VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Residents queue to receive cash assistance from the government following the imposition of two-week lockdown to prevent the spread of the Delta variant in Manila, Philippines on Aug 11, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Lisa Marie David) - 

The Philippine health minister, facing questions over more than US$1 billion in COVID-19 spending, denied on Saturday (Aug 14) that any money was "stolen", as his department vowed to account for every peso.

The country is battling one of Asia's worst coronavirus outbreaks, and the spread of the virulent Delta variant is overwhelming hospitals and healthcare workers.

"You will be assured that no money went into corruption. None was stolen. I am sure of that," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told DZMM radio on Saturday.

The state auditor has flagged "deficiencies" involving 67.3 billion pesos (US$1.33 billion), casting doubts on the regularity of related transactions in the country's pandemic response.

The health ministry said it will submit its explanation, including required documents, to the state auditor next week, ahead of a Sep 27 deadline.

With more than 1.71 million infections and 29,838 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.

The Manila capital region, an urban sprawl of 16 cities that is home to more than 13 million people, remains under a strict lockdown to contain the spread of the Delta variant.

Only around 11 per cent of the country's 110 million people are fully immunised. Nearly a quarter of the country's 1,291 hospitals are at the critical risk level - with occupancy rates at or above 85 per cent - government data showed.

Small hospitals near the capital region are getting overwhelmed by surging cases.

A 50-bed public hospital in Binan city south of the capital is trying to treat 100 to 200 patients, most of them in corridors and tents separated by curtains in the parking lot, Dr. Melbril Alonte, its medical director, told DZMM radio

"The sad truth is patients continue to increase and there are no signs of it easing," Alonte said, adding that the facility's nurses and doctors are already getting sick from exhaustion//CNA

Healthcare workers administer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests at a drive-through testing centre on the first day of a seven-day lockdown, as the state of Victoria looks to curb the spread of an outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders - 

Australia will increase fines to people breaching lockdown rules in the state of New South Wales as it battles a record jump in local COVID-19 infections and Sydney, the state capital, heads into its eighth week of lockdown, officials said on Saturday (Aug 14). 

Locally transmitted infections jumped by 466 over the previous 24 hours in the country's most populous state, where police will fine people up to A$5,000 (US$3,700) "on the spot" for breaching stay-at-home orders or for lying to contract-tracing officials, said state Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

"We have to accept that this is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one. And it's also regrettably, because of that, the worst situation Australia's been in," Berejiklian said.

As the situation escalates, it is becoming increasingly unlikely Sydney will end its nine-week lockdown on Aug 28 as originally planned.

Authorities had been talking about easing some restrictions if enough people are vaccinated and case numbers fall.

"I wish things were getting better, but this is the nature of the Delta variant," Berejiklian told a news conference.

"We will get through this, but September and October are going to be very difficult."

Hundreds more defence personnel will be deployed next week to Sydney to help enforce the city's lockdown as the outbreak spreads beyond Australia's largest city. Several towns in the state are also in lockdown due to people breaching the Sydney lockdown and spreading the virus.

A new A$3,000 fine will also apply to people entering regional areas of the state without an official permit. The permit will only be granted for certain reasons including authorised work, property inspections or urgent work repairs on a second home.

"The fines are some of the biggest fines that I've ever seen and we will be issuing them as of today," said New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller.

"Those people that have been getting around the orders, taking family vacations to other premises - that is over."

Fuller said he had asked for the increased powers after seeing high levels of movement in the community and having "difficulties getting compliance from some members of the community". 

Some breaches of public health orders in the state previously carried a A$1,000 fine.

The new cases eclipse the previous daily high of 390 set on Friday, with daily infections topping 300 for the past five days. Four deaths were recorded on Saturday, taking the state's total in the latest outbreak to 42.

"This is literally a war, and we've known we've been in a war for some time, but never to this extent," Berejiklian added.

In neighbouring Victoria, where state capital Melbourne is in its second week of an extended lockdown, authorities reported 21 locally acquired cases, up from 15 a day earlier.

Despite the recent outbreaks, Australia still has far lower COVID-19 numbers than many other countries in the developed world, with just over 38,600 cases and 952 deaths//CNA

A screenshot of Health Ministry's spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, issuing a virtual press statement, monitored from Jakarta on Friday (August 13, 2021). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus/RA) - 

The COVID-19 vaccination rate among older adults in five Indonesian provinces is still very low, the Ministry of Health has said.

"The data shows that there are several provinces that still have very low vaccination rates among the older adult group, namely the provinces of Aceh, West Sumatra, North Maluku, West Sulawesi, and Papua," Health Ministry's spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said while delivering a virtual press statement, monitored from here on Friday.

The spokesperson assured that all COVID-19 vaccines currently being used in the country's vaccination program have been proven to be effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms and deaths.

According to her, vaccinations need to be improved among older adults as this group has a higher mortality rate compared to younger age groups.

To increase older adults' participation in vaccination, a strategy needs to be formulated according to the conditions of each region by involving all elements of society, including the National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian Police (Polri), she suggested.

Vaccines that have been distributed to regions must be immediately administered in accordance with the target group of each type of vaccine, she added.

"The key to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating vaccination," she remarked.

On a separate occasion, the spokesperson had suggested that older adults be accompanied by their families while receiving the vaccine so that they feel safe and comfortable.

To stem the spread of COVID-19 and build herd immunity, the Indonesian government launched its nationwide vaccination program on January 13, 2021, with President Joko Widodo becoming the country's first vaccine recipient.

According to Health Ministry's data, as of August 13, 2021, as many as 53,291,307 citizens have received the first vaccine dose and 27,362,915 citizens have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19//ANT

Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, interacts with recipients of social assistance in Tangerang city, Banten on July 28, 2021. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Social Affairs) - 

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini has said her ministry is developing concepts and models for handling children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19.

"It has been mandated in the 1945 Constitution that the poor and neglected children be looked after by the state. At the Social Affairs Ministry, the handling is carried out by the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation," said Rismaharini in a statement released here on Friday.

The handling of orphans must involve various related parties, as its implementation must have a legal and budgetary basis, she pointed out.

As per provisional data, Indonesia has around four million orphans, not including children who were victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said. The data will continue to be updated with inputs from local governments, she added.

"We have asked the local governments for data on the number of orphans, including from a number of centers, foundations, and Islamic boarding schools," Rismaharini said.

Meanwhile, regarding the type of program, model and budget, the ministry has not been able to announce it, as the concept still needs to be studied and budgetary approval sought from the Finance Ministry.

"Everything is still in process, because this handling effort cannot be equated with other efforts. For example, regarding the mechanism and amount of assistance for elementary, middle, and high school children. This will be conveyed after there is a decision from the government," Rismaharini said//ANT