Sri Lanka Army medic inoculates a woman with a booster shot of the Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination center in Colombo on Feb 1, 2022. (ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP)
JERUSALEM / NEW DELHI / SINGAPORE / HANOI / PHNOM PENH / COLOMBO – The Sri Lankan Health Ministry on Thursday reversed a decision made earlier to relax the face mask mandate in the South Asian country.
In a press release, the ministry said that wearing masks outdoors has been made mandatory again, considering the large public gatherings that are taking place across the country.
The Health Ministry said that wearing masks outdoors has been made mandatory again, considering the large public gatherings that are taking place across the country
Anver Hamdani, director of Medical Technological Services, told media that a technical committee last week decided to give the liberty to people to wear the face mask or not.
"However, the decision was announced in haste without proper consultation of the experts," he said.
Sri Lanka issued a gazette on coronavirus quarantine regulations in October 2020, making wearing masks and maintaining social distance in public places mandatory.
Cambodia
Cambodia decided on Thursday to reduce a quarantine period for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated travelers from 14 days to seven days, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in a statement.
"Travelers entering Cambodia by land borders must undergo two rapid tests-one on the first day before entering the quarantine center and the other on the seventh day to end their quarantine," he said.
"For those entering the country by air, they must take a rapid test on the seventh day to end their quarantine," he added.
Bunheng said the decision took effect immediately.
The minister also advised health authorities to provide COVID-19 vaccines to unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated Cambodian travelers on the seventh day when they are allowed to leave quarantine facilities.
The Southeast Asian nation has fully resumed its socio-economic activities and reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers without quarantine since last November after most of its population have been inoculated against the disease.
A girl walks past a poster at a vaccination centre in New Delhi on April 10, 2022, after government announced the paid precaution dose against the coronavirus to be available for everyone above 18 years of age at private vaccination centers. (MONEY SHARMA / AFP)
India
New Delhi authorities on Wednesday made the wearing of masks compulsory again after COVID-19 infections rose in the Indian capital in recent days.
"In view of the rise in COVID positive cases recently and as advised by the experts, it was decided to enhance testing, focus on vaccination coverage of targeted population and ensure strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal said on Twitter.
Hospitalizations have remained under 1 percent. But Baijal said:
"It was decided to make the wearing of masks mandatory in public places."
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,049,974 on Thursday with 2,380 new cases registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Delhi accounted for more than 30 percent of the 2,067 new infections that India reported on Wednesday, taking the country's running total to more than 43 million. Deaths nationwide rose by 40, mostly from the southern state of Kerala, lifting the total to 522,006.
The tally of daily infections has hovered around a month-high in recent days after most precautions, including penalties for not wearing masks, were dropped a few weeks ago. Several northern districts neighbouring New Delhi have made masks compulsory again.
Around this time last year, India was reporting a record number of cases and deaths globally.
An Israeli paramedic collects a swab sample from a child at the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David) COVID-19 coronavirus testing center in Jerusalem on Jan 11, 2022. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)
Israel
Israel told its citizens on Wednesday they could stop wearing COVID-19 masks indoors, its second such revision after the measure was briefly dropped and then restored last year in response to a rise in cases.
The scrapping of mandatory masks in closed public venues will go into force on Saturday, subject to approval by a parliament oversight committee, a government statement said.
Masks will still be required of people in high infection-risk venues like flights, hospitals and care homes, the statement said.
Israelis have not had to wear masks outdoors since April 2021. Last June, the indoor mask mandate was dropped for two weeks, and restored due to a surge in the Delta variant.
The number of daily COVID-19 infections reported to Israeli health authorities has fallen to around 4,500 from more than 15,000 in late March.
The number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients has also dropped, standing at 222 on Tuesday compared with 296 in late March, according to health ministry figures.
Some 64 percent of Israel's 9.4 million inhabitants are considered to be vaccinated, the ministry said. Israel began administering a fourth dose of the vaccine in January. Israel's total death toll from the pandemic stands at 10,647 people.
Laos
Those entering Laos at Wattay International Airport must have a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test within 24 hours of departure for the country as well as an RDT (Rapid Diagnostic Test) on arrival in Lao capital Vientiane, health authorities said.
According to a report issued on Wednesday by Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health, everyone entering Laos must undergo entry screening including a temperature check, as well as presenting the required documents to health officials.
It has been found that a PCR test carried out 24 hours before departure has not been sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19 because the infection is possible during flights.
People whose RDT test result in negative may enter the country, while those who test positive will need to quarantine at a designated hotel.
A notice warning people not to gather in groups larger than five persons as part of restrictions to hald the spread of the coronavirus is displayed at Raffles Place financial business district in Singapore on Jan 4, 2022. (ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)
Singapore
Singapore reported 3,472 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally to 1,170,970.
Among the total infections, 3,324 were local transmissions with 148 being imported cases.
Vietnam
Vietnam reported 13,271 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, down 229 from Tuesday, according to its Ministry of Health.
The new infections, which were recorded in 61 provinces and cities, were all domestically transmitted.
The infections brought the total tally to 10,502,590 with 42,982 deaths.