China’s financial hub Shanghai said on Sunday it would reopen all schools including kindergartens, primary and middle schools on Sept. 1 after months of COVID-19 closures.
Shanghai to reopen all schools Sept. 1 as lockdown fears persist
Deaths and infections
Asia-pacific
More than 60,000 people thronged Sydney’s streets on Sunday for an annual road running event and mass party that returned for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
North Korea has dropped a face mask mandate and other social distancing rules as leader Kim Jong Un declared victory over COVID-19 this week, state media said on Saturday, three months after its first acknowledgement of the virus outbreak in the isolated country.
Mainland China reported 2,478 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 14, of which 770 were symptomatic and 1,708 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
Shanghai reported five new domestically transmitted asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Aug. 14, the same as a day earlier, while one local symptomatic case was reported, up from zero the day before, the city government said on Monday.
Economic impact
Asian shares turned mixed on Monday after China’s central bank trimmed key lending rates as a raft of economic data missed forecasts, underlining the need for more stimulus to support the world’s second largest economy.
China’s economy unexpectedly slowed in July, with activity indicators from industrial output to retail sales missing forecasts by large margins, pointing to a shaky recovery as Beijing shows no sign of easing its zero-COVID policy.
New bank lending in China tumbled more than expected in July while broad credit growth slowed, as fresh COVID flare-ups, worries about jobs and a deepening property crisis made companies and consumers wary of taking on more debt.
Japan’s economy rebounded at a slower-than-expected pace in the second quarter from a COVID-induced slump, data showed on Monday, highlighting uncertainty on whether consumption will grow enough to bolster a much-delayed, fragile recovery.
Thailand’s economy grew at a slower pace than expected in the second quarter, official data showed on Monday, helped by increased activity and a rebound in tourism as COVID-19 curbs were eased, but surging inflation remains a concern.
Carnival Corp’s major cruise lines will drop mandatory COVID-19 testing for vaccinated guests and allow unvaccinated passengers to travel without an exemption in some cases, the company said on Friday.