The vaccination programme is now ready to be expanded to younger age groups. (Photo: straitstimes.com)
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s vaccination programme will now beexpanded to those aged 45 to 59, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong in a pressconference on March 24.
They can register their interest for inoculation on the website vaccine.gov.sg,and they will receive an SMS with personalised URL allowing them to book theirappointments online.
As of March 23, more than 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses havebeen administered. On average, around 40,000 doses of the vaccine areadministered each day.
Nearly 800,000 individuals have received at least one shot, withmore than 310,000 getting the two doses.
Singapore began COVID-19 vaccination for the elderly on February 24. To date,55 percent of the elderly in the nation have received COVID-19 shots or madeappointments to do so.
All Singaporeans and long-term residents will be offered free COVID-19vaccinations.
The Southeast Asian country has licensed temporary use ofPfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and is evaluating the efficiency of China’sSinovac.
According to worldometers.info, as of 7pm on March 24, Singapore documentedmore than 60,200 SARS-CoV-2 infections, including 30 deaths. Over 60,000 wereclear of the virus./.
Singaporean President Halimah Yacob has formally approved the draw of up to 11 billion SGD (8.2 billion USD) from past reserves to fund measures needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on March 23 expressed hope that several restrictions in travel between Malaysia and Singapore can be lifted soon for the interest of bilateral relations.
Digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates in Malaysia and Singapore are secured by blockchain technology and come with a traceability feature that tells the exact batch of the vaccine vial used for inoculation.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
The vaccination programme is now ready to be expanded to younger age groups. (Photo: straitstimes.com) 
