COVID-19 in Asean: update for March 19 -- deaths soar in Indonesia

As of 01:40 GMT March 19 there was 1,639 active cases of COVID-19 throughout the 10 Asean member countries, an increase of 66 on the day prior.

The most number of active cases remain in Malaysia where 117 new cases yesterday saw the number of people with active COVID-19 infections rise to 728, with 15 people reported to be in a serious or critical condition.

In Indonesia 55 new cases saw its active COVID-19 cases jump to 197, with 12 deaths pushing the number of fatalities there to 19, the most of any Asean member country.

In the Philippines yesterday 15 new cases there saw the number of active COVID-19 infections rise to 181, with three deaths bringing the total number of fatalities to 17. One active COVID-19 infection in the Philippines is regarded as serious or critical.

In Singapore an increase of 47 fresh cases saw the total there rise to 199, the most in Asean, of which 14 are considered serious.

In Thailand 35 new cases saw the number of active COVID-19 cases there hit 170, one of which is considered serious or critical, while Brunei saw its COVID-19 case load hit 68, with the addition of 12 new infections.

Vietnam recorded 10 new cases, increasing the number of active infections there to 60, while four new cases in Cambodia saw active infections there hit 36.

Laos PDR and Myanmar are yet to report a single COVID-19 case.

There has now been 1,925 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Asean member countries, with 247 people having been treated and discharged.

Thirty-nine people have died from COVID-19 in Asean member countries.

Asean COVID-19 cases up to March 19, 2020 Raksmey Khoem

Global COVID-19 cases up to March 19

In the 24-hours to 01:40 GMT March 19 the number of new cases of COVID-19 globally rose 10.47 per cent day-on-day (DoD) to 218,997, an increase of 20,763.

This is the largest single day increase in new cases since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

The number of deaths globally attributed to COVID-19 in the past 24-hours jumped 12.22 per cent DoD to 8,953, an increase of 975, the majority (475) in Italy. China reported zero deaths during the period, and no new cases.

Meanwhile the number of people treated and discharged globally rose by 2,032, or 2.46 per cent over the day prior to 84,795.

As of 01:40 GMT March 19 there was 125,249 active cases of COVID-19 globally, of which some six per cent or 7,158 cases were classified as serious or critical.

Based on completed cases (number of discharged + number of dead), the current case mortality rate has returned to double digits, today standing at 10 per cent.

At the current rate there will be/ have been almost 800,000 cases of COVD-19 by the end of March, and more than 40,000 deaths.