TOKYO: The Japanese government is looking to end a state of emergency in all but Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures at the end of this month, a week earlier than scheduled, the minister in charge of coronavirus countermeasures said on Friday.
Emergency coronavirus measures will be removed in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu and Fukuoka prefectures if an advisory panel approves the government's proposal.
Japan placed 11 of its 47 prefectures under a state of emergency in January as a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation. One of those prefectures, Tochigi, has already emerged early from the emergency restrictions.
Coronavirus infections have fallen significantly since peaking in early January, including in the capital, Tokyo, which is due to host the Summer Olympic Games from late July. The government is hoping to lift the state of emergency in the remaining four prefectures as planned on Mar 7.
"We are at a stage where we cannot let the state of emergency drag on in the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area," Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who oversees the government's coronavirus response, said at the start of the meeting with the advisory panel.
Japan has recorded about 426,000 coronavirus cases and 7,645 deaths as of Feb 24, according to the health ministry.
BANGKOK: Thailand's prime minister said on Thursday (Feb 25) his meeting with Myanmar's military-appointed foreign minister this week following a coup in the neighbouring country did not mean "endorsement".
The meeting on Wednesday mainly saw him listening to Wunna Maung Lwin, appointed by the Myanmar military who seized power earlier this month, about "political developments" and the situation in Myanmar, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters.
He also denied that Thailand has joined Indonesia in becoming a mediator to solve the situation in Myanmar.
"The political issue is their country's matter. I want to encourage them to move the country towards democracy as quickly as possible," said Prayut, a former army general who himself seized power in a 2014 coup and became a civilian prime minister in a disputed 2019 election that he said was free and fair.
"It didn't mean that I was endorsing anything. He didn't ask me to. I was only listening to what he was telling me, that's all."
The foreign ministers of Thailand and Indonesia also met with Wunna Maung Lwin in the Thai capital on Wednesday.
The day the military seized power in Myanmar three weeks ago, Phyu delved into her company's emergency funds and gave her staff a one-month advance on their salaries.
Phyu, who runs a market research firm, saw trouble ahead then, but is not sure how she will pay her three staff next month.
Ahead of payday on Friday, the first since the Feb 1 coup, a cloud is hanging over Myanmar's fragile economy.
Its kyat currency is depreciating, businesses are paralysed and banks are in disarray, and for all the support for street protests and strikes against the junta, the disruption is nudging the economy closer to a breakdown.
"I predicted things could get worse so I paid them their salary in advance on that day," said Phyu, who declined to provide her full name.
"I'm now thinking how to do March salaries if things continue to go this way or get worse. In the worst scenario, I can still pay them in cash."
Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied for weeks across Myanmar, in a groundswell of anger at the military's overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, its curbs on the Internet and the arrest of hundreds of activists.
The anti-coup movement's calls for people not to go to work has caused big disruption, holding up crucial processes like import and export permits, salary payments and bank transfers.
Myanmar relies overwhelmingly on imports for its fuel, but supplies are running low, industry sources say, with some oil import terminals no longer operating.
Its nascent garment manufacturing sector, a key source of income for rural families, faces disruption in raw materials imports and the export of clothing, including orders from major Western brands.
Some businesses have already been forced to slash wages.
"I didn't receive any business this month so I can only pay them two thirds of their salary," said a 33-year-old owner of a Yangon beauty salon, who asked not to be named.
"If they cannot get cash at ATMs, then I will pay them in cash. For March if things continue this way, I will have to reduce their salary to 50 per cent."
Factory workers shout slogans as they rally against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb 25, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
INTERMITTENT SERVICES
Many businesses have been closing to show support for the movement, or avoid being seen as backing the junta. Many have allowed employees to attend protests during work hours.
Bank services are irregular, with some branches closed, others reducing operations and limiting withdrawals.
"This is the movement organised by the staff alone," said one striking employee of a private bank.
"We don't like the dictatorship. We can't accept it."
Jared Bissinger, an economist who has specialised on Myanmar, said the crisis would likely lead to payroll problems, reduced wages and overtime and an increase in people borrowing money or selling assets.
A big worry, he said, was the textiles sector and the potential impact on hundreds of factories.
"I'm deeply concerned about where the economy goes and the vulnerability of a lot of people in Myanmar," said Bissinger.
"This economic story and these economic challenges are going to become more front-and-centre in the coming months."
Win Thein, 56, who runs an electrical store, said the economy was already struggling and would stay that way until the military hands back power in an election, as it has promised.
"This coup makes it worse. The economy has plummeted to zero. Nothing is turning out to be good," he said.
Some in Myanmar no longer have work and are focusing only on protests.
"I'm just trying to survive," said engineer Phyo Kyaw, 27, who said he quit his job.
"We want to repel the dictatorship as soon as possible and we are putting all of our efforts into it."
MANILA: The Philippines will take delivery of its first COVID-19 vaccines at the weekend, allowing it to kick off its inoculation programme from next week, a senior official said on Thursday (Feb 25).
Despite having among the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Asia, the Philippines will be the last Southeast Asian country to receive its initial set of vaccines.
The delivery of 600,000 doses Sinovac Biotech's vaccines, donated by China, will arrive on Sunday, said Harry Roque, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.
"It rolls out on Monday because our countrymen are excited," he said of the vaccination programme.
Among the first to be inoculated will be an official from a hospital who lost both parents to COVID-19, plus a tricycle driver, Roque said.
The Philippines has ordered 25 million doses from Sinovac and was supposed to receive its first batch on Feb 23. That was delayed emergency use authorisation was only given this week.
Aside from Sinovac, 10,000 doses of a vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm will arrive soon, under a "compassionate use" for Duterte's security detail. Doses from AstraZeneca will arrive in March, Roque said.
"I have to admit, if we insisted on Western brands, we will still wait for its arrival," he added.
Duterte, who has pursued warmer ties with China and has a strained relationship with many Western countries, has previously said he wanted to procure COVID-19 vaccines from China or Russia.
The vaccination programme will be crucial for Philippine efforts to revive its economy, which suffered a record 9.5 per cent slump last year due to strict and lengthy lockdowns that hit consumer spending and saw big job losses.
