HONG KONG, June 3 (Xinhua) -- South and Southeastern Asian countries continued to report spikes in COVID-19 cases Wednesday as India recorded its highest daily increase of 8,909 new cases, bringing the total to cross the 200,000 mark.
The number of confirmed cases rose to 207,615 in India, and the death toll reached 5,815, said the federal health ministry.
As many as 217 new deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, added the ministry's data.
Bangladesh reported 2,695 more positive cases, bringing the total to 55,140.
A total of 37 deaths including 28 men and nine women were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 746.
In Indonesia, the total cases rose by 684 within one day to 28,233, and the death toll increased by 35 to 1,698.
The number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines surged to 19,748 after the Department of Health reported 751 more infections.
The number of recoveries further climbed to 4,153 after 90 more patients have recovered, and the death toll also increased to 974 after eight more deaths were reported.
Malaysia recorded 93 newly-confirmed cases, pushing the national total to 7,970.
Health ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said at a press briefing that all the new cases are local transmissions, with 91 being foreign nationals and two are locals.
No new deaths had been reported, with the total standing at 115.
The Afghan Ministry of Public Health confirmed 758 new cases, bringing to 17,267 the total number of patients in the country.
Twenty-four patients died within the period, taking the death toll to 294.
South Korea reported 49 more cases compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. Wednesday local time, raising the total number of infections to 11,590.
The daily caseload stayed above 30 for three straight days due to small cluster infections from religious gatherings in the metropolitan area.
One more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 273.
South Korea unveiled the country's biggest-ever supplementary budget plan Wednesday to tackle an economic fallout from the pandemic.
The extra budget plan worth 35.3 trillion won (28.5 billion U.S. dollars) will be submitted to the National Assembly for approval, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In New Zealand, restrictions on businesses will be removed under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern explained the details as New Zealanders are seeing their lives returning to normal.
The country reported no new cases for 12 consecutive days.
The decision to move down to Alert Level 1 will be made on June 8, Ardern said, adding it was possible that New Zealand could move down to Alert Level 1 by June 10.
