SE Asians consider emergency powers, Singapore carrier grounds fleet

By Martin Petty and Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA, March 23 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian countries
considered more emergency powers on Monday to tackle the threat
of the coronavirus as Singapore Airlines SIAL.SI said it was
grounding almost all of fleet in the face of the "greatest
challenge" it has ever faced.
The virus has infected about 3,700 people across Southeast
Asia, with nearly 100 deaths, more than half of them in the
region's most populous country, Indonesia.
The Philippines has confirmed 396 cases and 33 deaths. But
health officials acknowledge limited testing for the coronavirus
means, that like Indonesia, its already overstretched health
system could be facing far more infections than the numbers
indicate.
Governments are scrambling to raise their defences with
border closures, entry bans and lockdowns.
The Philippine Congress held a special session to consider
allowing the government powers including taking control of
private utilities, telecoms and transport operators or
businesses in the public interest, and forcing hotels and other
venues to accommodate medical workers or quarantine people.
"It is a step we were reluctant to take, but the
circumstances and the experience of nations worldwide convinced
us that we have no other choice," Duterte's Executive Secretary
Salvador Medialdea told a near-empty Congress, with most
lawmakers streaming the session at home.
Duterte's has a supermajority in both chambers, so the bill
is expected to pass, although the opposition is concerned about
the scope of the powers and potential for abuse.
The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to
adopt lockdown measures, with borders closed to foreigners and
tens of millions of people in home quarantine.
But more are following suit as cases soar, with Vietnam and
Malaysia deploying soldiers to help with quarantines or to
enforce curbs on travel and gatherings.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the
government may consider extending movement restrictions by up to
two weeks, and would announce more economic stimulus to soften
the blow from the coronavirus and weak oil prices.
Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, has joined Thailand and
Cambodia in shutting bars, cinemas and entertainment spots.
Thailand reported 122 new cases on Monday, taking its total
to 721, a health ministry spokesman said.
Global travel hub Singapore, the small but most economically
advance country in the region, announced on Sunday a ban on
short-term visits and even on transit stops, after a surge of
imported cases, most in people returning from Europe and the
United States.
Singapore reported 23 new cases on Sunday taking its tally
to 455.
The scale of the disruption was brought home when Singapore
Airlines said it was cutting capacity by 96% and grounding
almost all of its fleet.
Shares of the airline, majority owned by Singapore state
investor Temasek TEM.UL , fell more than 9%, outstripping
losses in the broader market .STI , which was down 7% and on
track for its biggest daily drop since October 2008.
Globally, there are now more than 337,500 cases of
coronavirus and more than 14,650 deaths related to it, according
to a Reuters tally.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tracking the spread of the novel coronavirus https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>