Southeast Asia Covid-19 Tracker

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The following includes the previous week’s updates on government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia. For a PDF covering all prior government responses, click here.

Last updated July 21

National Responses to Covid-19 in Southeast Asia

Public Health Response

• On July 19, Brunei suspended all entry from Indonesia due to rising imported Covid-19 cases.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects Brunei’s economy to grow 2.5 percent in 2021 and 3 percent in 2022.

Public Health Response

• The Ministry of Health announced on July 14 that the gap between the first and second doses of all vaccines should last no more than 21 days.


• The Siem Reap Provincial Administration on July 15 extended its nighttime curfew through July 24.


• The Phnom Penh Municipal Department of Health on July 16 mandated that funerals for deceased Covid-19 patients be limited to no more than 10 individuals.


• Cambodia on July 18 suspended the entry and exit of skilled workers, technicians, and employees of Vietnamese companies along the border for one month.


• As of July 20, all foreigners living in Siem Reap Province are eligible to receive free vaccine doses.

Economic Response

•  No new updates.

Economic Projections

• No new updates.

Public Health Response

• The government on July 14 began a door-to-door vaccination campaign across 14 provinces.


• On July 15, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine, one day after Indonesia and Pfizer announced a deal for Indonesia to receive 50 million vaccine doses in 2021.


• Local governments, with the help of the Indonesian military, began distributing 600,000 packages of free medicine and oxygen to people self-isolating after becoming infected with Covid-19.


• President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced on July 16 that the government would scrap its Kimia Farma self-paid vaccination program due to public backlash.


• The government on July 17 extended Indonesia’s emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM) until July 31. Three days later, the government said the restrictions could be lifted earlier if a downward trend in new cases continues.


• Singapore announced on July 19 that it will provide over 500 tons of oxygen to Indonesia through regularly scheduled donations lasting until August.

Economic Response

• On July 21, state-owned power distributor PLN extended its electricity relief program benefiting consumers and businesses negatively impacted by PPKM restrictions until the end of the year.

Economic Projections

• The ADB on July 20 revised its 2021 growth forecast for Indonesia down to 4.1 percent from 4.5 percent. Its forecast for Indonesia’s 2022 growth remains at 5 percent.

Public Health Response

• The Lao government on July 19 extended a nationwide lockdown until August 3.


• Laos on July 19 received a delivery of over 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine sent by the United States via COVAX. This allotment is part of a previous pledge by President Joseph Biden to deliver 80 million doses of the vaccine globally.


• On July 15, the Lao government commenced the provision of second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The ADB predicts that the Lao economy will grow 4 percent in 2021, down from an earlier projection of 4.5 percent.

Public Health Response

• Malaysia’s Health Ministry on July 15 said the government will stop administering the Sinovac vaccine once its current supply runs out. Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines would remain open for private purchase.


• On July 17, the Ministry of Education said all schools in Malaysia will follow home-based learning until the end of August.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The ADB on July 20 revised its prediction for Malaysia’s 2021 growth rate down to 5.5 percent from 6 percent.

Public Health Response

• The New York Times on July 15 reported that the Myanmar army has been seizing oxygen supplies from private clinics and citizens for use in military-run hospitals, which cater to soldiers and their families.


• The junta’s State Administration Council on July 17 imposed a nationwide lockdown until July 25, including a stay-at-home order with exceptions for basic essentials, medical needs, and funeral services.


• On July 19, military officials arrested three doctors from a community-based Covid-19 response group in Yangon after luring them to a home by pretending to need emergency treatment. Soldiers subsequently raided the group’s office, arrested two more doctors, and seized their oxygen supplies.


• The Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organization, on July 20 announced a state-wide lockdown in Rakhine State, part of which it controls, until August 4.


• The Myanmar government on July 21 said it will receive 6 million Covid-19 vaccines from China by August, with the first million to arrive the last week of July.

Economic Response 

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• Myanmar lost an estimated 1.2 million jobs in the second quarter of 2021 following the military coup that paralyzed an economy already weakened by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the International Labor Organization.

Public Health Response

• The Philippines received 250,000 Moderna vaccine doses on July 15 as part of a deal with the company for 20 million doses in total.


• The Philippines on July 16 received 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses through a tripartite agreement between the government, AstraZeneca, and over 500 private companies.


• The Philippine government on July 16 insistuted a travel ban on passengers from Indonesia or with recent travel history to Indonesia until the end of the month.


• On July 16 and 17, the United States delivered 3.2 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the Philippines through COVAX.


• The Philippines received 1.5 million Sinovac vaccines on July 17.


• The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command donated 420 intensive care unit beds to the Philippines on July 20.


• The Philippines received over 550,000 Pfizer vaccine doses on July 21 as part of a deal with the company for 40 million doses in total.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The ADB on July 20 maintained its projections of 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent economic growth for the Philippines in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Public Health Response

• Singapore's health ministry on July 18 “strongly” advised unvaccinated individuals, especially the elderly, to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks.


• Singapore on July 18 announced the temporary closure of its primary seafood import hub, the Jurong Fishery Port, due to a Covid-19 cluster. The port receives approximately 30 percent of Singapore’s total seafood imports.


• A Hong Kong government spokesperson said on July 20 that the long-awaited quarantine-free travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will be reviewed in August, when Covid-19 conditions are expected to be more favorable.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The ADB on July 19 raised Singapore's growth projection for 2021 to 6.3 percent, up from 6.0 percent previously. The ADB expects 4.1 percent growth in 2022.

Public Health Response

• Thailand’s cabinet on July 14 approved a proposal allowing migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar to stay and work in the country until July 2022.


• Beginning July 15, the Chulabhorn Royal Academy will make available an online application to order Sinopharm vaccines in batches of 30,000 to 50,000.


• AstraZeneca on July 15 issued a request to Thailand to extend the timeline for its delivery of 61 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by five months.


• Thailand on July 15 reopened the islands of Samui, Tao, and Phangan to vaccinated foreign tourists.


• Thailand’s Covid-19 task force on July 16 approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine as the second dose for individuals who had previously received Sinovac for their first dose.


• Thailand on July 17 imposed a nationwide ban on public gatherings.


• Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on July 17 instructed the Thai armed forces and national police to carry out door-to-door testing for Covid-19 in Bangkok.


• The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand on July 18 banned commercial domestic flights to “dark red zone” provinces hit hardest by the pandemic.


• Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on July 20 announced it would establish checkpoints in the country’s dark red zone provinces to curb the movement of people.


• Thailand on July 20 signed a supply agreement with Pfizer for 20 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.


• Thailand on July 20 extended its nationwide state of emergency for two months until the end of September.


• Thailand’s Department of Disease Control on July 21 approved the provision of Covid-19 vaccines to pregnant women and foreigners.


• Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute on July 21 announced that the country will join the COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme as a recipient country.

Economic Response

• Thailand on July 20 cut the spending budget for its e-voucher cashback scheme aimed at boosting consumer spending during the pandemic.

Economic Projections

• The ADB projects that Thailands’s GDP will grow 2 percent in 2021, down from an earlier projection of 3 percent growth.

Public Health Response

• Japan’s minister of foreign affairs Toshemitsu Motegi announced on July 13 that Japan will donate 170,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Timor-Leste through COVAX. These are expected to arrive by August 2.


• On July 16, Timor-Leste announced that it expects to receive over 300,000 AstraZeneca doses from Australia through COVAX by August 2.


• Timor-Leste on July 21 received 12,000 AstraZeneca doses from Portugal through COVAX.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• No new updates.

Public Health Response

• Vietnam on July 15 approved Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use.


• Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan on July 17 announced that Vietnam expects at least one of its domestically devloped Covid-19 vaccines to enter production by the end of 2021. Nanocovax and COVIVAC, two of Vietnam’s domestic candidates, are in clinical trials.


• On July 18, Vietnam imposed a two-week lockdown on 16 southern provinces as Covid-19 cases increase in the region.


• Vietnam’s pharmaceutical company Vabiotech on July 21 produced a test batch of the Sputnik V vaccine, which will be shipped to its Russian developer Gamaleya Center for quality control.

Economic Response

• No new updates.

Economic Projections

• The ADB predicts that Vietnam’s economy will grow by 5.8 percent in 2021, down from a previous projection of 6.7 percent. The ADB projects 7 percent growth in 2022.

• No new updates.

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International Assistance to Southeast Asia

• The Myanmar government on July 21 said it will receive 6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses from China by August, with the first million set to arrive the last week of July.

Non-government Chinese aid:

• No new updates.

• On July 16 and 17, the United States delivered 3.2 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the Philippines through COVAX. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on July 20 donated 420 intensive care unit beds to the Philippines.


• On July 19, the United States delivered 1 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson  vaccine through COVAX.

Non-government U.S. aid:

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• Japan’s minister of foreign affairs Toshemitsu Motegi announced on July 13 that Japan will donate 170,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Timor-Leste through COVAX. These are expected to arrive by August 2.


• Japan in mid-July donated 30 ambulances to Cambodia.

• No new updates.

• The Cambodian government on July 17 pledged to donate medical equipment and $350,000 to Vietnam to mitigate the Covid-19 outbreak.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

• Portugal on July 21 delivered 12,000 AstraZeneca doses to Timor-Leste through COVAX.

• No new updates.

• No new updates.

World Bank

• No new updates.

International Monetary Fund

• No new updates.

Asian Development Bank

• No new updates.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

• No new updates.

United Nations

• The UN country team in Myanmar announced on July 19 that it is working to address the country’s oxygen shortage through the procurement of oxygen concentrators. The United Nations is also working to address Myanmar’s vaccine shortage by facilitating procurement through COVAX.

COVAX

• No new updates.

CSIS Analysis

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The Latest on Covid-19 Southeast Asia: June 24, 2021

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International condemnation of the military junta in Myanmar has mounted in recent weeks.

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The Latest on Covid-19 Southeast Asia: June 10, 2021

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The first week of June included the administration’s two most visible diplomatic initiatives in Southeast Asia to-date.

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The Latest on Covid-19 Southeast Asia: May 27 2021

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Recent events reflect a grim reality in Southeast Asia: the pandemic is worsening just as nascent vaccine rollouts had many citizens hoping the worst was over. This spells trouble even for countries like Singapore and Vietnam which have handled the pandemic relatively well.

The CSIS Southeast Asia Program is committed to delivering timely and relevant analysis during the Covid-19 pandemic.