ASEAN countries step up social distancing against COVID-19

Southeast Asian leaders are ramping up enforced social distancing measures as rising cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore remain to be yoked.

These three countries temporarily shut down all schools, places of worship and workplaces - although key government offices and establishments that provide essential services like banks, supermarkets and hospitals remain open. Public gatherings were banned. Stimulus packages were introduced to help affected businesses and provide cash assistance to the poorest and unemployed.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a 10-member regional group that promotes economic cooperation and regional connectivity.

Malaysia and the Philippines have the two highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region. As of April 7, Malaysia reported 3,793 cases while the Philippines has 3,660, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the month-long "enhanced community quarantine" in the island of Luzon. The lockdown in Luzon, home to about half of the country's populace, was scheduled to end in April 13. But Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in an April 7 press briefing that the lockdown will be extended to April 30, as health officials need more time to upgrade testing laboratories and construct more quarantine facilities.

Speaking with China Daily, Anthony Leachon, special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said the two-week extension is needed to flatten the curve. He also thanked China for sending its medical team to Manila, noting that the Philippines "welcomes the help of other countries in the fight against the dreaded virus".

Malaysia's month-long lockdown is scheduled to end April 14. But the Health Ministry's Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said they're still monitoring the local situation and will announce in April 10 if the "movement control order' enforced since March 18 will be extended.

Malaysian officials have also placed several buildings in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur under an 'enhanced movement control' (EMCO) order after confirmed cases of coronavirus infections were detected in this area.

Residents in EMCO areas are prohibited from leaving their homes while visitors are not allowed to go there.

Singapore's confirmed cases were at 1,375 as of April 7. WHO and other health experts have been praising the city-state for successfully containing the outbreak thanks to mass testing, judicious constant tracing and quarantining all positive patients. Singapore did this without having to close schools and offices.

But on April 7, Singapore went on a month-long "circuit-breaker" mode. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the "significantly stricter measures" in his April 3 speech, following a spike in new daily cases in late March. He said Singapore "should make a decisive move now to pre-empt escalating infections".

Nawazish Mirza, associate professor of finance at La Rochelle Business School in France, said Singapore's latest move has affirmed Singapore's "proactive management" of the outbreak. He's hoping that countries like the United States and the United Kingdom can learn some lessons from Singapore.

Situations in other ASEAN countries vary, with Cambodia and its neighbors flare better.

"Cambodia's (COVID-19) situation is under control," said Vannarith Chheang, president of Cambodia-based think tank Asian Vision Institute. "The situation now is quite stable of the number of new cases has been very low."

With two new cases confirmed on April 8, Cambodia had reported a total of 117 cases, according to Xinhua. The new infection ended the country's record of no new cases in the previous three days but still remained as a small increase. About 63 patients, over 50 percent of the total infections, have recovered, as of April 8.

Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked China for sending a medical team and materials to help Cambodia fight the pandemic. The Chinese team finished their mission and returned on April 7.

Another group of Chinese medical professionals, coming from neighboring Yunnan province, arrived in Myanmar on April with medical materials.

Chheang said the government has taken effective measures in terms of public education, including closing massage parlors after shutting schools and cinemas. The country has already postponed its four-day new year celebration to avoid large public gathering.

"Now even in the mountainous area, the ethnic community has also started to prevent newcomers to enter…they are also fully aware and are prepared to protect their own safety," said Chheang, adding that traditional ways like spreading the information to villages through microphones on motorbikes and modern ways like social media both work well for the country to let people beware of the risks.

"The problem we are facing now is the lack of policy communication at the international level," said Chheang, who hopes to see experience sharing and deepened policy coordination within ASEAN and its partners around Asia.