Warnings from major Southeast Asian economies facilitate the braking of COVID-19

BANGKOK / JAKARTA (September 1) (Reuters) – As Indonesia and Thailand begin easing COVID-19 curbs after falling numbers, health experts say cases of new infections could rise again with rates vaccination rates still low.

After containing the coronavirus better than much of the world last year, Southeast Asia has become a global epicenter in recent months with the arrival of the virulent Delta variant.

While the number of cases continues to rise rapidly in most of the region, Indonesia and Thailand, which have their largest economies, have begun raising sidewalks in restaurants and shopping malls to eat up the economic pain of their closures.

Indonesia reported 10,534 cases on Tuesday, five times less than its peak in mid-July, while Thailand reported 14,802 new cases on Wednesday, 37% less than the mid-August high.

However, experts said the relaxations posed dangers with a low level of vaccination and a lack of testing, with positive test rates often exceeding the 5% recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We are definitely concerned about the reopening without meeting all the criteria proposed by the WHO,” Abhishek Rimal, Asia Pacific Pacific Health Coordinator of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters .

“Now, with the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible and the low vaccination rate, we could see a rise in COVID-19 in the coming days.”

Recently, Indonesia has had a positive test rate of 12% and Thailand 34%.

“Surveillance is not that great, we still have to be careful,” said Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia.

Indonesia has reported more than 4 million coronavirus cases in total and more than 133,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Thailand has recorded 11,841 deaths and 1.2 million cases.

Both countries have first vaccination rates around 30%, with Indonesia fully vaccinated with 17% and Thailand with 11%. Its capitals, Jakarta and Bangkok, have much higher levels of vaccination.

In Jakarta and some areas of the populous island of Java, mall restaurants could eat 50%, and shopping malls could remain open until 9 p.m., while factories can operate 100%.

Bangkok and 28 other provinces listed as the most serious outbreaks may reopen food restaurants with a capacity of between 50% and 75%, with a time limit at 8pm, as will shopping malls.

“The situation is improving because a lot of people are getting vaccinated and are being more cautious,” said Orrapin Peenanee, a restaurant customer, queuing in Bangkok.

The economic benefits of easing blockages were understandable, said Dale Fisher, a senior expert on infectious diseases at Singapore National University Hospital, but stressed that they also need to vaccinate their citizens more quickly.

“As you ease the blockages, what kind of punishment can be taken before you block it again and be stronger? The answer is to the vaccine,” he said.

Reports of Stanley Widianto in Jakarta, Kate Lamb in Sydney, Matthew Tostevin and Jiraporn Kuhakan in Bangkok; Written by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Edited by Angus MacSwan

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