VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

photo : anadolu

The corona-virus pandemic advanced steadily Wednesday (10/6) through Latin America, where the death toll passed more than 70,000 fatalities even as Europe planned to reopen its external borders to foreigners in July. As quoted by AFP.com ( 11/6),  the Americas -North and South- remained the epicenter of the global health crisis, accounting for almost half the 412,926 deaths and 7.3 million infections worldwide, based on an AFP tally of figures released by national health ministries by 19:00 GMT. Brazil accounts for almost 40.000 -or more than half- of Latin America's total deaths, registering 1.274 fatalities in the last 24 hours. Even as the virus continued to cut a swath through the country, economic capital Sao Paulo began to reopen shops on Wednesday as part of a gradual resumption of activity. Shopping malls were set to reopen in a slew of cities on Thursday, the day before Brazilians celebrate Valentine's Day//AFP

photo : afp

Malaysia will ask Bangladesh to take back about 300 Rohingya refugees detained after a boat carrying them entered its waters this week, the southeast Asian nation's defense minister said on Tuesday. Malaysia does not recognize refugee status but has been a favored destination for ethnic Rohingya, most of them Muslims, who fled a 2017 military-led crackdown in Myanmar, and more recently, squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh. However, the Southeast Asian nation has said it will no longer accept Rohingya refugees as it has tightened border controls to rein in the coronavirus. Malaysia's foreign ministry will ask Dhaka to take back the detained migrants if they were found to have fled camps in Bangladesh's district of Cox's Bazar. Malaysia also plans to ask United Nations refugee agency UNHCR to re-settle Rohingya migrants in a third country//JP  

photo : forbes

As Singapore reopens following a two-month “circuit breaker” period, its ability to control COVID-19 infections becomes critical. Contract tracing and testing is a big part of this. Members of the police and Singapore Armed Forces are now part of expanded contact tracing teams, adding that digital tools such as the SafeEntry system and TraceTogether app have allowed authorities to speed up the process. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Jun 9) said that he seek everyone’s understanding and cooperation. To help slow down the spread of the virus and save lives.

"We are also using technology to speed up contact tracing. We have implemented the safeentry digital check in checkout system and the tracetogether app on smartphones. With these enhancement we can now identify close contact faster, isolate them and prevent large cluster from forming. Beyond tracetogether and safeentry we are currently developing wearable bluetooth devices, these will work on their own without the need for a phone. You can conveniently wear or carrying them around as you go about your daily activities. I seek everyone’s understanding and cooperation, please use these important tools, they will help us slow down the spread of the virus and save lives" Minister Wong said. 

At the same time, Singapore is procuring more COVID-19 test kits, building more laboratory capacity, as well as recruiting and training more laboratory technicians and people to carry out swabs and take blood samples. In April, about 2,000 tests a day were done. Singapore is now able to conduct about 13,000 tests a day and is “on track” to reach 40,000 tests a day in the coming months.

"We’ve expanded our testing capacity hugely. We are procuring more tests kits, building more laboratory capacity and recruiting and training more laboratory technicians as well as personnel to carry out swab and take blood sample. In early april we are doing about 2000 test a day, now we are able to conduct about 13.000 test a day and we are on track to reach 40.000 test a day in the coming months" He explain

Minister Wong added that they can test higher-risk groups more extensively.  They can also do more surveillance testing in the community, including those with respiratory symptoms. This will give them a faster and more accurate sense of the number of cases circulating undetected. Singapore is also using serology tests to identify those who were previously infected but may have since recovered, and have developed antibodies that can help them fight the virus. Still, Singaporeans must be mentally prepared to see more new cases as human contact increases with the end of the circuit breaker//NK

photo : wboc

Moscow on Tuesday lifted a strict anti-coronavirus lockdown after more than two months of restrictions as Russia reported over 6,000 deaths.  Traffic jams returned to Moscow's notoriously congested roads as residents spilled out onto the streets on a warm late spring day in the Russian capital. Many Muscovites were in good spirits after spending weeks cooped up at home, and most were not wearing the obligatory masks. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Monday that the capital's general lockdown and pass system was ending Tuesday, allowing residents to move freely for the first time since late March. Moscow, Europe's most populous city with more than 12 million people, had been under lockdown since March 30. Some measures have been gradually lifted over the last few weeks, with non-food retail shops permitted to reopen and residents allowed to go for walks according to a fixed schedule//JP