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PETALING JAYA: Some 3.2% of the total new Covid-19 cases reported on Saturday (July 24) were in categories three, four and five when diagnosed. This means that of the 15,902 new infections today, 3.2% of patients were diagnosed with pneumonia or other severe symptoms. Some 127 cases were in category three (pneumonia), 129 belonged to category four (pneumonia and in need of oxygen) while 260 were in category five (critical and in need of respiratory aid). Most, or 96.8% of the new Covid-19 patients were in category one and two (asymptomatic and mild symptoms). “These are the clinical conditions of the patients when they are first diagnosed with Covid-19. “Some continue to be in the same category throughout the period of infection, while some either improve in status or deteriorate to a more severe category,” Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “This will be able to help reduce congestion in Covid-19 quarantine and ... » Learn More about Covid-19: 96.8% of 15,902 new cases asymptomatic or have minor symptoms, says Health DG

MELAKA: A hotel in Bukit Katil here has recalled its workers, who were temporarily laid off, for an opportunity to boost vaccination numbers in the state. The resort has asked some of its employees to return to work after the hotel was made one of two Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) centres in the state. The resort’s managing director Datuk Marco Seow said the Pikas operation at the hotel will start on Monday (July 26). "It's a shot in the arm for the hotel to be part of Pikas. "We are honoured to be able to contribute to the recovery of the nation and the state," he said on Saturday (July 24). Seow said he had maintained many of the hotel’s employees despite revenue being badly affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Seow also thanked the International Trade and Industry Ministry and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali for allowing the hotel to be turned into a vaccination centre. "It's a boost of optimism for all of us," ... » Learn More about Temporarily laid-off workers return as Pikas volunteers at hotel in Melaka

FLEX, one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers with operations in 30 countries, has opened its Bukit Minyak facility in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, to become an industrial vaccination centre. The H1 facility is expected to welcome about 13,500 employees from Flex as well as 90 other factories in the vicinity for the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas). The Flex Pikas Vaccination Centre can accommodate up to 1,000 people a day for vaccination. Flex has also offered its internal manpower to help coordinate the process in tasks that do not require trained medical personnel. As one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in Malaysia, Flex has also assigned staff members who know basic sign language to help the hearing- impaired at the centre. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was with Flex vice president of operations Viswanathan Paramasivam and Flex Penang general manager Tang Eng Chok to have a look at the centre recently. ... » Learn More about Industrial vaccination centre now open for companies in Bukit Minyak

BANGKOK, June 24 (Bloomberg): The Thai-American founder of Minor International Pcl, which runs more than 500 hotels across 55 countries, sees green shoots emerging in Europe properties while those in Asia remain squeezed due to resurgences in coronavirus outbreaks. Italy, Spain and the U.K. are seeing businesses reopen and resumptions in domestic tourism, helping boost Minor’s hotel-occupancy rate to about 40% in Europe, Bill Heinecke, founder and chairman of the Bangkok-based company, said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Friday. Operations in Asia remain restricted as the region copes with continued outbreaks. "I’m reasonably optimistic about the rest of the world, but a bit depressed about Asia,” the 72-year-old Heinecke said in the interview with Haslinda Amin and Rishaad Salamat. The policies of some Asian governments to fully control virus outbreaks are "killing businesses, and economies are suffering much more greatly than even from the disease,” he said. Minor’s business in ... » Learn More about Thai hotel tycoon sees bright spot in Europe as Asia stays shut

BUSINESS and companies in Johor are urging the Federal Government to allow the state to implement its own standard operating procedure to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. In a joint statement, they expressed confidence that the state government was capable of handling the pandemic from spreading in Johor. “Each state government should be given the mandate to implement the SOP based on the current situation of Covid-19 positive cases in respective states,’’ they said. The statement was jointly issued by 120 organisations and trade members in Johor. They said recent statistics showed that Covid-19 cases in Johor remained under control and was relatively safe for people in the state to work and travel. It also urged the state government to speed up the immunisation programme, including non-essential sectors where employees were required to work on-site or in offices. “Vaccines should then be extended to those who can work from home,’’ they said, adding that the government should ... » Learn More about Let state implement own SOP, urge companies

JAKARTA, July 24 (Reuters): Indonesia's central bank held its key interest rate at a record low this week to support the economy amid a growing COVID-19 crisis, but said recent anti-virus measures had hit activity less than expected. Bank Indonesia (BI) kept the benchmark 7-day reverse repurchase rate at 3.50%, where it has been since February, as expected by all 31 economists in a Reuters poll. The central bank also left its two other main policy rates unchanged. Indonesia has one of the world's worst coronavirus outbreaks due to a rapid spread of the Delta variant, reporting around 1,000 deaths from the respiratory disease each day in the past week. The government extended pandemic-linked restrictions to July 25 as the number of infections remained high, but is hoping for a gradual easing of curbs next week if cases drop, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday (July 20). BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said the policy decision was consistent with the need to support the economy ... » Learn More about Indonesia central bank holds rates amid growing Covid-19 crisis

According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, two of the new cases arrived in the country from Indonesia via Singapore on July 11, 2021, who had no signs of infection. The other six cases arrived in the country from Jakarta, Indonesia on July 18, 2021, onboard the same flight with a patient recorded on Friday. Five of the six cases show no signs of infection and the contact tracing has found 10 close contacts for all the six cases. All the new cases were detected when they were undergoing quarantine and they are being treated and monitored at the National Isolation Center with 41 other active patients, who are all in a stable condition. With the detection of the new cases, a total of 180 imported cases have been confirmed since the last local infection case on May 6, 2020. Brunei has recorded 444 days without local Covid-19 infection cases. There have been a total of 269 recovered patients and three deaths reported from Covid-19 so far in the country. The health ministry also ... » Learn More about Brunei reports eight new imported Covid-19 cases, 321 cases in total – all from Indonesia but no local cases for 444 days

HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam will extend a strict lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City until Aug. 1, its health ministry said on Friday, as the Southeast Asian country battles one of its most challenging and unpredictable COVID-19 outbreaks to date. After successfully containing the virus for much of the pandemic, Vietnam has been facing a complicated outbreak of the virus, with southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces accounting for most new infections. "Due to the rapid and unpredictable nature of the Delta variant and in order to protect people and minimise deaths, city authorities have decided to strengthen a number of measures to control the outbreak," Ho Chi Minh City's governing body said in a statement. The number of services permitted to operate during the lockdown will be reduced, the health ministry said, citing Duong Anh Duc, deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City. The current measures, which had been in place since July 9, include a stay-home order, a ban ... » Learn More about Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City extends coronavirus lockdown

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 19 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): By the consent of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today informed that following the on-going situation of Covid-19 in Indonesia, approvals on the entry for foreign nationals departing from or through Indonesia are temporarily suspended with immediate effect until further notice. This applies to entry travels of all foreign nationals departing from or through any airport in Indonesia (direct flight) or travelling from Indonesia to Brunei Darussalam via transit at any other airport. The temporary suspension also applies to foreign nationals who have been granted pre-approvals to enter Brunei Darussalam from Indonesia. Brunei Darussalam on Sunday night (July 18) detected eight new imported Covid-19 cases, bringing the national tally of confirmed ... » Learn More about Brunei govt announce temporary suspension on travel from Indonesia

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 24 (Borneo Bulletin/ANN): Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) Group held its annual general meeting (AGM) 2021 in review of the previous year during which the group stepped up its focus on serving the community and the nation at large, amidst the outbreak of Covid-19. Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah in his capacity as Chairman of BIBD and its Group of Companies said, “Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, BIBD’s financial position remained resilient and continued to post strong profitability in 2020.” He said, “Prudent financial management emphasising on heightened risk management and community focussed initiatives were key management drivers in 2020. At the forefront was the measures taken by BIBD to provide a safe working and business environment for our staff and customers. "As a partner in progress, BIBD supported the government’s call ... » Learn More about Brunei: BIBD meeting highlights solid achievements in the midst of Covid-19