Asean reports record deaths, over 98,000 new Covid cases for second successive day
Deaths in Southeast Asia hit a new high on Thursday while the number of new cases continued to remain high, collated data showed.
Asean countries reported 98,020 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, slightly lower than 98,928 on Wednesday, but deaths rose to 2,867, up from 2,564 the previous day.
Myanmar on Wednesday kicked off a Covid-19 vaccination drive on inmates for the first time. Myanmar press reported that 2,500 of more than 9,000 inmates had registered for vaccine jabs.
Earlier, the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party revealed that Nyan Win, former party spokesman and senior adviser to NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi , had died of Covid-19 in prison.
The 78-year-old had been arrested after the February 1 coup and was held in Yangon's Insein prison on sedition charges.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Myanmar Prisons Department said about 200 inmates had been infected with Covid-19.
In Malaysia, opposition parties urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resign after the royal office issued a statement on Thursday, stating that the King of Malaysia was disappointed with the government's move to end the state of emergency on August 1.
The statement also pointed out that the government's move was against the Constitution, defamed the monarchy and confused members of parliament.
