Indonesia

The number of COVID-19 infections recorded worldwide passed 200 million on Aug. 5, an AFP count showed, as China pledged to provide two billion vaccine doses this year to combat surging infections caused by the Delta variant.

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Two rare Sumatran tigers at the zoo in the Indonesian capital are recovering after being infected with COVID-19.

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Nine-year-old Tino became ill with shortness of breath, sneezing, and a runny nose on July 9. He also lost his appetite.

Two days later, 12-year-old Hari was showing the same symptoms.

The National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) on Thursday adopted Decision No 52 on updating the list of countries/territories with high epidemiological risk, with Greece, Ireland, Monaco entering the red zone, and France, Belgium, Israel, the USA, Iceland and Honduras entering the yellow zone.

More than 100,000 people protested in Australia, France, Italy and Greece on July 23, sparking clashes with police as they railed against COVID-19 measures and government sanctions against the unvaccinated aimed at prodding more people into getting jabs.     

 The Philippines will ban inbound travelers from Malaysia and Thailand from July 25 to 31 to prevent the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus Delta variant, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.

On Thursday, the National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) updated the list of countries/territories depending on the cumulative incidence rate of COVID cases, in order to establish the need for a quarantine measure being enforced on the persons arriving to Romania from these countries, with UK, The Netherlands, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal being in the red zone.

The Romanian-Dutch pair Andreea Mitu/Rosalie van der Hoek on Tuesday evening qualified for the quarterfinals of the doubles event of the tennis tournament in Palermo (WTA), equipped with total prizes worth 189,708 euros, after scoring 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 against Lara Arruabarrena (Spain)/Beatrice Gumulya (Indonesia). The 2nd seeded sealed their victory after an hour and 29 minutes of playing.

The British government on July 19 lifted pandemic restrictions on daily life in England, scrapping all social distancing in a step slammed by scientists and opposition parties as a dangerous leap into the unknown.

As many Asian countries battle their worst surge of COVID-19 infections, the slow-flow of vaccine doses from around the world is finally picking up speed, giving hope that low inoculation rates can increase and help blunt the effect of the rapidly spreading delta variant.

More than four million people have now died from COVID-19, the WHO said on July 7, as many rich nations prepare to loosen restrictions even as countries in Asia battle surging infections.

Millions are facing new lockdowns across Asia and Indonesia has emerged as a global hotspot with death rates rising tenfold in a month to a record 1,040 on Wednesday.