/06

Thailand to open nightlife, let in some foreigners - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/thailand-to-open-nightlife-let-in-some-foreigners

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Thailand’s nightlife will restart with some restrictions this week, the kingdom announced on Monday, part of a return to normalcy as it prepares to welcome business travelers and medical tourists after a ban on foreign entry. So far Thailand has 3,169 cases and 58 deaths from Covid-19 – a low toll considering the kingdom in mid-January became was the first country outside China to register a case. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said the “most at-risk businesses” will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday, as there has been no local transmission of the virus for more than a month.
Massage parlors and teahouses – which sometimes act as fronts for brothels – will also have to register customers using the government’s tracking app.
“Staff must be tested for Covid-19 from time to time and there should be no sex trade,” Taweesin said. Thailand will also relax entry restrictions on foreigners with work permits or with Thai spouses and families, and people who wish to enter the kingdom for medical services.Business travelers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China, including Hong Kong, will also be allowed in, provided they pay for quarantine in hotels.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#thailande#tourisme#sante#economie#resident#restrictions#frontiere

Fear, Covid-19 stalk Rohingya refugee children - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/fear-covid-19-stalk-rohingya-refugee-children

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Having already fled for their lives in the face of brutal violence in Myanmar, Rohingya refugees now live in overcrowded camps. They share communal washing facilities and latrines. They live off the food distributed by aid agencies. After decades of discrimination in Myanmar and poor facilities for learning in the camps, literacy and numeracy skills are low, their trust is limited, and the amount of misinformation swirling through the camps is high.Covid-19 has now reached the world’s largest refugee settlement. Refugees and the humanitarian community have been preparing for this for some months. But despite that, it’s likely Covid-19 will quickly spread through the camps – which have a population density four times that of New York City.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#refugie#bangladesh#rohingyas#densite#camp#sante#contagion#CoxsBazar#crisesanitaire

Quarantined migrant workers ’treated poorly’ in HK - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/quarantined-workers-treated-poorly-in-hk

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Both Tsui and Chan urged the government to set up a centralized quarantine center for domestic workers as it is a public health matter. They said the number of domestic workers arriving in the territory will increase significantly in July.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#hongkong#travailleurmigrant#sante#quarantaine#santepublique#alimentation#hygiene

US scientists seek answers to Bali’s Covid-19 secret - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/us-scientists-seek-answers-to-balis-covid-19-secret

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Given the widespread prevalence of dengue fever on Bali, local doctors have even begun to speculate whether the mosquito-borne disease might provide some sort of protection against the coronavirus. Balinese appear to be more willing to comply with distancing protocols than foreigners, but a book will soon be distributed through the kelihan network explaining what they should do to keep their communities safe. Meanwhile, with Bali’s economy deep in the doldrums, Jakarta’s focus has been on an estimated US$9 billion in foreign exchange earnings the island stands to lose before the pandemic runs its full course. Odo Manuhutu, deputy for tourism and creative economy at the Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Ministry, raised the idea of a tourist corridor with Australia, China, South Korea and Japan during a virtual press conference on June 12. The four countries contributed 2.8 million of the 6.3 million tourists who visited Bali last year, with Australians, who regard the island almost as a second home, seizing back the top ranking it had lost to China in 2018. Diplomatic sources say Maritime Coordinating Minister Luhut Panjaitan first referred to the corridor plan at a meeting with Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan in early April, but nothing has been discussed at an official level since then.
In fact, only days ago the Australian government banned its citizens from leaving the country for a further three months, until mid-September, although it said exceptions may be made for countries like New Zealand

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#bali#indonesie#sante#tourisme#corridor#australie#chine#japon#coréedusud#nouvellezelande#economie#insularite#dengue

South Asia reels from ’catastrophic’ virus surge - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/south-asia-reels-from-catastrophic-virus-surge

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The number of fatalities leapt by more than 2,000 to top 11,900 on Wednesday after Mumbai and New Delhi updated their figures.The government won plaudits in late March for imposing one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. But millions of migrant workers were left jobless and, unable to get home, sometimes held in crowded facilities that increased the risk of transmission. As the government steadily lifts restrictions, cases have surged. “The problem is that in a country like India, with its large-scale poverty and large migrant community, you can’t expect everyone to shelter in place and ride out the storm,” said Michael Kugelman, an analyst from the Washington-based Wilson Center. In neighboring Pakistan, which has recorded more than 160,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths, Prime Minister Imran Khan resisted a nationwide lockdown, saying the country could ill afford it.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#inde@sante#travailleurmigrant#migrantinterne#transmission#chomage#confinement

India toll sees record jump of 2,000 dead - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/india-toll-sees-record-jump-of-2000-dead

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India, the fourth-worst-hit country in the world by cases, has now recorded 354,065 cases, according to official figures. Experts say the figure is much higher and have called for more widespread testing.With hospitals in several cities now struggling to keep up with the pandemic, Germany became the first country to warn its nationals about staying in the country.
The German foreign ministry sent a message to nationals in India saying it “recommends that you and your families seriously consider whether a temporary return to Germany or another country with an assured health care system makes sense.”The note said that while the lockdown was being eased “unlike in Europe, case numbers are still rising strongly. This increases considerably the risk of infection.”

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#inde#allemagne#retour#sante#infection#systemedesante#confinement

India: No timeline yet for overseas flights - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/no-timeline-yet-for-overseas-flights-minister

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The Indian government is considering allowing international flights to resume, but Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri refused to provide a timeline, saying it will depend on the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Domestic flights resumed on May 25 in a phased manner – only one-third of the scheduled summer flights are operating. During a webinar organized by airport promoter GMR, Puri said, “When we start international civil aviation, we need to have domestic aviation reach a certain point of maturity.”Puri also said his ministry is in constant touch with states and a decision on re-starting international operations will be both bilateral and federal, with all stakeholders being taken into confidence. He said that once domestic flight operations reach 50-55% utilization and receiving states can absorb more incoming passengers, restarting international operations can be looked at. Puri said the government will further ramp up Vande Bharat flights to ferry back Indians stuck in foreign countries due to flight bans. He said the government will fly planes to Gulf countries, Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of the world.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#inde#circulation#evolutionpandemie#sante#reouverurefrontiere

Fresh virus clusters in Beijing - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/fresh-virus-clusters-in-beijing

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Beijing’s first Covid-19 case in two months, announced on Thursday, had visited Xinfadi meat market last week and had no recent travel history outside the city. China’s domestic outbreak had been brought largely under control through vast, strict lockdowns that were imposed after the disease was first detected in the central city of Wuhan last year. These measures had largely been lifted as the infection rate dropped, and the majority of cases reported in recent months were citizens living abroad who were tested as they returned home during the pandemic.

#Covid-19#migration#migrant#retour#sante#chine#confinement

Heroes of Lombardy arrive back in Cuba - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/pandemic-heroes-of-lombardy-arrive-back-in-cuba

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They may be among the bravest men and women of our time.A brigade of Cuban doctors, sent into the Covid-19 hell of Lombardy, where the dead bodies of victims stacked up so greatly, they had to be removed by special truck convoys.To say the world owes a debt of gratitude to this amazing group of people, is an understatement. In short, these modern-day heroes, this brigade of Cuban doctors who served for more than two months in the fight against Covid-19 in Lombardy, the region of Italy most affected by the pandemic, returned Monday to Havana, where Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel welcomed them personally, On Cuba News reported.The 52-member health brigade, which is part of the Henry Reeve internationalist contingent ― specializing in disasters and serious epidemics ― was the first to leave Cuba to assist in controlling the pandemic at the request of the Italian authorities

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#italie#cuba#aideinternationale#personnelsoignant#sante#medecin

HK to launch health code system for travelers - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/hk-to-launch-health-code-system-for-travelers

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The Hong Kong government will soon launch a health code system that will allow people to travel between Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province in China without being quarantined for 14-days, according to local media.The government will first assign eight hospitals and labs to handle coronavirus tests for those who want to travel to Macau and Guangdong, Hong Kong media reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
Each test will cost about HK$1,500 (US$194). Anyone who tests negative will be given a health QR code, which will be valid for seven days. It is expected that major users of this health code system will be business travelers, who can afford to pay for the test

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#hongkong#macau#chine#test#sante#voyageur#systemecodesante

India sleepwalking into a Covid-19 disaster - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/india-sleepwalking-into-a-covid-19-disaster

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In India, the main factor behind the relaxation was loss of income and livelihood, disruption of supply chains, halting of plant and machinery that would take a few weeks to even get operational and the movement of workers who defied the lockdown rules and walked hundreds of kilometers back to their villages. The economic outlook is grim. India’s central bank has predicted negative growth in the full year to March 2021. Global securities firms have forecasted that growth would shrink 5% in the full year. Former chief statistician of India Pronab Sen estimated more extremely that growth would shrink by more than 11.5%.
“The Covid-19 crisis brought the world to a stop. We paused to save lives but now we need to start again to save livelihoods,” Sajjan Jindal, chairman of the US $14 billion JSW Group was cited by Press Trust of India as saying. Jindal said the economic implications of the lockdown could be severe

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#inde#sante#confinement#migrantsinternes#retour#economie

Infected Rohingya refugees fleeing quarantine - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/infected-rohingya-refugees-fleeing-quarantine

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Rohingya refugees infected with coronavirus are fleeing quarantine in their Bangladesh camps because they fear being transferred to an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal, community leaders said Thursday. At least two infected refugees have gone missing since testing positive for the virus after the first Covid-19 death was reported Tuesday, they said. About one million Rohingya – most of whom fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 – are packed into camps along the Bangladesh border, and the coronavirus has become the latest cause of misery.Aid agencies have long warned that the virus could cause chaos in the overcrowded camps, where social distancing is virtually impossible.So far only 29 infections have been detected, although 16,000 Rohingya are in quarantine zones within the camps. It was not immediately clear how many tests have been conducted in the camps, but a senior health official said two people who proved positive had “fled the isolation hospital.”

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#Bangladesh#rohingyas#camps#réfugiés#santé#quarantaine#surpopulation#distance-sociale#test

Singapore poised for risky pandemic polls - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/singapore-poised-for-risky-pandemic-polls

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Some believe polls should not be held until a consistent pattern of single-digit or zero daily infections is established. The total number of infections in Singapore is now 37,183. Hundreds of new dormitory infections continue to be reported daily, while cases among the wider community are often in single digits.The Straits Times newspaper published a report on March 30 citing Heng’s remarks and estimates by political analysts which suggested that polling day could fall on July 11, following the dissolution of parliament on June 24 and a nine-day campaign period beginning July 1.Critics and some observers see no compelling reason to hold early elections and cite risks to public health if polls go-ahead in the coming weeks. Others suggest that an early snap poll would mitigate near-term uncertainties and risks, and could potentially be safer than end-of-term polls in a scenario where the pandemic worsens.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#Singapour#élection#santé-publique#infection#dortoirs#travailleurs-migrants#santé

India counts the cost of missing migrant workers - Asia Times
#Covid-19#migrant#migrationinterne#Inde#travail#industrie

►https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/india-counts-the-cost-of-missing-migrant-workers

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Big challenges lie ahead as industry tries to recover after the shock of the enforced Covid-19 lockdown

India counts the cost of missing migrant workers - Asia Times
►https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/india-counts-the-cost-of-missing-migrant-workers

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But there is a twist in the tale. Northern Uttar Pradesh state, with most workers, plans to set up a Migration Commission to start rationing out workers to other states. But experts say the move may be illegal because India’s constitution guarantees the right to free movement and occupation across the country. The state also plans to help re-skill workers. That may help.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#migrations-internes#travailleurs-migrants#Inde#droit#confinement#retour#vulnérabilité#emploi#santé

HK residents evacuated as virus spreads in building - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/hk-residents-evacuated-as-virus-spreads-in-building

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At that time, two people who lived in the same unit on different floors were identified as infected, indicating that the virus could have been transmitted through sewage pipes. The first case in the cluster in Luk Chuen House was a 34-year-old woman whose infection was confirmed on Sunday. Since then, her husband and four other residents have been diagnosed with the virus, along with two of the woman’s colleagues and a paramedic who had treated her. Earlier this week, health experts said there was no need for the housing block to be evacuated, and it was unlikely that any structural issues with the building were allowing the virus to spread.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection also identified five imported cases in Hong Kong on Thursday, bringing Hong Kong’s total to date to 1,098. They all arrived in the city from Bangladesh.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#HongKong#cas-importés#Bangladesh#santé#cluster#contamination

Korea’s viral travel restrictions stir ire and woe - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/koreas-viral-travel-restrictions-stir-ire-and-woe

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As of June 1, South Korea demanded that all long-term foreign residents apply for a re-entry permit before traveling overseas, and also obtain a medical certificate and/or Covid-19 test three days before boarding their flight to return to Korea.News of the regulation, which does not apply to Koreans, prompted an outcry among the foreign business community, and a storm of complaints from expatriate organizations. Foreign chambers of commerce held a meeting with representatives of the Justice Ministry and KOTRA, Korea’s trade promotion agencuy, Asia Times has learned.
Some accused the Justice Ministry, which introduced the meaures, of racial discrimination, given that the rules apply neither to Koreans, nor to foreign-born ethnic Koreans (who enjoy special visa status).

#covid-19#migrant#migration#CoréeDuSud#discrimination#mesures-sanitaires#Résidents-étrangers#certificat-médical#santé#restrictions

New HK cluster extends social distancing rules - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/new-hk-cluster-extends-social-distancing-rules

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The 14-day home quarantine requirements for people arriving from the mainland, Macau and Taiwan, which were to expire on June 7, have also been extended by one month to July 7, according to the Compulsory Quarantine of Certain Persons Arriving at Hong Kong Regulation. Those who travel between China’s Guangdong province and Hong Kong will be exempt from the requirements. Meanwhile, the 14-day home quarantine requirements for people arriving from places other than the mainland, Macau and Taiwan, which were to expire on June 18, have been extended to September 18.

#Covid-19#migrant#migration#HongKong#Macau#Chine#Taiwan#mesures-sanitaires#contamination#santé#quarantaine

North Korea’s police state hints at virus victory - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/north-koreas-police-state-hints-at-covid-19-victory

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North Korea, one of the most isolated states on earth, releases minimal data to the global community, making everything from its annual gross domestic product (GDP) to the whereabouts of its leader sources of speculation among Pyongyangologists in Seoul, Tokyo, Washington and elsewhere.Though North Korea has so not, so far, reported a single infection or death from Covid-19, indications are that it has taken the viral disease – as it did earlier pandemics such as SARS – very seriously.
It was one of the first countries to close its borders as the pandemic spread, and in the early stages quarantined foreign residents in a compound in Pyongyang. Meanwhile, the state TV network has been running repeated messaging on how to prevent outbreaks.
While it is impossible to guess how many infections or deaths North Korea has suffered, there have been signals of outbreaks. Reports from Daily NK, a website that gathers information from citizens in the country via smuggled cellphones, has reported related matters including the postponement of a major military parade and soldiers suffering Covid-like symptoms.The country has an underfunded healthcare system and a population that is significantly afflicted with malnutrition – a factor that weakens immune systems – but is systemically well equipped to deal with pandemics, experts say.

#Covid-10#CoréeNord#fermeture-frontières#pandémie#isolationnisme#système-santé#quarantaine#santé#symptômes#migrant#migration

US sends unproven virus drug to Brazil - Asia Times
▻https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/us-sends-unproven-virus-drug-to-brazil

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The United States has delivered two million doses of the antimalarial medicine hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to Brazil to fight Covid-19, the White House said Sunday, though the drug has not been proven effective against the coronavirus. “HCQ will be used as a prophylactic to help defend Brazil’s nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals against the virus. It will also be used as a therapeutic to treat Brazilians who become infected,” a statement said. It said the US would soon also send 1,000 ventilators to Brazil, the epicenter of South America’s outbreak with nearly 500,000 confirmed cases.“We are also announcing a joint United States-Brazilian research effort that will include randomized controlled clinical trials,” it added.

#covid-19#circulations#coopération-internationale#Brésil#EtatsUnis#santé#personnel-médical#traitement#épicentre#épidémie#AmériqueLatine#essai-clinique#migrant#migration