Asean reported over 26,000 new Covid-19 cases on Friday
The number of Covid-19 cases crossed 14.53 million across Southeast Asia, with 26,425 new cases reported on Friday (December 17). New deaths are at 420, bringing accumulated Covid-19 deaths in Asean to 299,353.
Cambodia's Siem Reap International Airport on Friday welcomed its first international passenger flight in 20 months, with an inaugural flight from Singapore. Cambodia has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers since November after most of its population have been inoculated against the Covid-19, mostly using China's Sinovac and Sinopharm.
Meanwhile, HCM City People’s Committee has asked Vietnam’s Ministry of Health to send more medical personnel to the city amid a surge in hospitalisations of Covid-19 patients. In its proposal, the city asked for 1,000 doctors and 2,000 nurses, including ICU 300 doctors and 600 nurses, to fill the shortage at Covid-19 treatment hospitals which need to expand the number of beds.
There were 1,175 cases recorded in the city on Thursday (December 16). More than 1,000 patients with severe complications were hospitalised on Thursday and 65 deaths were recorded.
