A monk at the deserted viewing platform at Wat Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (LUKE DUGGLEBY/BLOOMBERG)
SYDNEY / TEHRAN / JERUSALEM / KUALA LUMPUR / YANGON / WELLINGTON / SEOUL / ANKARA / ISLAMABAD / KUTA / ULAN BATOR – Thailand aims to attract 1 million “high-potential” foreigners through an overhaul of visa rules that will boost investment and help the tourism-dependent economy, the government said.
The Cabinet approved the easing of the country’s immigration policies to attract more long-stay foreigners, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Tuesday. Target groups include high-net-worth individuals, retirees, remote workers and skilled talent in sectors such smart electronics and robotics.
The government expects these groups to generate about 1 trillion baht (US$30.4 billion) of new spending to the economy from 2022 to 2026, plus provide 800 billion baht in investments and 270 billion baht in tax revenue. The visa program is another government effort designed to restart an economy that’s been hit by pandemic-related travel restrictions, with millions of jobs lost in the process.
Those qualified for one of the revised visas will be exempted from a current rule that requires foreigners to report to immigration authorities every 90 days. Other changes include allowing some foreigners to work in Thailand regardless of their employer’s location and easing the Thai-to-foreigner staff ratio, which is generally four-to-one.
Thailand’s government is expected to start its stimulus programs to boost domestic travel on Oct 15, Tourism Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakarn said Tuesday.
He reiterated plans to open five key provinces, including the capital Bangkok, to foreign tourists from Oct 1, with 21 provinces to follow Oct 15.
He said rising coronavirus cases in Phuket stemmed from active case detected in migrant workers and fishery workers, which should be dealt with by the end of September.
Thailand reported 11,786 new infections on Tuesday, the lowest single-day increase since July 20.
The infection count has dropped in recent weeks and the government is gearing up to reopen more provinces to vaccinated visitors and more businesses next month. It’s accelerating its vaccination drive in key regions, including the capital Bangkok.
More than 95 percent of residents there have received their first shot and 36 percent are fully inoculated, compared to about 38 percent and 17 percent nationwide.
Australia
Australia is developing a digital border pass to show the vaccination status of travelers in a step toward further reopening its international border.
The government awarded Accenture Plc the tender to deliver the pass that will replace the current COVID-19 travel declaration form and incoming passenger card.
It “will support the safe re-opening of Australia’s international borders” Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said in a statement. “This will help us to welcome home increasing numbers of Australians, and welcome the tourists, travelers, international students, skilled workers and overseas friends and family we’ve all been missing during the pandemic.”
Australia’s international border has been mostly closed to non-residents since March last year to control the spread of the coronavirus, with anyone returning forced to undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine. The government has said it aims to increase travel to and from the nation once 80 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated. Currently that rate stands at about 34 percent, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.
Australia's Victoria state on Tuesday reported an easing in new COVID-19 infections as it looks to accelerate the vaccination rollout in Melbourne's hardest-hit suburbs, the state capital.
A total of 445 new locally acquired cases were detected, down from the year's high of 473 hit a day earlier. Two additional deaths were reported.
Melbourne hopes to come out of an extended lockdown through higher vaccination rates after ditching a virus elimination strategy as officials struggle to quell an outbreak fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant.
Meanwhile, the capital, Canberra, will extend its lockdown until at least Oct 15, after recording 22 new cases Tuesday.
New South Wales, the most populous state, recorded an additional 1,127 cases, decreasing the 7-day moving average to its lowest in a week.
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India
A study of 614 fully vaccinated health workers in India found a "significant" drop in their COVID-fighting antibodies within four months of the first shot.
The findings could help the Indian government decide whether to provide booster doses as some Western countries have done.
Waning antibodies do not necessarily mean that immunized people lose their ability to counter the disease, as the body's memory cells may still kick in to offer substantial protection, said the director of a state-run institute that did the study.
"After six months, we should be able to tell you more clearly whether and when a booster would be needed," Sanghamitra Pati of the Regional Medical Research Centre, based in the eastern city of Bhubaneswar, told Reuters on Tuesday.
"And we would urge similar studies in different areas for pan-India data."
The Indian study, published in the Research Square pre-print platform but yet to be peer reviewed, is one of the first such done in the country involving its main two vaccines – Covishield, a licensed version of the AstraZeneca shot, and domestically developed Covaxin.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 33,289,579 on Tuesday as 25,404 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, according to the latest data from the health ministry.
The death toll went up by 339 to 443,213.
Indonesia
Bali's tourism industry is hoping for an uptick in business after COVID-19 social restrictions were eased for the resort island on Monday, with the government beginning to formulate plans to allow foreign travel to resume.
Senior government ministers said on Monday restrictions would be downgraded in Bali to allow for some tourist destinations to be opened and cinemas to operate at 50 percent capacity.
“Our hope is the virus spread can be kept under control, so that we can reach an 80 percent-90 percent vaccination rate and then we can start to open for international tourists,” said Diah Anggraini, manager of the Grand Inna Kuta Hotel.
Speaking at an online press conference on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said tourism areas should reach vaccination rates of 70 percent before reopening, and also suggested regional collaboration to form a Phuket, Langkawi and Bali tourism "triangle".
More than 66 percent of people on Bali are fully vaccinated, according to data from the country’s health ministry.
In this June 23, 2021 photo, travelers prepare to board an aircraft operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. in a domestic terminal at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia. (BRENDON THORNE / BLOOMBERG)
Iran
The Iranian Health Ministry reported on Monday 22,541 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 5,318,327.
According to a briefing published by Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on its official website, the pandemic has claimed 114,759 lives in the country so far, after 448 new deaths were registered in the past 24 hours.
Israel
About one in 10 children had symptoms that remained after recovering from COVID-19, though that number dropped by more than half as the months passed, a Health Ministry survey showed on Monday.
Severe illness from the novel coronavirus is most common among adults, but there is a lack of data on the virus' impact on youths, who are far less prone to serious complications, the ministry said.
It carried out a phone survey in June among 13,834 parents of children aged 3-18 who had recovered from COVID-19, asking if their kids had lingering symptoms, including breathing issues, lethargy and loss of smell and taste.
The ministry said 11.2 percent of children had some symptoms after recovery. The figure declined to 1.8 percent-4.6 percent at six months from acute disease, with older kids suffering more.
The ministry did not make mention of vaccines or their impact. The survey was conducted around the time 12-15 year-old Israelis were just becoming eligible to be vaccinated.
Israel allowed 16-18-year-olds to get the vaccination months earlier.
A recent British survey has found that as many as one in seven children may have symptoms linked to the coronavirus months after testing positive for COVID-19.
People wait in an area to be observed after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at Aoyama University in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug 2, 2021. (STANISLAV KOGIKU / POOL / AFP)
Japan
Japan will lift its virus restrictions gradually, in a process that will require the cooperation of businesses and the understanding of the public, the government’s top spokesman said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, in an interview with Bloomberg at the prime minister’s offices in Tokyo on Tuesday, said efforts to restart the economy would start from low-risk areas. The plans for a step-by-step approach are in contrast with the UK where the government lifted almost all restrictions in July on what was dubbed Freedom Day, and the US where President Joe Biden had envisioned making July 4 an Independence Day from the virus.
“We’re not going to suddenly say there’s no need to hold back at all,” Kato said. “Infections can happen even if you’re vaccinated. So we will be asking people to take precautions as we move to show a roadmap toward loosening restrictions.”
Kata's remarks came as Japan has given first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 63.6 percent of its population, surpassing the US in the proportion of those who have had at least one shot of the vaccine despite starting months behind.
Japan’s progress now puts the US last among Group of Seven nations when it comes to the proportion of the population with at least one dose, after vaccine hesitancy squandered the country’s head start. About 63.1 percent of the US has had at least their first shot, and 53.8 percent are fully vaccinated.
Japan has administered a total of 145.8 million shots, and over 51 percent of its population is fully vaccinated, according to government figures released Tuesday.
Japan’s vaccinated population is concentrated among its elderly, who were initially prioritized. Near 90 percent of those 65 or older have had both jabs. The country is still rushing to inoculate younger people, who have been most affected in the most recent and worst-yet wave of coronavirus infections.
Japanese officials are seeking to vaccinate all those who are eligible and willing by November, with the goal of having at least 80 percent of the population vaccinated.
Finance Minister Taro Aso told reporters that the government should ease restrictions to contain the virus as the economy can’t grow unless consumers are able to spend more.
He said companies also needed to hand a greater share of their earnings to workers for the economy to grow and should use the growing pile of retained profits for investment.
In another development, Kamakura city in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture said on Monday that it found a white-colored floating substance in a Pfizer vaccine vial. The material was found on Sunday and the vaccine from the affected vial wasn’t administered. The prefecture said it would ask Pfizer for analysis of the substance.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will announce the easing of more virus curbs in the economic and social sectors soon amid concern over the lockdowns’ effect on mental health.
The committee managing the pandemic has agreed to provide several “low-risk” concessions for the population, said Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein in a press conference Tuesday. It is also looking into allowing more tourist activity, adding more destinations in its travel bubble initiative, and reopening gyms, he said.
“In setting these concessions, the government understands the stress, fatigue and lethargy of the people after more than a year of being in a pandemic that has limited activity and movement,” said Hishammuddin. “This situation can’t go on because there is a risk of more serious repercussions, especially on mental health.”
Malaysia has so far reported 1,995,771 confirmed cases and 21,124 deaths.
Malaysia’s swift vaccine rollout has allowed the government to gradually ease movement restrictions and allow additional benefits for the fully inoculated. More than half of the population had been fully vaccinated as of Monday, paving the way for the government to reach its target of reopening all economic and social sectors by the final quarter of the year.
Mongolia
Mongolia reported 2,939 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 260,709, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.
The death toll rose by 10 to 1,056.
More than 62,800 COVID-19 patients were being treated across the country, including 315 in very serious conditions, according to the ministry.
So far, 65 percent of Mongolia's population have been fully vaccinated since the Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February.
Myanmar
Myanmar reported 2,273 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 434,106 in the country on Monday, according to a release from the Ministry of Health.
The death toll has increased to 16,617 after 87 more deaths were reported, the release said.
People wait to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Vodafone Events Center, south of Auckland, New Zealand, on July 31, 2021. (ZHAO GANG / XINHUA)
New Zealand
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked New Zealanders on Tuesday to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as it was the only way to beat the spread of coronavirus and see curbs lifted in the biggest city of Auckland.
Tuesday's 15 new infections in New Zealand were a drop from Monday's figure of 33, but about 1.7 million people will stay in lockdown in Auckland until next week, as the government battles to hold down a cluster of the highly infectious Delta variant.
New Zealand had been largely virus-free for months until a Delta outbreak forced a snap lockdown on Aug 17. It has infected 970 people so far, most of them in Auckland.
"The vaccine is the best tool we have in our toolbox and our ticket to greater freedom," Ardern said at a news conference. "The more people who are vaccinated, the fewer restrictions you have to have."
Just 34 percent of the population of 5.1 million have been fully vaccinated. To boost the program, New Zealand has bought doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Spain and Denmark.
"There is nothing holding us back in Auckland when it comes to vaccines," Ardern added. "There's capacity to administer 220,000 doses of vaccine in the region this week."
Vaccine buses will begin plying this week to reach more people, she said.
Pakistan
Pakistan reported a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases with 2,580 new infections registered over the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday.
Pakistan reported less than 3,000 new infections in a single day on Monday for the first time in more than a month time period. Before this, the daily count had mostly been hovering between 3,000-4,000 for a month.
The country’s tally stood at 1,210,082 with 1,097,416 recoveries, said the NCOC, a department leading Pakistan's campaign against the pandemic.
The death toll rose by 78 to 26,865, it said.
South Korea
South Korea reported 1,497 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 275,910.
The daily caseload was slightly up from 1,433 in the prior day, hovering above 1,000 for 70 straight days. The daily average tally for the past week was 1,791.
The recent resurgence was attributable to cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Of the new cases, 529 were Seoul residents. The number of newly infected people residing in Gyeonggi province and the western port city of Incheon was 454 and 124 respectively.
The virus spread also raged in the non-metropolitan region. The number of new infections in the non-capital areas was 356, or 24.3 percent of the total local transmission.
Thirty-four cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 14,003.
Seven more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,367. The total fatality rate stood at 0.86 percent.
In this photo taken on Sept 8, 2021, a teacher (right) and volunteer sort distance learning materials to be picked up by parents at a school in Quezon City, suburban Manila, ahead of another school year of remote lessons in the country due to the pandemic. (JAM STA ROSA / AFP)
The Philippines
The Philippines will impose smaller and targeted lockdowns and provide perks for the vaccinated amid a fragile economic recovery and elevated COVID-19 infections.
Metro Manila, which accounts for a third of economic output, will pilot test the Southeast Asian nation’s new virus response strategy from Sept 16. Cities in the capital region will all be under the second-most stringent alert under a five-level system during the first week, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, citing increasing case count and the high hospital utilization rate.
“During this time we must ramp-up active case finding, conduct risk-based testing using RT-PCR, and fast track vaccination among high-risk groups,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement. The government has decided to lock down smaller areas, or from village to household level, as 80 percent of infections come only from a small proportion of villages in the capital region, she said.
Under alert level 4, indoor restaurants and beauty salons in Metro Manila can operate at 10 percent capacity and accommodate only fully-vaccinated individuals. Outdoor dining is allowed at 30 percent capacity even for the unvaccinated
The curfew in the capital region will be shortened from eight hourts to six hours, or from 10 pm to 4 am, while a granular lockdown of at least 14 days will be imposed on houses, buildings, streets or villages where COVID-19 cases are prevalent
The DOH reported 18,056 new cases and 222 more deaths on Tuesday, bringing the tally to 2,266,066 and the toll to 35,529.
READ MORE: WHO warns of increasing risk of virus variants evading vaccines
Turkey
Turkey on Monday confirmed 24,613 new COVID-19 cases, raising its tally of infections to 6,682,864, according to its Health Ministry.
The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 231 to 60,117, while 26,052 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.