Singapore just set a new record for Covid-19 cases, Malaysia warns of fake vaccination certificates

Singapore's Ministry of Health said that as of the afternoon of September 26, the country had 1,939 more infections.Covid-19, 300 cases higher than the previous day and the highest since the beginning of the epidemic, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to nearly 88,000 people. In the past 24 hours, the lion island also recorded 2 more deaths, bringing the total number of patients who died to 78 cases.

According to CNA, in response to the complicated developments of the epidemic, the authorities announced that they will reimplement social distancing measures in the “enhanced alert” phase from September 27 to October 24. In which, all positions that can work remotely will have to work from home. Workers, contractors and vendors who still have to go to work are advised to conduct rapid self-testing weekly. Private gatherings are limited from the current maximum of five people to two people, and each household is limited to a maximum of two visitors per day.

Restaurants, bars and cafes will be limited to groups of up to two people, and all must be fully vaccinated. Students under 12 will move to online learning. Students who are under quarantine or have health warnings will be allowed to take national end-of-year exams if they test negative.

In addition to tightening social distancing measures, Singapore will begin administering booster shots (the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine) to people aged 50-59 from October 4. Previously, from September 15, authorities had given booster shots to citizens aged 60 and above.

Malaysia warns of fake vaccination certificates

Malaysian police on September 26 warned about the increasingly common practice of fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates in the country.

According to Koh Kar Chai, president of the Malaysian Medical Association, the proliferation of fake certificates comes at a time when countries around the world have begun implementing “green passes”, which reduce or exempt those who are granted them from restrictions on a variety of activities, from travel and tourism to dining and entertainment.

A health worker in the capital Kuala Lumpur told the Straits Times that some people had gone to vaccination centres to obtain certificates instead of actually getting vaccinated. Authorities said they would step up monitoring and inspection measures to deal with the situation.

Malaysia remains one of the pandemic hotspots in Southeast Asia, with nearly 2.2 million cases and 25,437 deaths. However, since mid-August, the number of new cases and deaths per day in the country has been on a downward trend.

Malaysia has completed vaccinating 82.5% of its adult population. The Malaysian Ministry of Health recently decided to shorten the interval between two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from nine weeks to six weeks to boost the national vaccination campaign, amid the Delta variant outbreak. The decision took effect from October 1.

Japan considers lifting emergency order by end of September

Kyodo News Agency quoted Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide as saying on September 26 that the epidemic situation in the country is progressing positively. According to Mr. Suga, the number of new cases in the land of the rising sun has decreased from 25,000 cases/day to about 3,000 cases/day.

The seven-day average of new cases in the capital Tokyo has dropped to 363 cases per day, from 815 cases per day a week earlier.

Japan's government leader revealed that he will decide on the possibility of lifting the state of emergency, which expires at the end of September, "after hearing the opinions of experts".

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on September 25 that, given the current developments, the state of emergency will likely end on September 30. However, the official said that all restrictions cannot be completely lifted immediately, but must take place in stages and with careful monitoring of the impact.

Authorities believe the country hit its fifth wave of infections on August 20, with 25,800 cases in a single day. The total number of cases nationwide is now close to 1.7 million, including 17,453 deaths. Sixty-eight percent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 56 percent have completed their vaccinations.

Other notable news about the pandemic:

- According to Worldometers, as of early morning on September 27 (Vietnam time), the pandemic has attacked 221 countries and territories, infecting more than 232.6 million people, with nearly 4.8 million deaths. However, approximately 209.2 million patients worldwide have recovered.

- The United States is still the country most affected by the pandemic with more than 43.7 million cases and 706,317 deaths. 55% of people in the land of the stars and stripes have completed vaccination.

- According to Bloomberg, a shortage of medical staff and logistical errors are hindering Indonesia's efforts to vaccinate its population against Covid-19. Despite being one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to launch a mass vaccination program, so far only 32% of Indonesia's 270 million people have received at least one dose of vaccine and 17.9% have received all doses, placing it among the four countries with the lowest vaccination rates in the region.

- The Kremlin on September 26 released images showing Russian President Vladimir Putin hiking and fishing in Siberia a few days after a short quarantine due to contact with a Covid-19 patient. According to Russian authorities, Mr. Putin, 68, has received two doses of the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine and is in stable health despite exposure to the virus.

- On the same day, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison continued to ask the governments of the country's states and territories to open domestic borders after reaching an 80% vaccination rate for people aged 16 and over. The federal government also plans to lift the exit ban so that people can travel abroad, and open the border to international students and skilled workers by Christmas this year, after 80% of citizens aged 16 and over have completed vaccination.