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 Asian governments had largely prided themselves on rapidly
containing initial outbreaks after the virus emerged in central
China late last year, but flare-ups this month have shown the danger
of complacency.
"We've got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there's
some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus,"
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters.
Australia recorded its deadliest day with at least 13 deaths and
more than 700 new infections, mostly in the second-most populous
state of Victoria, where the government ordered all residents to
wear face-coverings outside.
The country has confirmed a total of 16,298 cases since the pandemic
began, with 189 fatalities, more than half in Victoria and its
capital Melbourne, which is under a new lockdown.
Victoria's new infections have seeded outbreaks in other areas,
including Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, which
reported 18 new cases.
Further restrictions on movement would deal a blow to the economy,
already in its first recession for 30 years, but failure to control
the outbreaks would do more economic harm in the long run, Morrison
said.
'FULL FORCE TO TEST'
Vietnam, virus-free for months, has also had a harsh reminder of the
dangers with a new surge spreading to six cities and provinces in
six days, linked to an outbreak in the central city of Danang.
Authorities told tens of thousands of people who visited Danang to
report to disease control centres, as nine new cases were confirmed,
taking total infections to 42 since the virus resurfaced at the
weekend.
Cases have also appeared in the capital, Hanoi, the southern
commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City and in the Central Highlands.
Thanks to a centralised quarantine programme and aggressive
contact-tracing, Vietnam has registered a total of only 459 cases,
with no deaths.
But now more than 81,000 people are in quarantine and authorities in
Hanoi said the more than 20,000 residents who recently returned from
Danang, a holiday getaway that has been a big draw since
restrictions were eased, would be tested.
Hanoi also banned big gatherings and ordered bars closed while its
chairman, Nguyen Duc Chung, declared the city must "act now and act
fast".
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"We have to use full force to test all 21,063 returnees," Chung said. "All must
be done in three days."
India reported more than 52,000 new cases over the previous 24 hours, its
highest in a single day and taking its tally to almost 1.6 million.
India has the third highest number of infections globally, and while its major
cities like New Delhi and Mumbai have seen their case-loads ease, infections are
increasing sharply in rural areas.
Hong Kong also reported a daily record with 149 new cases, including 145 that
were locally transmitted, as authorities warned that the global financial hub
faced a critical period.
The Chinese territory reported 118 new cases on Wednesday. More than 3,000
people have been infected in Hong Kong, 24 of whom have died.
NORTH KOREAN WARNING
China reported 105 new coronavirus cases on the mainland, up from 101 the
previous day, with 96 of them in the far western region of Xinjiang, five in the
northeastern province of Liaoning, one was in Beijing and three imported cases.
As of Wednesday, China had 84,165 confirmed cases, with 4,634 deaths.
Isolated North Korea was on alert after a defector suspected of having the virus
sneaked back in from South Korea.
North Korea, which says it has had no domestic cases, imposed strict quarantine
and screening in Kaesong, just north of the border with South Korea, where the
suspected infection was reported in a 24-year-old man who defected to South
Korea in 2017 and slipped back in to the North this month.
North Korea has not confirmed the man tested positive for the virus but said he
was showing symptoms.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, a ruling Workers' Party mouthpiece, warned against
carelessness.
"A moment of inattention could cause a fatal crisis," it said.
(Reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney, Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi, Hyonhee Shin in
Seoul, Huizhong Wu and Judy Hua in Beijing and Alasdair Pal in New Delhi;
Writing by Robert Birsel, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Edwina Gibbs)
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