Hanoi (VNA) – An estimated 60% ofSingapore residents have likely caught COVID-19, according to Singaporean HealthMinister Ong Ye Kung.
Speaking at the Parliament on August 1, Kung said this figure does not mean Singapore now has“herd immunity” because scientistsaround the world do not think it is achievable as the coronaviruswill continue to mutate, escape the protection of vaccines and infect people.
According to the health official, Singapore is still in the middle of an infection wave driven by theOmicron variant BA.5.
As of July 31,Singapore recorded a total of 1,714,056 COVID-19 cases, including 1,500 deaths.
The same day, the Philippines announced that it counted 3,553 new infectionsand 10 deaths, lifting the national tally to 3,780,178 and 60,737 fatalities. The country reported the highest single-day tally on January 15, with 39,004 new cases.
To date, thePhilippines has completed the vaccination against COVID-19 for over 71.4 millionpeople out of its 110 million./.
Singapore on June 21 announced a support package worth 1.5 billion SGD (about 1.08 billion USD) to provide immediate relief for vulnerable people and businesses amid rising inflation.
Singapore welcomed 1.5 million visitors in the first half of 2022, nearly 12 times higher than the same period last year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) reported on July 14.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has recently further tightened its monetary policy by raising the mid-point of the Singapore dollar Nominal Effective Exchange Rate policy band to its prevailing level to fight price pressures.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Illustrative image (Photo: //www.channelnewsasia.com/) 
