Singapore’s current Omicron wave has peaked and the number of infections across the country is now declining, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told the Parliament on March 9.
People wearing masks walk along Orchard Road in Singapore on October 1, 2021. (Photo: CNA)
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s current Omicron wavehas peaked and the number of infections across the country is now declining,Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told the Parliament on March 9.
Singapore’s daily caseload totalled around 22,000 on March8, compared to some 26,000 two weeks ago. Among them, 1,499 were hospitalised,including 49 in intensive care units.
Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Health,said clinics run by general practitioners, as well as hospitals andhealthcare workers, are still under pressure caused by the Omicron wave. Muchof this pressure comes from people who remain unvaccinated.
He said 3 percent of the country’s adult population who werenot fully vaccinated accounted for 25 percent of ICU cases and deaths. Againstthis, people who have received their booster shots are 33 times less likelythan those who are not fully vaccinated, to die from COVID-19, he emphasised.
Singapore is still enforcing vaccination-differentiated safemanagement measures (VDS) to protect people who are unvaccinated or partiallyvaccinated while allowing the others to resume normal activities.
To step up ICU beds significantly, as of January, thecountry has provided training for more than 800 non-ICU nurses as a reserve toaugment ICU nursing manpower by up to 57 percent./.
After one year implementing the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Vietnam has administered nearly 198.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on people living in the country, becoming one of the six countries with the highest vaccination coverage in the world.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) is proposing that people can enter Vietnam without certificates of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery but need to implement anti-pandemic measures.
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.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
People wearing masks walk along Orchard Road in Singapore on October 1, 2021. (Photo: CNA) 
