Asia-Pacific, Africa offer citizens financial support

SEOUL－Countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa are delivering financial aid to help citizens cope with the coronavirus outbreak, even as they implement measures to slow down the spread of the disease.

South Korea is making an emergency cash payment to most families, and will draw up a second supplementary budget next month in a bid to ease the drawn-out economic impact of the outbreak, as the country saw a slight decline in new coronavirus cases.

After an emergency meeting with economic policymakers, President Moon Jae-in said an "emergency disaster relief payment" of up to 1 million won ($816) would be made to all households except the top 30 percent by income.

Moon said he would prepare another budget for parliamentary approval in April and some small and medium-sized companies would be partially exempt from paying insurance and utility bills starting this month.

South Korea recorded 78 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the country's total to 9,661.

Meanwhile, Japan plans to place a ban on the entry of foreigners who have recently been to the United States, China, South Korea and most of Europe, government sources said on Monday.

The measure would apply to foreign nationals who have been to any of the listed regions 14 days before arriving in Japan, Kyodo News Agency reported.

Separately, comedian Ken Shimura, 70, who attracted fans of all generations with his slapstick comedy and funny faces, died from COVID-19, becoming Japan's first known celebrity victim of the disease.

Japan said that as of Monday, 1,926 people had been infected with the virus.

In Iran, more than 58 million people have been screened for the virus, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Hossein Baqeri said on Sunday. He hoped that the entire Iranian population be screened in the coming days.

Kianoush Jahanpour, a spokesman for the Iranian Health Ministry, said on Sunday that Iran is developing a stem-cell therapy that uses mesenchymal stromal cells to treat patients infected with the virus.

By Monday, 41,495 individuals had been confirmed to be infected across Iran, and 2,757 had lost their lives.

Israel announced on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will enter self-quarantine after an aide tested positive for the virus.

More than 4,300 Israelis have been infected and 15 have died.

'Job keeper'

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday committed a A$130 billion ($79.9 billion) package to help save jobs, as shockwaves from the coronavirus pandemic rip through the economy.

The package includes a A$1,500 "job keeper" payment to be paid to employers every two weeks, for each worker under the scheme.

Australia's medicines regulator changed its rules on Monday to make it easier for small brewers and distillers to make hospital-grade hand sanitizer, citing high demand from rural hospitals and aged care homes.

Cases across Africa rose closer to 5,000 on Monday morning as the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,760 cases in 46 countries, including 146 deaths.

South Africa has the most cases with 1,280, but testing shortages and a backlog in that country could mean that the real numbers are higher.

Zimbabwe's three-week lockdown began on Monday.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.