Here are the latest developments from Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:
- Macau casinos suffer historic earnings plunge -
Macau's gaming revenue was virtually wiped out in April as casinos suffered their worst month on record owing to measures put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the tourist-dependent city.
Gross gaming revenue was $95 million last month, official data showed -- a drop of 97% from the $3 billion raked in during the same period last year.
The former Portuguese colony shuttered all its casinos for two weeks in February as the virus burst out of central China but while they have since reopened, anti-virus measures still mean mainland visitors cannot enter the city, leaving casino tables devoid of gamblers.
- Singapore moves migrant workers to empty cruise ships -
Singapore said it had begun moving migrant workers who had recovered from the coronavirus onto two unused cruise ships.
The vast majority of the city-state's new infections are in sprawling dormitory complexes housing foreign workers, many of whom are labourers from South Asia.
In a bid to reduce the risk of infection in crowded dorms, many migrant workers have been moved to other sites including military barracks and vacant apartment blocks.
- Australia considers easing restrictions -
Australia will consider early easing of coronavirus restrictions next week, as the number of local cases dwindled and the economic impact of the crisis fell into painful relief.
Authorities have detected almost 7,000 Covid-19 infections, but new daily cases are now close to single figures and some parts of the country have not seen a case in more than a week.
Millions of Aussies have seen their work hours cut and the unemployment rate is set to roughly double to 10% as a result of the national lockdown.
Malaysia will meanwhile allow most businesses to reopen from next week after the number of new infections slowed markedly.
