Category: Corona Virus

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Coronavirus: What’s happening in Canada and around the world on Friday – CBC.ca

May 22, 2021

The latest:

Some provinces are taking tentative steps toward reopening amid a promising declinein COVID-19 cases, while one hasasked for additional support from the federal governmentas Canadians head into their second May long weekend of the pandemic.

In Ontario,outdoor recreational facilitieswill reopenwith some restrictions on Saturday as outdoor gatherings of up to five people will be allowed again.The province made the announcement Thursday as itunveiled a three-step reopening planthat will lift public health restrictions based on vaccination rates and other health indicators starting in mid-June.

As well, people aged 12 and up in the province will be eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointmentas of 8 a.m. ET on Sunday through the provincial booking system and call centreas well as at select pharmacies, according to a news release issued Friday evening.

The plan comes ashealth officials say the province's control over the pandemic is improving due to current health measures.The current stay-at-home order will remain in place until June 2, with the exception of thosenewly announced changes to some outdoor activities.

WATCH |Ontario announcesstaged reopening plan:

InManitoba, meanwhile, PremierBrian Pallistersaid he spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Friday morning and asked for up to 50 critical care nurses and 20 respiratory therapists to help fight rising COVID-19 numbers.

Pallister is also seeking up to 50 contact tracers from Statistics Canada. The provinceis in the grip of the third wave of the pandemic and is seeing record numbers of new cases and people in intensive care.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, who spoke separately with Trudeau, said he is disappointed with the provincial government's pandemic response to date. "Every week [the government is]reacting to rising case counts, when doctors and many in our community, myself included, have said we need strong proactive measures," Bowman said.

WATCH |Winnipeg mayor calls for help for city's overwhelmed ICUs:

The mayor reiterated calls to increase fines for people who break public health orders andsaid non-essential retail businesses should be closed. Stores are currently allowed to remain open at 10 per cent capacity.

Provincial health officials said the increase in hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care has meant five COVID-19 patients were transferred to hospitals in Ontario this week.

Alberta,which is seeing an overall decline in COVID-19 case numbers and set anew daily high for the number ofvaccine doses administered on Thursday, will welcome back all K-12 students to classrooms next week, except those in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

At-home learning for schools in Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, will beextended for another week because case numbers there have not trendeddown at the same levels as other regions, according to the province.

Even with case numbers declining, it's critical people stayasclose to home as possible this weekend, Alberta'schief medical officer of healthsaid Thursday at a news conference.

"We are gaining momentum, but it is fragile and we cannot afford to take this weekend off from following the rules," Dr. Deena Hinshaw said as she urged residents toavoid in-person interactions with people outside theirhousehold, especially indoors, and avoid non-essential travel.

While Alberta's students are headed back to class,Nova Scotia is sticking withonline learning for the rest of the school year following a recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

The province's chief medical officer of healthsaid this week thatthe upcoming Victoria Day long weekend will have to be a quiet one similar to last year.

"The variants make this a very different and difficult situation right now," said Dr. Robert Strang.

Provincial park campgrounds are closedand private campgrounds maybe open only for seasonal campers. People can go to their cottage or seasonal campsite outside their community, butonly if they are staying there for the next few months.

- From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:35p.m. ET

As of 6:15p.m. ET on Friday, Canada had reported 1,352,121confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 57,970considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 25,162.

WATCH | Many Canadians stuck in limbo over 2nd vaccine dose:

As of Thursday, Canada has vaccinated a larger share of its population with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine than the United States. Statistics from Our World in Datashow that 48.52 per cent of Canada's population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of May 20, compared to 47.89 per cent of the U.S. population.

However, the U.S. has fully vaccinated 37.86per cent of its total population as of May 20, compared to 4.05 per cent of Canada's population, according to Our World in Data.

Nova Scotiareported 84 new COVID-19 cases and two related deaths onFriday.New Brunswick reported 15 new COVID-19 cases, while chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell announced that a second person in the provincehas died from a rare blood clot associated with the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.

Newfoundland and Labrador reported10 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, whilePrince Edward Islandreported one new case.

Quebec reported752 new cases and ninenew deaths.Thegovernment is making a push to vaccinate people between the ages of 12 and 17, in time for a return to school under normal conditions next fall.

WATCH |Musicians perform at Quebec vaccination clinics:

Ontarioreported1,890 new cases and27 new deaths on Friday. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to decline, with 1,265 in hospitalsacross the province, including715 in the ICU, according to provincial data.

Manitobareported594 new COVID-19 cases and three related deaths on Friday. This comes one day after chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussinannounced thatManitobans will beprohibitedfrom gathering outdoors with people from outside their householdand that only one person per household will be permitted to enter a business at a given time.

Saskatchewanreported 173 new cases of COVID-19 and two related deaths on Friday.

In the North, Nunavut on Friday reported onenew caseof COVID-19.

Albertarecorded 732 new COVID-19 cases and two related deaths on Friday, whileBritish Columbia recorded 420 new cases and six related deaths.

WATCH | COVID-19 restrictions rekindleCanadian NHL rivalries:

- From CBC News and The Canadian Press, last updated at 6:35p.m. ET

As of Friday evening, more than 165.7million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, a trackingdashboard from U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University said. The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.4 million.

Pfizer and BioNTech pledged on Friday to deliver onebillion doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to poorer nations this year and another onebillion next year,Pfizer's bosstold a global health summit on Friday.

Meanwhile, the vaccines alliance Gavi has signed an agreement to buy 200 million doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine in a boost to the UN-backed initiative known as COVAX to distribute vaccines to poor countries.

WATCH |Vaccine makers pledgebillions of COVID shots to developing world:

In theAsia-Pacificregion,India's confirmed coronavirus countsremained below record levels in the last 24 hours, but authorities are worried about a fungal infection that attacks those with weak immune systems. Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or "black fungus" infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.

India reported 4,209 COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours and 259,591 new confirmed cases. Experts believe both figures are an undercount.

Taiwan reported 312 new confirmed cases on Friday as part of its worst outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic. Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says most of the cases have a clear source, but 72 of the new ones were not apparently linked to the previous infections.

In theAmericas,Argentina will tighten lockdown measures to combat a severe second wave, as daily cases and deaths have hit new highs over the last week.

InEurope,Spain is lifting its restrictions on travellers from the United Kingdom beginning Monday, saying British tourists play a key role in the Spanish economy. Spanish authorities published the rule change in the government gazette Friday. Restrictions on travel from Japan were also lifted.

InAfrica,Zimbabwe's vice-president has announced the government is imposing a two-week lockdown on the central city of Kwekwe because the COVID-19 variant dominant in India has been detected there.

Kenya's health ministry said it is in talks with vaccine manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson as it seeks alternatives to the AstraZeneca shot after shipment delays of the drug from India.

In theMiddle East,U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Thursday they would supply Turkey with 60 million additional doses of their COVID-19 vaccine. The latest agreement also includes an option for 30 million extra doses, which would bring the total number of doses to be supplied to Turkey this year to 120 million, the drugmakers said in a joint statement.

-From The Associated Press and Reuters, last updated at 6:35p.m. ET

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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Friday - CBC.ca

Ways to regain senses of smell and taste after COVID-19 – KSDK.com

May 22, 2021

St. Louis doctors say "scent training" may help

ST. LOUIS Some people who had COVID-19 are looking for ways to regain their senses of smell and taste.

Doctors are working with patients on a variety of treatments from therapy to medication.

Jim Dean from St. Louis County tested positive for COVID-19 in November

"I was considered severe," Dean said. "It lasted for about 30 days total."

Months later, Dean says peanut butter and pasta sauce taste foul. He describes certain foods as "metallic" and others as "sewage-like".

Dean told 5 On Your Side he thought he was going crazy.

It's a feeling Dr. Jay Piccirillo a Professor of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine says is typical.

"It's very disorienting for the patients and we've had people say 'you know doc, when I had no sense of smell that was better than what I have now, the parosmia can be very disturbing," Dr. Piccirillo said.

Dean is likely experiencing parosmia, the name for when something doesn't smell like it should. So what can people do to regain their sense of smell?

Dr. Jastin Antisdel is a SLUCare Otolaryngologist at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital suggests retraining therapy for some patients.

"In the studies that we do we actually have sticks with oils on them that are very strong smelling, whether it's lemon or coffee, etcetera," Dr. Antisdel said.

Smelling strong scents may help regain taste too.

"The senses of smell and the sense of taste are related and if somebody has lost smell, that will impact their ability to taste food," explains Dr. Piccirillo, "we are seeing that with COVID."

Dr. Piccirillo is currently working on two studies at Washington University, both trying to see if patients can recover their sense of smell with calculated treatments.

One study is a virtual trial involving 400 patients from across the United States.

"What we're asking in this trial is, 'Does the olfactory training, the smell training work?' and in particular 'does olfactory training work when the patients themselves get to pick the smells that they train on," said Dr. Piccirillo.

Traditionally scientists have limited scent studies to distinctive smells like eucalyptus, rose, lemon and clove.

"Many of our St Louis patients have asked what's eucalyptus and why do I want to train on that?," Dr. Piccirillo said.

The second study involves an asthma medication, theophylline, and nasal rinsing. Dr. Piccirillo plans to wrap up both studies by the summer.

Doctors recommend confirming COVID-19 as the culprit for loss of taste or smell before starting smell training.

"If you don't know if you've had COVID or not, and you have the loss of sense of smell, you need to go see your ear, nose and throat doctor," Dr. Antisdel said. "Because it can come from other reasons. They can have a tumor in their nose, there's all sorts of things that we want to make sure first."

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Ways to regain senses of smell and taste after COVID-19 - KSDK.com

Two children are the first in North Texas to be diagnosed with a variant plaguing India and the U.K. – The Dallas Morning News

May 22, 2021

May 20, 2:30 pm: This story has been updated to reflect new information from Dallas County that the two cases are in children younger than 12.

Two cases of a coronavirus variant that has spread catastrophically in India have been detected in the Dallas area for the first time, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center told The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday.

The virus, which the World Health Organization dubbed a variant of concern last week, appears to be more contagious than older coronavirus variants. It also carries mutations that help it evade human antibodies, although early testing shows that vaccines remain effective against it.

The samples were picked up by UT Southwestern researchers, who began to genetically analyze samples from coronavirus patients earlier this year.

The two Dallas-area cases are in children younger than 12 who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. They have no recent travel history, said a Dallas County spokesperson. No further information was available about the patients at press time.

The presence of these variants emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated to help protect yourself, because these variants are increasingly showing that theyre able to spread more easily, said Dr. James Cutrell, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern.

The variant, dubbed B.1.617.2, was first identified in India in December. Since then, it has become a dominant source of infection in the country, although its unclear to what extent the virus is driving the pandemic compared to other factors such as large gatherings and low vaccination rates.

The B.1.617.2 variant has also spread rapidly in the United Kingdom, threatening to derail that countrys planned June 21 reopening. British officials said they would have more data on the variants transmissibility in the coming days.

Its spread in the U.K. has U.S. experts on alert. They say B.1.617.2 may follow a similar trajectory to B.1.1.7, the variant first detected in the U.K. last year. The B.1.1.7 variant is now the dominant source of coronavirus infections in the U.S. and the U.K.

If you look at the B.1.1.7 variant, basically what transpired in the U.S. was more or less identical to what transpired in the U.K., said Dr. James Musser of Houston Methodist Hospital, whose team has sequenced and analyzed thousands of coronavirus samples.

His team has detected seven cases of variants first identified in India, including B.1.617.2 and the closely related sub-lineage B.1.617.1 in his Houston hospital system since March. He said its too early to know whether the family of variants would become more dominant.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, B.1.617.2 accounts for around 1% of all coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The arrival of the B.1.617 family of variants highlights the importance of genetic sequencing, which the CDC has been working to scale up in the U.S., experts said.

Because variants have different rates of transmission, identifying them early is important for accurate disease modeling and projections, which in turn helps health care officials better prepare for possible surges.

One of the things that well be watching very closely over the next week, the next month, is: Does this variant remain in the minority, or does it start to overtake some of the other variants and become more dominant? said Cutrell. If we see that, then thats the way that we pick up on clues that theres something different about this virus in terms of how easily its spread.

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Two children are the first in North Texas to be diagnosed with a variant plaguing India and the U.K. - The Dallas Morning News

Coronavirus in Oregon: 5 deaths, 603 cases; vaccine incentive with lottery appears imminent – OregonLive

May 22, 2021

The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported five COVID-19 deaths and 603 coronavirus cases.

Oregons pace of vaccinations has slowed for the past month and Gov. Kate Brown appears poised to launch a new incentive program Friday.

State officials have kept watch of incentives offered by other states, including $1 million weekly lotteries in Ohio, and Brown will hold a news conference at noon. Shell be joined by an official from the Oregon Lottery.

Vaccines: Oregon reported 37,228 newly administered doses, which includes 20,028 Wednesday and the remainder from previous days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (1), Benton (6), Clackamas (73), Clatsop (3), Columbia (7), Coos (10), Crook (8), Curry (1), Deschutes (42), Douglas (25), Harney (7), Hood River (1), Jackson (19), Jefferson (5), Josephine (18), Klamath (15), Lane (36), Lincoln (2), Linn (46), Malheur (4), Marion (51), Morrow (3), Multnomah (90), Polk (9), Umatilla (24), Union (1), Wasco (5), Washington (74) and Yamhill (17).

Who died: Oregons 2,602nd death linked to COVID-19 is an 88-year-old Benton County woman who tested positive May 4 and died May 15 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.

The 2,603rd fatality is a 64-year-old Klamath County man who tested positive April 22 and died May 18 at Sky Lakes Medical Center.

Oregons 2,604th death is a 66-year-old Douglas County woman who tested positive April 20 and died May 18 at Mercy Medical Center.

The 2,605th fatality is a 74-year-old Baker County man who tested positive May 3 and died May 15 at St. Lukes Boise Medical Center in Boise.

Oregons 2,606th death is a 74-year-old Klamath County man who tested positive May 8 and died May 17 at Sky Lakes Medical Center.

Each person had underlying health conditions or state officials were determining if underlying conditions were present.

Hospitalizations: 301 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, down five from Wednesday. That includes 77 people in intensive care, down one from Wednesday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 197,356 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,606 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 3,650,737 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 1,656,783 people and partially vaccinating 457,797 people.

To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/

-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt

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Coronavirus in Oregon: 5 deaths, 603 cases; vaccine incentive with lottery appears imminent - OregonLive

IMF urges $50 billion spending commitment to help end the coronavirus pandemic – CNBC

May 22, 2021

A health worker administers the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to a senior citizen at the Senja-Cashew Community Centre Vaccination Centre, operated by Thomson Medical, in Singapore, on Monday, March 8, 2021. Singapore is introducing a program calledConnect@Changithat will allow people to enter the island for business and official purposes without having to quarantine, provided they stay in abubble-like facilitynear Changi Airport for the duration of their visit. Photographer: Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON The International Monetary Fund wants $50 billion to be spent on ensuring a faster rollout of coronavirus vaccines, saying it could ultimately generate returns of $9 trillion for the global economy.

The IMF on Friday called for at least 40% of the global population to be vaccinated by the end of the year, and at least 60% by June 2022. Only about 9.5% of the global population has received at least one dose, according to Our World in Data.

"No country can return to normalcy until all countries can defeat the pandemic," the IMF said in a new report entitled "A proposal to end the Covid-19 pandemic."

To achieve this, the Fund said there needs to be a global effort to invest another $50 billion to bolster the global vaccination program. This additional amount would be used to increase the COVAX vaccine coverage to 30% of the globe, procuring additional tests, and expanding vaccine production capacity. COVAX is an international partnership to ensure an equitable distribution of doses.

The IMF suggested that at least $35 billion could come from public, private and multilateral donors, with the remainder coming from governments, potentially supported by multilateral agencies.

It said there is already at least $15 billion available from Covid-19 financing facilities created by development banks, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

"The IMF can also play its role to help countries meet their financing needs supporting countries' own efforts to create fiscal space and potentially acting as a third-resort line of finance," the report said.

The Washington-based institution said in April that the global economy is expected to grow by 6% this year and by 4.4% in 2022. However, since the pandemic emerged, the IMF has warned of an uneven impact from the health crisis and the subsequent economic crisis.

"The social and economic costs of the pandemic continue to rise and already diverging recoveries between rich and poor nations looks to worsen," the IMF said in its proposal.

The plan comes as the leaders of the 20 largest global economies gather virtually on Friday to discuss how to cooperate in the fight against the pandemic.

"We believe addressing the pandemic remains our foremost priority," Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the host of the meeting, said ahead of the global summit.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said the meeting aims to gather commitments and investments that will guide the next decade of global health cooperation.

One of the most recent topics of debate in the fight against the virus has been over patent waivers.

The United States surprised its European counterparts when earlier this month it expressed support for a lifting of intellectual property rights for Covid vaccines. Supporters of the idea say it is critical to ramp up vaccination rates in low-income nations.

However, the EU disagrees, arguing that boosting exports of the shots is the most efficient solution in the short term.

The EU and the U.S. have taken different approaches to supporting other nations. The U.S. introduced legislation that only allows it to export a significant amount of Covid-19 vaccines once it is satisfied with the levels of inoculation within its own borders. On the other hand, the EU claims it is the biggest exporter of Covid shots in the world, exporting half of what it has produced.

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IMF urges $50 billion spending commitment to help end the coronavirus pandemic - CNBC

AZDHS: More than 1300 vaccinated Arizonans still got COVID-19 – AZFamily

May 22, 2021

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AZDHS: More than 1300 vaccinated Arizonans still got COVID-19 - AZFamily

The latest on the pandemic and India’s coronavirus crisis: Live updates – CNN International

May 20, 2021

Thailand reported its highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a single day Tuesday as officials struggle to contain athird coronavirus waveripping throughovercrowded prisons.

The Southeast Asian country's justice minister said authorities are hoping to prioritize vaccinating more than 300,000 inmates and jail staff by diverting doses from the health ministry.

On Monday, Thailand reported9,635 new coronavirus cases-- the highest number of new infections since the pandemic began, according to its Covid-19 task force (CCSA). Of those cases, 6,853 -- more than 70% -- were found in eight prisons and detention facilities across the country.

By Tuesday morning local time, 2,473 new Covid-19 cases had been confirmed, of which 680 were from prisons. Thailand also reported 35 related deaths nationwide on Tuesday, its highest number of daily fatalities, according to CCSA.

The new figures bring the country's total number of confirmed cases to 127,184, with 649 related deaths -- relatively small numbers compared to those in other parts of the world. Thailand has managed to keep overall cases low until the most recent outbreak emerged in early April from a Bangkok entertainment district before spreading to a slum area.

Thailand's prison clusters came to light when several pro-democracy protest leaders, accused of insulting the monarchy and held in pre-trial detention following popular demonstrations last year, announced they had tested positive for Covid-19 after being released on bail. Following the news, Thai authorities began mass testing the country's prison population.

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The latest on the pandemic and India's coronavirus crisis: Live updates - CNN International

America is finally winning its fight against the coronavirus – Axios

May 20, 2021

Americas battle against the coronavirus is going great.

The big picture: For the first time in a long time, nobody needs to cherry-pick some misleading data to make it seem like things are going well, and the good news doesnt need an endless list of caveats, either. Its just really good news. Were winning. Be happy.

By the numbers: The U.S. averaged fewer than 40,000 new cases per day over the past week.

Deaths from the coronavirus are at their lowest level since last July about 600 per day, on average, per the AP, and may soon hit their lowest point of the entire pandemic. Nationally, hospitalization rates are also falling significantly.

The U.S. is finally winning its battle against COVID-19 thanks almost exclusively to one weapon: the vaccines.

Whats next: Almost 60% of American adults have gotten at least one shot, and roughly 45% are fully vaccinated. The next step: vaxxing the 12- to 15-year-olds.

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America is finally winning its fight against the coronavirus - Axios

Restrictions reimposed as coronavirus resurges in much of Asia – Honolulu Star-Advertiser

May 20, 2021

TAIPEI, Taiwan >> Taxi drivers are starved for customers, weddings are suddenly canceled, schools are closed, and restaurant service is restricted across much of Asia as the coronavirus makes a resurgence in countries where it had seemed to be well under control.

Sparsely populated Mongolia has seen its death toll soar from 15 to 233, while Taiwan, considered a major success in battling the virus, has recorded more than 1,000 cases since last week and placed over 600,000 people in two-week medical isolation.

Hong Kong and Singapore have postponed a quarantine-free travel bubble for a second time after an outbreak in Singapore of uncertain origin. China, which has all but stamped out local infections, has seen new cases apparently linked to contact with people arriving from abroad.

The resurgence hasnt come close to the carnage wrought in India and parts of Europe, but it is a keen reminder that the virus remains resilient, despite strict mask mandates, case tracing, mass testing and wider deployment of the newest weapon against it vaccinations.

Thats setting back efforts to get social and economic life back to normal, particularly in schools and sectors like the hospitality industry that are built on public contact.

In Taiwan, the surge is being driven by the more easily transmissible variant first identified in Britain, according to Chen Chien-jen, an epidemiologist and the islands former vice president, who led the highly praised pandemic response last year.

Complicating matters are some senior citizens who frequent slightly racy tea salons in Taipeis Wanhua neighborhood. They accounted for about 375 of the new cases as of Tuesday, Chen said. The tea shops are known for providing adult entertainment with singing and dancing.

These seniors, when they go to these places, want to keep it veiled, Chen said. When we are conducting the investigation, they may not be honest.

In Wanhua, normally a bustling area with food stalls, shops and entertainment venues, the Huaxi night market and historic Longshan Buddhist temple are closed.

Kao Yu-chieh, who runs a breakfast shop in the area, said business is down at least 50% since last week.

Cab driver Wang Hsian Jhong said he hasnt had a customer in three days. Everyone is affected. This is a Taiwan-wide problem. We have to get through it, he said, puffing on a cigarette on a street in Wanhua.

Schools, gyms and pools are closed in Taipei, and gatherings of more than five people indoors and more than 10 people outdoors are banned. The island shut all schools starting Wednesday.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has sought to reassure a public that is reverting to panic-buying and shunning public places.

We will continue to strengthen our medical capacity, Tsai said, adding that vaccines are arriving from abroad.

Malaysia unexpectedly imposed a one-month lockdown through June 7, spooked by a sharp rise in cases, more-infectious variants and weak public compliance with health measures.

It was the second nationwide lockdown in just over a year and came after the countrys cases shot up fourfold since January; its now more than 479,000 and 1,994 people have died, a sum also up by four times from January. Interstate travel and social activities are banned, schools are shut, and restaurants can provide only takeout service. The government has warned that hospitals have almost maxed out their capacity to take new coronavirus cases.

Singapore has imposed stringent social distancing measures until June 13, restricting public gatherings to two people and banning dine-in service at restaurants.

That came after the number of coronavirus infections of untraceable origin rose to 48 cases in the past week, from 10 cases the week before. Singapore had previously been held up as a role model after keeping the virus at bay for months.

Schools moved online after students in several institutions tested positive. Wedding receptions are no longer allowed, and funerals are capped at 20 people.

For wedding planner Michelle Lau, at least seven clients either canceled or postponed weddings meant to take place over the next month. Other couples have opted for a simple ceremony without a reception, she said.

Janey Chang, who runs two Latin dance studios in Singapore, says that the tougher restrictions have drastically reduced class size.

We are taking on fewer students, but the costs such as rent remain the same, Chang said. Whether we can continue to operate is highly dependent on the number of coronavirus cases.

Hong Kong has responded to fresh outbreaks by increasing the quarantine requirement from 14 to 21 days for unvaccinated travelers arriving from high-risk countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and, farther afield, Argentina, Italy, the Netherlands and Kenya.

China has set up checkpoints at toll booths, airports and railway stations in Liaoning province, where new cases were reported this week. Travelers must have proof of a recent negative virus test, and mass testing was ordered in part of Yingkou, a port city with shipping connections to more than 40 countries.

Thailand reported 35 deaths, the highest since the outbreak started, on Tuesday, and an additional 29 on Wednesday. That brought its number of fatalities to 678, of which 584 have been reported in the latest wave. About three-quarters of Thailands more than 116,000 cases have been recorded since the beginning of April.

Thailand had about 7,100 cases in all of last year in what was regarded as a success story.

The resurgence has posed difficult choices for governments, particularly in poorer nations where lockdown restrictions can increase financial suffering for those already living on the edge of starvation.

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has eased a lockdown in the bustling capital and adjacent provinces to fight economic recession and hunger but has still barred public gatherings this month, when many Roman Catholic festivals are held.

COVID-19 infections started to spike in March to some of the worst levels in Asia, surging beyond 10,000 a day and prompting Duterte to impose the lockdown in and around Manila in April. The Philippines has reported more than 1.1 million infections with 19,372 deaths, though the surge has begun to ease.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the partial resumption of economic activities, increased noncompliance with restrictions and inadequate tracing of people exposed to the virus combined to spark the steep rise in infections.

Experts said the delivery of vaccines, however delayed and small in amount, also fostered false confidence the pandemic might be ending.

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Restrictions reimposed as coronavirus resurges in much of Asia - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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