The latest (part 2)

A return to Phnom Penh is in my Top Five Post-Pandemic Visits

Hello friends!

Today we’re checking in with the Mekong states, Brunei and Timor-Leste. Like yesterday, there’s a couple of things I’ve flagged to dig deeper into. So, tomorrow we’ll crack into the ABS-CBN story from the Philippines, spend Tuesday in Cambodia and then dig in. 

Monday will be the usual premium news wrap, which is starting to get chunky again after all other headlines were forced off the page by the pandemic. If you’d like to join us sign-up now:

Stay safe out there, everyone!Erin Cook 

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Vietnam hasn’t reported any new cases for a minute and much of the conversation has now turned to how the economy will recover. I think this is super interesting since Vietnam had been a powerhouse in the making and now has a headstart over regional friends but will, of course, be operating in a global economy still feeling the full health effect of the pandemic. I definitely want to revisit this!  

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As of Tuesday, Myanmar has reported 161 cases which include 49 recoveries. The military has reported its first known test with a 33-year-old soldier testing positive in Naypyitaw. More than 300 soldiers who he had come into contact with were also tested, all coming back negative. 

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No updates from Laos. The official count hasn’t grown and the country is reopening — as long as you’re wearing a mask when you pop out of the house. The lifting of restrictions will be cancelled if at least two provinces report new cases. 

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Thai officials announced one new case and an additional death Wednesday. Bangkok is loosening its restrictions, but as Coconuts shows, the rules over what is and isn’t allowed are kinda complicated. The city’s superrich are less worried. While fellow countrymen and women line up for aid and rights organisations support the homeless arrested as part of curfew violations, Bangkok’s big bucks are ordering in meals from the city’s best restaurants which are delivered by a butler. 

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Cambodia is getting very hard. I can’t find a recent report on the tally, but the Google counter (which takes data from elsewhere including WHO) currently is at 122 cases with 120 recovered. 

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Brunei has reported its first case in 17 days after a 40-year-old man was confirmed to be infected. His case was discovered via random testing and health authorities say contact tracing is underway to identify the source of the infection. It’s important for Bruneians to stay vigilant, the government has warned, adding that while the country isn’t under lockdown restrictions the identification proves the threat is still real. (This link is to a liveblog, so if you’re reading this awhile after it was sent you may need to scroll back a touch)

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This one from Timorese Minister Fidelis Magalhães for the Diplomat is an illuminating look at what efforts are underway. As of May 1, Timor-Leste reported 24 confirmed cases 16 of which had already recovered. Of the government’s response he wrote:

“The dire consequences of waiting are evident internationally; we hope to avoid a prolonged exponential growth of both cases and mortality. We believe a swift and coordinated public sector response, an economic stimulus package, and the avoidance of an extensive and complete lockdown, coupled with a strengthened social safety net, can significantly avert the catastrophic human and economic consequences seen in other countries.”