Record number of new Covid cases in Asean
The Covid crisis in Southeast Asia worsened on Thursday with a record increase in new cases, collated data showed.
Asean reported 66,286 new cases on Thursday, higher than Wednesday’s 58,275, as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines saw a big jump in Covid-19 patients.
Deaths were at 1,334, decreasing from Wednesday’s record number of 1,430.
The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 5.31 million across the region since the outbreak, while the death toll climbed to 102,368.
Indonesia reported a more than 4,000 jump in new cases, from 34,379 on Wednesday to 38,391 on Thursday.
Malaysia reported 8,868 new cases and 135 deaths on Thursday, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 808,658 and the death toll to 5,903.
Daily cases in Malaysia exceeded 8,000 despite a nationwide lockdown for more than a month.
Cambodia reported 954 new cases and 27 deaths on Thursday, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 58,057 and total deaths to 825.
The government spokesman announced that about 90 per cent of the population in Phnom Penh had been vaccinated, increasing the possibility of starting a travel bubble programme in the city.
