Death rates soar in Southeast Asia as virus wave spreads

Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous nation with some 270 million people, reported 1,449 deaths on Thursday, its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. Health care systems struggling to cope and governments scrambling to implement new restrictions to slow the spread, fuelled by the delta variant.

In the last two weeks, three Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India's peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation with some 270 million people, reported 1,449 deaths on Thursday, its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic. Malaysia's national lockdown measures have not brought down infections. The country of some 32 million witnessed daily cases rise above 10,000 on July 13 for the first time and they have stayed there.

In Myanmar's largest city, graveyard workers have been laboring day and night to keep up with the grim demand for new cremations and burials. Health care systems struggling to cope and governments scrambling to implement new restrictions to slow the spread, fuelled by the delta variant. Vaccinations are sluggish but have been picking up. There are also growing concerns that China's Sinovac jabs are less effective against the delta variant. Both Indonesia and Thailand are planning booster shots of other vaccines.

The vaccination rate in Malaysia remains low, with nearly 15 percent of the population now fully inoculated. The government hopes to have a majority vaccinated by the end of the year.