China reports highest daily number of local COVID-19 cases since January - CNA

BEIJING: China reported on Wednesday (Aug 4) the most new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since January as some cities stepped up restrictions, cut flights and increased testing to get to grips with an outbreak driven mainly by the Delta variant.

The travel restrictions and closures led Nomura to downgrade China's July to September economic growth forecast, as well as its full-year prediction, saying the zero-tolerance approach to the virus was becoming increasingly costly.

Since late July, the highly transmissible Delta variant has been detected in at least a dozen Chinese cities, including the capital, Beijing, and Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019.

China reported 71 new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases for Aug 3, official data showed, the highest daily tally since Jan 30. The number of cases has increased for five consecutive days since Jul 30.

READ: COVID-19: Delta variant bears down on China just as its economy loses steam

Most cities have yet to impose strict citywide lockdowns but a few have limited some movements.

Nanjing and Yangzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, where the majority of China's local cases have been reported since Jul 20, have suspended domestic flights, long-distance shuttle buses, taxis and ride-hailing vehicles from entering and leaving the two cities, and suspended some bus services.

Cities such as Zhengzhou and Jingzhou have locked up some neighbourhoods and limited public transport in areas considered higher-risk.

Wuhan said it aims to test all its 12 million population in just three days to screen out infections. It has closed parts of an economic development and innovation zone.

Many cities with domestic infections have closed tourist sites and shuttered entertainment venues. The southern tourist city of Zhangjiajie has banned residents and travellers from leaving.

READ: China's Wuhan to test 'all residents' as COVID-19 returns

Including symptomatic patients arriving from abroad, the number of new cases stood at 96 for Aug 3, up from 90 a day earlier.

China reported 27 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, which it does not classify as confirmed cases, compared with 41 a day earlier. No new deaths were reported.

China had recorded 93,289 confirmed cases by Tuesday. The cumulative death toll was unchanged at 4,636.

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2021-08-04 08:02:39Z
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Malaysian PM Muhyiddin confident that he commands parliamentary majority, confidence motion to be tabled next month - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he still commands the parliamentary majority, adding that he has received statutory declarations (SDs) from MPs who pledged their support. 

In a televised address on Wednesday (Aug 4), he said he will prove his majority in the parliament next month. 

"I am aware that my position as prime minister always gets questioned. 

"Therefore, I have informed the king that I will prove my legitimacy as prime minister in the parliament. A motion of confidence will be tabled when the parliament meets in September," he said. 

The special address was aired after he was summoned to meet the king. Mr Muhyiddin said the king informed him that eight United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) MPs had written to the House of Representatives speaker to withdraw their support for him.  

"During the audience, I informed the king that I have received a number of SDs from MPs which gives me the confidence that I still have a majority at the moment.

"As such, my resignation under Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution does not arise," he said with Cabinet ministers standing behind him. 

The king has accepted his suggestion on the confidence motion, the prime minister added. 

READ: Emergency ordinances to be tabled in parliament next month; repeal process was incomplete, says PM Muhyiddin 

Mr Muhyiddin said that the Cabinet and the government departments would continue to implement their duties and responsibilities, especially in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He urged all public servants, especially the frontliners, to carry out their duties without being affected by the political turmoil created by "certain parties".  

"I know they are not happy with my insistence to not entertain some of their demands, including urging me to intervene in court affairs to acquit several individuals who are being prosecuted for criminal offences," he said. 

Mr Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister in February last year following a power struggle in Putrajaya. The Perikatan Nasional ruling coalition has faced challenges, with UMNO repeatedly threatening to withdraw its support. 

UMNO, a traditionally dominant party in Barisan Nasional, has 38 MPs, while Bersatu - seen as a splinter of UMNO - has 31.

On Tuesday, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed that he has gathered a sufficient number of statutory declarations (SDs) from party lawmakers who are withdrawing their support for Mr Muhyiddin. As such, Mr Muhyiddin has lost his parliamentary majority, he said.  

A minister from UMNO also resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday. Mr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who is Lenggong MP, said in a statement that he is stepping down as the energy and natural resources minister after taking party decisions into consideration. 

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2021-08-04 05:19:37Z
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Japan signals chance of rolling back controversial COVID-19 hospital policy - CNA

TOKYO: Japan's health minister on Wednesday signalled the government may consider rolling back a controversial new policy asking COVID-19 patients with less serious symptoms isolate at home rather than going to the hospital.

The comment, which came amid rising criticism over the policy, underscores Tokyo's struggle in dealing with a spike in Delta variants that is overshadowing the Olympic Games.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Monday only COVID-19 patients who are seriously ill and those at risk of becoming so will be hospitalised, while others isolate at home, a shift in policy some fear may lead to an increase in deaths.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura defended the policy shift, saying that by asking people with less serious symptoms to isolate at home, Japan can ensure it does not run out of hospital beds for people in need of intensive care.

READ: Top Japan medic urges nationwide state of emergency amid COVID-19 surge

"The pandemic has entered a new phase ... Unless we have enough beds, we can't bring people into hospitals. We're acting pre-emptively on this front," Tamura told parliament.

"If things don't turn out as we expect, we can roll back the policy," he said, adding that the policy shift was a move to deal with the unexpectedly fast spread of the new variant.

The outcry is another setback for Suga, who has seen support plunge due to his handling of the pandemic ahead of general elections to be held this year.

Opposition parties agreed on Wednesday to ask the government to abandon the hospitalisation policy, according to Kyodo news agency.

Even a lawmaker from New Komeito, a coalition partner of Suga's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, urged for a review or roll back.

Japan has seen a sharp increase in coronavirus cases. Tokyo, which had a record high of 4,058 new infections on Saturday, had 3,709 new cases on Tuesday.

READ: Olympic Games-related COVID-19 cases hospitalised as Tokyo cases surge

Suga and Olympics organisers say there is no link between the Jul 23-Aug 8 Summer Games and the sharp increase in cases.

But Shigeru Omi, Japan's top medical adviser, told parliament the hosting of the Games may have affected public sentiment, suggesting the event was eroding the effect of government requests for people to stay home.

Imposing a nationwide state of emergency could be an option to deal with the pandemic, he said. States of emergency are already in place in several prefectures, as well as Tokyo.

"Political leaders are sending out messages to the public in earnest, but probably not as strongly and consistently as hoped," Omi said. "We're seeing COVID-19 clusters emerge more broadly including at schools and offices," he said.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-08-04 03:14:23Z
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PM Muhyiddin meets Malaysian king following UMNO claim that he has lost parliamentary majority - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was seen entering the national palace for an audience with King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Wednesday (Aug 4) morning, a day after the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) claimed that he has lost his parliamentary majority.

Bernama reported that Mr Muhyiddin was seen leaving his residence at 10.49am. It is believed that the royal audience is for a pre-Cabinet meeting.

Attorney-General Idrus Harun was earlier seen entering Istana Negara around 9.30am, according to Bernama. 

Malaysian media also reported that Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Acryl Abdullah and Armed Forces chief Affendi Buang were spotted arriving at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed that he has gathered a sufficient number of statutory declarations (SDs) from party lawmakers who are withdrawing their support for Mr Muhyiddin. As such, Mr Muhyiddin has lost his parliamentary majority, he said.  

In an online press conference after a party supreme council meeting, Ahmad Zahid said the SDs have been presented to the king. 

"Sufficient number of SDs by UMNO MPs to express their withdrawal of support for Tan Sri Mahiaddin Md Yasin have been presented to the king, thus showing that his leadership has lost the majority, and he has lost his legitimacy as prime minister," he said. 

“Tan Sri Mahiaddin Md Yasin must take responsibility for the government's failure and its refusal to adhere with the king’s decree by resigning as prime minister honorably," Ahmad Zahid added.

Mahiaddin Md Yasin is the prime minister's official name, although he is widely known as Muhyiddin Yassin.

READ: Emergency ordinances to be tabled in parliament next month; repeal process was incomplete, says PM Muhyiddin

READ: Explainer - Different interpretations over the Malaysian king's role in revoking emergency ordinances

UMNO's Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. (File photo: Bernama) 

On Tuesday, a minister from UMNO resigned from the Cabinet. Mr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who is Lenggong MP, said in a statement that he is stepping down as the energy and natural resources minister after taking party decisions into consideration. 

Conflicts among component members in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government have been playing out in the open since last year. 

The tussle for leadership in Malaysia’s government saw a key development on Jul 7, when Mr Muhyiddin promoted UMNO MPs Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Hishammuddin Hussein to Malaysia’s deputy prime minister and senior minister respectively.

The appointments came amid renewed talks of UMNO considering pulling out of PN.

UMNO, a traditionally dominant party in Barisan Nasional, has 38 MPs, while Mr Muhyiddin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia - seen as a splinter of UMNO - has 31.

Just hours later on that day, Ahmad Zahid confirmed that UMNO had withdrawn its support for the PN government led by Mr Muhyiddin, and called for his resignation.

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2021-08-04 04:09:34Z
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Australia records one of its youngest COVID-19 deaths amid Sydney outbreak - CNA

SYDNEY: An Australian man in his 20s died at home of COVID-19 in Sydney, authorities said on Wednesday (Aug 4), one of the country's youngest coronavirus deaths.

The man, who was unvaccinated, was 13 days into home isolation after testing positive when his health deteriorated rapidly, authorities said, adding that he lived with one person who had been hospitalised with the virus.

The death highlighted the risk from the virus and the importance of getting vaccinated, said health leaders, who have set a target of having half of Sydney's population inoculated before lifting the city's lockdown by a target date of Aug 28.

"It demonstrates again how this disease is lethal, how it affects people of all ages," said Gladys Berejiklian, premier of New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital.

The man's identity and how he caught the virus were not disclosed. He lived in southwest Sydney, the epicentre of an outbreak related to the Delta virus strain that has ravaged the country's most populous city for weeks.

READ: Sydney's ticket out of COVID-19 lockdown? Six million jabs

Of about 17 deaths from the virus since the flare-up began in June, nearly a third have been people at home, according to the government. The man's death was referred for a formal inquest, the authorities said.

A woman in her 80s also died in a hospital in the past day, taking the national total to 927 since the start of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, Sydney reported 233 new cases, up from 199 a day earlier.

Total infections in the state's worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic topped 4,000 since the first one was detected on Jun 16.

In a bid to arrest a spike in cases, authorities have taken aggressive countermeasures, including sealing off high-risk suburbs and asking military to help police enforce lockdown rules.

READ: Australia cranks up COVID-19 curbs with Brisbane lockdown extended, army patrols in Sydney

READ: Australia's east coast battles rising COVID-19 cases

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said the state should hit a target of six million shots by the end of the month - at least one dose to all of its adult population.

Neighbouring Queensland reported 16 locally acquired cases, the same as the day earlier, prompting authorities to declare it the state's worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic and warn that a lockdown in state capital Brisbane might be extended beyond Sunday.

"Every time someone leaves their home they increase the risk that this lockdown may need to go on longer ... now is not the time to buy outdoor furniture, there will be time before summer to get sun lounges," Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

The fast-moving Delta strain has alarmed authorities while a slow vaccine rollout frustrated residents. Only about 20 per cent of people older than 16 have been fully vaccinated.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-08-04 02:28:30Z
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US Vice President Kamala Harris' visits to Singapore, Vietnam in 2 weeks are 'greatly valued': PM Lee - CNA

SINGAPORE: United States Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Singapore and Vietnam in a fortnight's time, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday (Aug 3), adding that such high-level visits to the region are "greatly valued".

Ms Harris' visit to Singapore, made at the invitation of Mr Lee, was announced last week. It will be her first official visit to the country.

Singapore is "glad" that the US is "actively visiting" Asia-Pacific countries at a high level, said Mr Lee in his opening remarks at the virtual Aspen Security Forum on Tuesday.

He noted the recent visits of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Japan and South Korea, as well as Mr Austin's visits to Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.

"Such high-level visits are greatly valued. They show that the US is investing the bandwidth and resources in the region, and shows that it has substantial stakes and interests there to protect and advance," said the Prime Minister.

READ: Singapore, US affirm 'vital' American presence in region as defence chiefs meet

"The US has returned to a more conventional approach to foreign policy, a renewed emphasis on multilateralism, and has refocussed on its global network of allies and partners," he added. 

"There is a palpable sense of relief not just in the Asia Pacific, but all around the world."

US-CHINA TIES "MORE DIFFICULT"

Turning to US-China bilateral relations, Mr Lee said ties between the two countries have become "more difficult" in the last few years.

"In the US, this is reflected in a deep shift in attitudes towards China, which is bipartisan, and extends beyond the administration and the Congress into the population," he said.

"The same forces constrain and shape the policies of the current US administration towards China, as shaped by the previous administration."

READ: Harris will reject China's claim in the South China Sea during trip to Asia

"In China too, attitudes have become more assertive and robust," said Mr Lee. 

China has taken a more active international stance and seeks to "reshape the international order to its advantage", he added.

"I think it will be hard to reverse the present trend towards more troubled relations," said Mr Lee.

"But many countries still hope that the deterioration in the relationship can be checked. Because many US friends and allies wish to preserve their extensive ties with both powers.

"No good outcome can arise from a conflict. It is vital for the US and China to strive to engage each other, to head off a clash which would be disastrous for both sides, and the world."

COVID-19 HAS NOT BROUGHT COUNTRIES CLOSER

Mr Lee also discussed international cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that there has been "some cooperation", such as on vaccine multilateralism and international commerce.

But more broadly, COVID-19 has not brought countries closer together.

"In fact often on the contrary," said Mr Lee. "There was a scramble for critical supplies, like masks and (personal protective equipment), and later vaccines.

"And internationally, the pandemic has spawned recriminations and finger-pointing – where did the virus came from, who is to blame, and so on. Domestically, populations in many countries felt growing anxiety and insecurity, which has fed nativist sentiments."

READ: China rejects WHO plan for COVID-19 origin study, says it 'defies science'

Concluding his remarks, Mr Lee said that while the current mood in the US was not pro-trade, there were many new opportunities for the US to cooperate with the Asia-Pacific region, such as in digital trade and green growth.

"So I hope the US will pursue them, and continue to play a major role in fostering an inclusive, rules-based world order," added Mr Lee.

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2021-08-03 16:07:30Z
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Ahmad Zahid claims sufficient UMNO MPs have withdrawn support for PM Muhyiddin; energy minister quits Cabinet - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed on Tuesday (Aug 3) that he has gathered a sufficient number of statutory declarations (SDs) from party lawmakers who are withdrawing their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. 

As such, Mr Muhyiddin has lost his majority, he said.  

In an online press conference after a party supreme council meeting, Ahmad Zahid said the SDs have been presented to the king. 

"Sufficient number of SDs by UMNO MPs to express their withdrawal of support for Tan Sri Mahiaddin Md Yasin have been presented to the king, thus showing that his leadership has lost the majority, and he has lost his legitimacy as prime minister," he said. 

“Tan Sri Mahiaddin Md Yasin must take responsibility for the government's failure and its refusal to adhere with the king’s decree by resigning as prime minister honorably," Ahmad Zahid added.

Mahiaddin Md Yasin is the prime minister's official name, although he is widely known as Muhyiddin Yassin.

READ: Emergency ordinances to be tabled in parliament next month; repeal process was incomplete, says PM Muhyiddin 

About 10 MPs were seen standing behind Ahmad Zahid at the press conference, including former prime minister Najib Razak, deputy speaker of parliament Azalina Said Othman, UMNO secretary-general Ahmad Maslan and UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. 

Gesturing at them, Ahmad Zahid said they were among the party lawmakers who have signed the SDs. 

"There are a few more MPs who are not able to with us today as they are in their respective constituencies, especially those in Sabah," he said.

Earlier in the day, a minister from UMNO resigned from the Cabinet.

UMNO's Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. (File photo: Bernama) 

Mr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, who is Lenggong MP, said in a statement that he is stepping down as the energy and natural resources minister after taking party decisions into consideration. 

"In view of several decisions made by the party and the party's stances, I, as a loyal UMNO member, resign as a Cabinet member," said the UMNO supreme council member.

Mr Shamsul said he would focus on his duty as Lenggong MP after this and "help to strengthen the party in an increasingly challenging political situation."

Conflicts among component members in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government have been playing out in the open since last year. 

The tussle for leadership in Malaysia’s government saw a key development on Jul 7, when Mr Muhyiddin promoted UMNO MPs Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Hishammuddin Hussein to Malaysia’s deputy prime minister and senior minister respectively.

The appointments came amid renewed talks of UMNO considering pulling out of PN.

UMNO, a traditionally dominant party in Barisan Nasional, has 38 MPs, while Mr Muhyiddin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia - seen as a splinter of UMNO - has 31.

Just hours later, Ahmad Zahid, who was speaking at a virtual press conference after the party’s supreme council meeting, confirmed that UMNO has withdrawn its support for the PN government led by Mr Muhyiddin, and called for his resignation.

On Jul 14, the Cabinet members, including those with UMNO, issued a statement indicating that they have unanimously decided to continue throwing their support behind Mr Muhyiddin.

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2021-08-03 11:37:30Z
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