COVID-19 vaccination among medical staff in Manila, the Philippines (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines detected 5,404COVID-19 cases on March 15, a record in a day in seven months, according to thecountry’s Department of Health.
In the past 24 hours, the country saw eight COVID-19 deaths,raising the death toll to 12,837. So far, the country has reported 626,893 COVID-19cases.
Secretary of Health Francisco Duque said that the countryhas seen a sharp rise in new infections since March 4 due to the loosening oftravelling restrictions, violations of pandemic control regulations, and the presence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Amid the situation, the Manila capital region, home to about13 million people, has resumed restriction measures from March 15.
💛 The same day, Indonesia found 5,589 new COVID-19 infectionsand 147 deaths, raising the respective figures to over 1.42 million and 38,573.Currently, Indonesia is the country with the highest number of infections anddeaths in Southeast Asia.
At the same time, a representative of an Indonesian statepharmaceutical firm said that the country expects to receive 20.2 million dosesof COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna of the US and China's Sinopharm from the secondquarter to use in a private vaccination scheme.
Honesti Basyir, CEO of Bio Farma, told a parliamentaryhearing on March 15 that it had ordered 15 million doses from China NationalPharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) and 5.2 million from Moderna.
The Sinopharm vaccine could arrive by the end of the secondquarter, and the Moderna vaccine in the third quarter, he said.
Indonesia aims to inoculate 181.5 million people within ayear in an effort to reach herd immunity in a vaccination drive that began inJanuary.
Meanwhile, Thailand also detected additional 78 COVID-29cases in the past 24 hours, including 74 found in the community.
Thailand has so far seen 27,005 COVID-19 cases, including 87deaths.
Also on March 15, Cambodia confirmed 20 new COVID-19infections, raising the country’s count to 1,325. Phnom Penh alone saw 18community-infected cases.
ဣ Cambodia has suffered the third wave of COVID-19 sinceFebruary 20, with at least 810 infections. The country has closed schools,sport centres, museums, cinemas and entertainment facilities in localities withCOVID-19 patients./.
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) on March 13 reported 5,000 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily tally in nearly seven months, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in this country to 616,611.
Cambodia logged an additional 41 COVID-19 infections on March 14 morning, raising the number of cases linked with the “February 20 Community Event” to 792.
Six out of 120 volunteers have been injected with Vietnam’s second homegrown candidate vaccine COVIVAC, as human trials began at the Hanoi Medical University on March 15.
In the past 12 hours to 6pm on March 15, Vietnam recorded three new cases of COVID-19, all Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad and being quarantined, according to the Ministry of Health.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
COVID-19 vaccination among medical staff in Manila, the Philippines (Photo: VNA) 
