By Sorwar Alam
ANKARA (AA) - As Malaysia performed best in fighting the novel coronavirus among the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore recorded the highest number of positive cases among the bloc.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the region crossed the 33,000 mark on Wednesday, with nearly 1,500 new cases reported across all 10 countries.
Daily deaths have declined in the region since Monday, with data compiled by the Worldometer online resource suggesting that the virus was spreading at a slowed rate as the region reported 1,475 new cases on Wednesday against 2,055 on Tuesday.
| Country | Total Cases | New Cases | Total Deaths | New Deaths | Total Recoveries | Total Tests |
| Singapore | 10,141 | 1,016 | 11 | 0 | 839 | 94,796 |
| Indonesia | 7,418 | 283 | 635 | 19 | 913 | 55,732 |
| Philippines | 6,710 | 111 | 446 | 9 | 693 | 68,532 |
| Malaysia | 5,532 | 50 | 93 | 1 | 3,452 | 110,109 |
| Thailand | 2,826 | 15 | 49 | 1 | 2,352 | 142,589 |
| Myanmar | 121 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5,198 |
| Vietnam | 268 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 223 | 206,253 |
| Cambodia | 122 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 5,768 |
| Brunei | 138 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 12,149 |
| Laos | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1,461 |
| 33,295 | 1,475 | 1,240 | 30 | 8,704 | 702,583 |
- Singapore suffers 4th day of most new cases
Singapore's Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 1,016 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the city state's confirmed total to 10,141. The vast majority of new cases were work-permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories. However, 15 Singaporeans and permanent residents also contracted the disease, according to the ministry.
Authorities had earlier announced an order for such workers not to leave in their dormitories, including to go to work, until May 4. Interior Minister Law K Shanmugam on Wednesday assured that their salaries would be paid and their food and medical needs would be attended to during the lockdown period.
Despite the high number of cases, Singapore reported only 11 deaths so far with no fatalities in the last five days.
Indonesia, on the other hand, continued to be the worst-hit nation in the bloc, with 19 new deaths and 375 new cases reported on Wednesday.
The country will deploy 171,000 police and military personnel to prevent regular mass departures of people to their hometowns ahead of an Islamic festivity. President Joko Widodo on Tuesday banned the mass departure, known as mudik, with the virus killing 635 people among 7,418 infected across the archipelagic country so far.
The Philippines was the third on the list, with a total of 6,710 cases. However, the country reported second-most deaths with 446 fatalities. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to decide this week on whether to extend or modify ongoing lockdown measures scheduled to end on April 30 as the country reports lower rates of infections.
Malaysia's daily COVID-19 recoveries outpaced new cases as the country recorded 50 new infections and 103 new recoveries. The country showed the most recoveries in the bloc as the number of those cured and discharged rose to 3,452 in total -- 62.4% of all cases.
Thai authorities on Wednesday expressed confidence in the latest downward trajectory in the curve of COVID-19 cases, with 15 new cases and one fatality. The country also reported the second-most recoveries after Malaysia.
The bloc's other members did not report new cases or fatalities on Wednesday.