COVID-19 Resurgence in Thailand, Indonesia, and Others... Strengthened Quarantine Measures in Each Country

Jakarta COVID-19 Cases Triple in One Week
Thailand Reports Highest New Cases Since July

As COVID-19 infections rapidly increase across Southeast Asian countries, governments are taking measures to prevent the spread, such as installing thermal scanners and encouraging mask-wearing.

According to foreign media including Bloomberg on the 13th (local time), Singapore recorded 32,035 COVID-19 cases within a week until the 2nd of this month. This represents an increase of nearly 50% compared to the previous week.

The Indonesian government is also strengthening COVID-19 quarantine measures by reinstalling thermal scanners at some border checkpoints, including Jakarta International Airport and Batam Ferry Terminal.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

In response to the surge in COVID-19 cases, rumors circulated in Singapore about a possible lockdown, prompting the government to clarify the situation. Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, stated on Facebook, "There is false information circulating on various networks that the government will reimpose a circuit breaker," adding, "All of it is untrue."

Besides Singapore, the Indonesian government is also strengthening COVID-19 quarantine measures by reinstalling thermal scanners at some border checkpoints, including Jakarta International Airport and Batam Ferry Terminal.

According to the Jakarta Health Department, 271 confirmed cases and 2 deaths were reported in Jakarta alone from the 4th to the 10th. This is more than a 200% increase compared to just one week earlier (80 cases).

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has advised citizens to avoid visiting areas with a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and urged them to take preventive measures such as vaccination, mask-wearing, handwashing, and self-isolation if infected.

From the 3rd to the 9th, Thailand recorded 590 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, marking the largest number since last July. In Thailand, only hospitalized patients are counted as new infections. Additionally, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) of Thailand reported that 36,794 new COVID-19 cases and 831 deaths have been recorded this year.
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

In Thailand, 590 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized between the 3rd and 9th, marking the largest number since July. In Thailand, only hospitalized patients are counted as new infections. The Thai Department of Disease Control (DDC) reported 36,794 new COVID-19 cases and 831 deaths recorded so far this year.

In Malaysia, 12,757 COVID-19 cases were reported from the 3rd to the 9th, doubling compared to the previous week. Malaysian authorities stated that the situation is controllable and does not heavily burden the healthcare system but still recommended wearing masks during gatherings.

Domestic New COVID-19 Cases Fluctuate... 1% Increase Compared to Previous Week

Not only in Southeast Asia but also domestically, the number of new COVID-19 cases is fluctuating. Fortunately, in the first week of this month, the increase was limited to 1% compared to the previous week.

On the 14th, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 6,791 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the first week of this month (December 3?9) through 527 sentinel surveillance medical institutions nationwide, averaging 970 cases per day. This is an increase of 96 cases from 6,695 in the previous week.

New COVID-19 cases had been decreasing for 10 consecutive weeks since the second week of August but have fluctuated since the fourth week of October. Looking at the recent four weeks, cases decreased by 1% in the third week of last month compared to the previous week, then increased by 13% in the fourth week, decreased by 6% in the fifth week, and have slightly increased again this week.

The number of new cases among those aged 60 and over was 2,109, an increase of 52 from the previous week. The proportion of seniors aged 60 and over among all new cases was 31.1%, similar to 30.7% in the previous week.

By region, the metropolitan area accounted for nearly half of the new cases at 48.7% (3,307 cases), followed by the Gyeongnam region at 15.4% (1,045 cases), Honam region at 13.0% (883 cases), Chungcheong region at 11.6% (789 cases), and Gyeongbuk region at 11.3% (767 cases).