Asean reported over 27,000 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday
The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 13.65 million across Southeast Asia, with 27,014 new cases reported on Tuesday (November 16), higher than Monday’s tally at 25,571. New deaths are at 361, decreasing from Monday’s number of 365. Total Covid-19 deaths in Asean are now at 285,251.
Singapore set to expand the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme to five more countries in the following weeks. From November 29, India and Indonesia will join the programme, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates will join the programme from December 6 onward. Singapore reported 2,069 new patients and 18 deaths on Tuesday, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 241,341 patients and total 612 deaths.
Vietnam’s Hanoi Department of Health has agreed to reduce the waiting time between two AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine shots to four weeks from eight. The latest move aims to speed up the vaccination process in a safe and effective way, creating herd immunity as soon as possible, according to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control that proposed the shortening.
AstraZeneca is the first Covid-19 vaccine licensed and used in Vietnam. Currently, it is the main vaccine used for the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Vietnam.