People return to shopping at Newmarket in Auckland, New Zealand as some COVID-19 restrictions were eased, Nov 10, 2021. (ALEX BURTON / NEW ZEALAND HERALD VIA AP)

WELLINGTON / SINGAPORE / HANOI / PHNOM PENH / JERUSALEM / YANGON / KUALA LUMPUR / CANBERRA / SEOUL / NEW DELHI / ISLAMABAD / BISHKEK - New Zealand's borders fully re-opened to visitors from around the world on Monday, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed them in March 2020.

New Zealand's borders started reopening in February first for New Zealanders and restrictions have progressively eased.

The process of reopening the borders ended last night with visitors who need visas and those on student visas now also allowed to return to New Zealand. New Zealand is now also letting cruise ships and foreign recreational yachts docks at its ports.

Most visitors arriving in New Zealand still need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and must take two coronavirus tests after arriving. However, there are no quarantine requirements.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland that the final staged opening of the borders had been an enormous moment.

"It's been a staged and cautious process on our part since February as we, alongside the rest of the world continue to manage a very live global pandemic, while keeping our people safe."

International students were a significant contributor to New Zealand's economy and educational providers are hoping the reopening of the borders will again provide a boost to schools and universities around the country.

New Zealand Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the return of cruise ships will also be a boost for local industries.

"Most cruise visits are during the warmer months of October to April, and summer is our bumper tourism season overall. This means it will be full steam ahead for the industry," said Nash.

A medical worker enters the Epping Gardens aged care facility in the Melbourne suburb of Epping on July 30, 2020, as the city battles fresh outbreaks of the coronavirus. (WILIAM WEST / AFP)

Australia

The number of active coronavirus cases in Australia's aged care sector has surpassed 9,000 as the country continues to battle the wave of Omicron sub-variant infections in winter.

According to the latest data published by the Department of Health and Aged Care, as of July 28 there were 9,906 aged care residents and staff infected with COVID-19.

Of those, residents make up about 64 percent of cases and staff the remainder.

It marks an increase of almost 100 percent from more than 5,000 active cases at the end of June.

There were 1,064 active outbreaks in residential aged care facilities across Australia on July 28, representing almost 40 percent of the facilities in the country, up from about 620 at the end of June.

In response to the ongoing winter wave of infections, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells on Monday said she has written to her state and territory counterparts to ensure mask-wearing rules were being enforced strictly.

"That's all part of the winter plan that I've brought in to try and make sure that all aged care facilities, all of our older Australians and their families and the aged care workers that look after them, are better prepared than they have been in previous winters," she told Nine Network television.

Coronavirus outbreaks in aged care facilities have caused significant staff shortfalls across the country, forcing the government to extend military deployments to the sector until September.

The proportion of eligible aged care residents who have received four vaccine doses increased from about 60 percent to 78.8 percent between June and July.

Australia on Monday reported more than 25,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 15 deaths from the pandemic.

Villagers fill in their forms before receiving a dose of the Sinovac vaccine at a health center outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Feb 23, 2022. (HENG SINITH / AP)

Cambodia

World Health Organization representative to Cambodia Li Ailan on Sunday called on people to get their booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines as the number of daily cases has seen an uptick.

Thirty-six new cases were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on Sunday, lifting the national case tally to 136,789, with 133,517 recoveries and 3,056 deaths, the health ministry said, adding that no new deaths have been reported since April.

"We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases recently in Cambodia," Li wrote on social media. "Your health is precious. Get vaccinated with all doses recommended to you."

She said COVID-19 vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to prevent severe diseases, protect the health care system and ensure business recovery.

"Together, we protect the health care system and ensure a sustainable and successful reopening in Cambodia," she said.

Propelled by its high vaccination rates, the Southeast Asian nation has resumed all socioeconomic activities and reopened its borders to travelers without quarantine since November last year.

India

India reported 16,464 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,036,275 in the country, according to federal health ministry data released on Monday morning.

The case number decreased from Sunday's 19,673 new cases. Currently, India's active caseload stands at 143,989.

The country also logged 39 related deaths during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll to 526,396 since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry said.

With the increase in cases, the daily positivity rate stands at 6.01 percent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded 4.80 percent, the ministry data showed.

According to the ministry, more than 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the country, and over 875 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted.

An Israeli paramedic collects a swab sample from a child at the Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David) COVID-19 coronavirus testing center in Jerusalem on Jan 11, 2022. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

Israel

A nationwide vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for children aged six months to five years was launched in Israel on Sunday.

The vaccination will provide children "with an important protection layer against serious illness and post-COVID symptoms," said a statement issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health on Sunday evening.

The vaccine is especially recommended for children at risk of severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying health conditions that impair the immune system, the ministry noted.

The shots will either be three doses of the Pfizer vaccine or two doses of the Moderna vaccine, said the ministry.

Vaccination for children under the age of five was approved by the ministry's Director General Nachman Ash earlier this month, following a recommendation by a panel of experts.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan has recorded 1,091 new COVID-19 cases over the past week from July 25 to 31, the Republican Headquarters for Combating COVID-19 reported Monday.

It said that 911 people are receiving treatment at home, and 180 are hospitalized.

For seven months of 2022, a total of 19,028 COVID-19 cases were registered in the country.

In total, 203,776 cases have been registered in Kyrgyzstan since the onset of the pandemic.

Malaysia

Malaysia recorded 2,783 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Sunday, bringing the total tally to 4,680,053, according to the health ministry.

The newly reported infections included three imported cases and 2,780 local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.

Another nine deaths have been reported from the pandemic, taking the death toll to 35,969.

Health workers give a first dose of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine to a woman, part of the 65 years and older tier, at a school being used as a vaccination site in Yangon on Feb 5, 2021. (STR / AFP)

Myanmar

Myanmar announced the extension of COVID-19 preventive measures until Aug. 31, according to the Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment for COVID-19 on Sunday.

The extension is applied to all COVID-19 restrictions that expired on July 31, except the ones that will be eased, the committee said in a statement.

The statement added that the extension covers all orders, announcements, directives previously issued by respective government organizations and ministries in order to contain COVID-19.

The Southeast Asian country confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 614,092, official data showed.

The total number of deaths from COVID-19 remained unchanged at 19,434 on Sunday, as no new deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan

Pakistan reported 656 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

The overall tally of the infected people climbed to 1,555,247 across the country with the fresh cases, according to data released by the ministry.

A total of 30,488 people died of COVID-19 in Pakistan, with one more death over the last 24 hours, according to the ministry's statistics.

Singapore Airlines stewardesses walk past a giant lollipop candy display at Changi International Airport in Singapore on April 1, 2022, as Singapore reopened its land and air borders to travelers fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. (ROSLOAN RAHMAN / AFP)

Singapore

Singapore reported 5,106 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 1,714,056.

Of the new cases, 650 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 4,456 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

Among the PCR cases, 616 were local transmissions and 34 were imported cases. Among the ART cases with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 4,297 local transmissions and 159 imported cases.

Three more deaths were reported from COVID-19 on Sunday, raising the total death toll to 1,500, the ministry said.

South Korea

South Korea reported 44,689 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Sunday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 19,820,739, the health authorities said Monday.

The daily caseload was down from 73,589 in the previous day, but it was higher than 35,860 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 81,925.

Up to 21 more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 25,068. The total fatality rate was 0.13 percent.  

A man passes walks past a billboard on the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec 4, 2021. (NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)

Vietnam

Vietnam recorded 1,478 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down 192 from Saturday, according to the Ministry of Health.

The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 10,779,632. The country reported no new deaths from the pandemic on Sunday, with the total fatalities staying at 43,093.

As of Sunday, there were 50 severe cases in need of assisted breathing in the Southeast Asian country, according to the ministry.