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HEALTH-VIRUS-ASIA
Asia virus latest: South Korean jailed for breaking quarantine;
Indonesia deploys troops
HONG KONG, May 26, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Here are the latest developments
in Asia related to the coronavirus pandemic:
– South Korean quarantine breaker jailed –
A South Korean man was jailed for four months on Tuesday for
breaking coronavirus quarantine rules, authorities said, in the
country’s first such prison sentence.
The man, 27, left home while under 14-day self-isolation and was
then moved to a quarantine facility where he also left without
permission.
South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the virus,
but appears to have largely brought the spread under control thanks to
an extensive “trace, test and treat” programme.
– No vaccine, no school in the Philippines –
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says students will only go
back to school if a coronavirus vaccine is available.
Schools were shut in March and children were due to return to
classes at the end of August.
“Unless I am sure that they are really safe, it’s useless to be
talking about opening of classes,” the president said Monday.
– Indonesia virus crackdown sees troops on ground –
Indonesia said Tuesday it is deploying 340,000 troops to clamp down
on rampant social-distancing violations as coronavirus infections
surge in the world’s fourth-most populous country.
The military will be on the ground in two dozen cities starting
Tuesday — including the capital Jakarta — to make sure people wear
masks and stay apart, as the government eyes a possible re-opening of
shuttered businesses.
– Thai emergency laws extended –
Thailand’s state of emergency laws have been extended for another
month until the end of June, despite the kingdom reporting a
relatively low virus toll at just over 3,000 cases and 57 deaths.
The sweeping laws — which include muzzling the media over
coronavirus reporting — are needed as the country starts to gradually
reopen businesses, a government spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Malls and restaurants reopened on May 17 with social distancing
rules in place, and now commuters have started packing into Bangkok’s
public sky train during rush hour.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1725hrs