the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination. The umbrella organization representing 580 tourist, travel, hotel, and theme park organizations claimed Khairy’s comments at the January 6 press conference …

Malaysia – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has advised Rohingya people who have UNHCR cards not to be obstinate in their actions and to recognize that they are refugees. The government sympathizes with the group’s position, but any activities that generate issues for the nation will be dealt with, according to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. …

Philippines – As infections reached a three-month high, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced yesterday that individuals who have not received Covid-19 shots would be arrested if they break stay-at-home orders. In a televised address to the country, Duterte said he was ordering local officials to hunt out unvaccinated persons and confine them to their residences. “He can be arrested if …

Malaysia – According to Khairy Jamaluddin, a Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) epidemiological prediction model forecasts that if the rate of infection (R0) rises to 1.6, Malaysia might have 30,000 Covid-19 cases each day by the end of March. Then it would surpass Malaysia’s previous single-day high of 24,599 set in August of last year. In a news conference held recently, the health minister …

Thailand – Following a reported increase in cases of the extremely infectious Omicron coronavirus variant during the holiday season, Thailand’s health ministry urged on people to come forward and obtain booster vaccinations. At a press conference, health official Supakit Sirilak said that the nation has reported 2,062 cases of the Omicron variant so far this year, an increase from the 740 …

Brunei – According to Xinhua, the Prime Minister’s Office in Brunei said recently that the temporary suspension of cross-border activity between Brunei and Malaysia would be prolonged for another 15 days. For a total of 15 more days till January 15, 2022, the government has prolonged the temporary suspension on admission of foreign people via land and sea ports, including …

Japan – As the New Year’s festivities begin,  Japan prepared for a predicted resurgence in coronavirus infections as roads and airports were clogged with travelers. As additional cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 emerged, including a possible cluster at an Osaka nursing home, the governors of Tokyo and Osaka recommended citizens to keep end-of-year parties limited. Travelers should take …