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Thailand reported a record number of coronavirus cases on Monday, and Malaysia has infected more than 1 million cases as this toxic delta variant has opened a deadly path in Southeast Asia-now the global center of the virus.

Thailand has 15,376 new coronavirus cases, setting the country’s daily record of more than 66 million for the second day in a row.

Malaysia has one of the highest infection rates per capita in Southeast Asia, with 17,045 new cases reported on Sunday, bringing the total to 1,013,438 and nearly 8,000 deaths, despite being locked down since June.

Like many areas in the region with a population of over 650 million, Malaysia’s hospitals and medical staff bear the brunt of the shortage of beds, ventilators and oxygen.

On Monday, thousands of Malaysian contract doctors went on strike on their terms of employment, but they assured patients that they would not be affected by the protests.

The doctors hope to get permanent positions and better salaries and benefits. They said that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s proposal to extend the contract is far from enough.

However, Malaysia’s vaccine launch rate has surpassed many neighbouring countries, and approximately 16.9% of its 32 million people have been fully vaccinated.

The Thai government last week implemented stricter lockdown measures in the capital Bangkok and 12 high-risk provinces.

Indonesia relaxes some restrictions

Indonesia is the most populous country in the region, with a population of over 270 million, the largest number of cases in Southeast Asia. It reported more than 3.1 million infections and 83,000 deaths.

Nevertheless, under economic pressure, the government announced on Sunday that although the coronavirus containment measures will be extended for a week, it will relax some measures, including allowing traditional markets and restaurants with outdoor areas to reopen.

In the past month, hospitals were crowded with patients, especially on the densely populated islands of Java and Bali, but on Sunday President Joko Widodo stated that infections and hospital occupancy rates have declined, but did not specify how much they have fallen. .

“This decision seems to have nothing to do with the pandemic, but with the economy,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, who urged people to follow health procedures.

Indonesia reported a record number of deaths for four consecutive days last week. The last day was Friday’s 1,566 deaths. The cumulative death toll exceeded 83,000 because the authorities promised to add more intensive care units.

Since June, the number of infections in Myanmar has also surged, with 355 deaths reported on Sunday, setting a new record, while the number of daily cases last Thursday exceeded 6,000.

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam stated that 7,882 coronavirus infections were reported on Monday, up from 7,531 on Sunday and slightly lower than the 7,968 recorded two days ago, most of which occurred in the epicenter of Ho Chi Minh City and its neighboring provinces.

The country has successfully contained the coronavirus throughout 2020, but it is currently experiencing its worst wave to date. In total, it recorded more than 106,000 infections and at least 524 deaths, of which one-fifth of the cases occurred within the past three days.

-From Reuters, the last update time was 8:55 AM EST

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What happened in tokyo

Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics stated that since July 1, 153 people qualified for the Olympics in Japan have tested positive for COVID-19.

The total includes 19 athletes who tested positive in Japan from July 1 to Sunday. Some of the athletes are residents of the Olympic Village, where 16 people have tested positive.

These people left the apartment building overlooking Tokyo Bay and lived in segregated hotels.

-From the Associated Press, the last update time is 6:30 am Eastern Time.

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What is happening around the world

According to the coronavirus database released by the US media, as of early Monday morning, more than 194.1 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide. Johns Hopkins UniversityThe reported global death toll exceeds 4.1 million.

inside America, Due to the highly contagious delta variants and vaccine hesitation, the COVID-19 surge has been triggered in parts of the United States, which has led to new mask requirements and some people are deeply confused about which guidelines to follow.

exist Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet on Monday that at least 40 million people in France now have the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Macron said this accounts for nearly 60% of the population, and 4 million vaccines have been vaccinated in the past two weeks.

inside Asia Pacific Despite several weeks of stay-at-home orders, Australia’s most populous state has reported an increase in new cases, and the police have vowed to combat any recurrence of crazy anti-blockade protests over the weekend.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Nanjing, the main city in eastern China, continues to increase, with another 38 cases reported on Monday, bringing the total to more than 60 in recent days. Tens of thousands of people have been locked down, and the authorities are conducting large-scale population tests. This is standard practice in China and has been largely successful in controlling the spread of the virus.

The nearby city of Suqian and Liaoning Province in the northeast have reported another locally transmitted case. Both are classified as related to the Nanjing epidemic.

Another 36 imported cases have been reported, half of which are in Yunnan Province near the Myanmar border, which is facing a severe epidemic. All newly diagnosed people in Yunnan crossed the border from Yunnan at some point between June 30 and July 24.

exist AfricaSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa (Cyril Ramaphosa) said in a national speech on Sunday evening that the recent peak of coronavirus cases has passed, and the number of new confirmed cases per day dropped by 20% last week. The government allows retail alcohol sales to resume from Monday to Thursday, and bars and restaurants will also be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.

The school has completely reopened, again allowing up to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors for social and religious gatherings.The night curfew has been reduced to 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

South Africa, with a population of 60 million, has received more than 6.3 million doses of vaccine. The country needs to increase the vaccination rate to achieve the goal of fully vaccinating 67% of the population by February.

At the same time, Algeria will re-limit gatherings in response to the rapid spread of the more contagious coronavirus delta variant.

inside middle East, Iranian Ministry of Health report 268 deaths related to COVID-19 On Sunday, there were 27,146 new cases.

-From the Associated Press, Reuters, and CBC News, last updated at 9 AM Eastern Time

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