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A further 30 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Thailand, bringing its total number of cases to 177, as countries across Southeast Asian witness a fresh wave of infections.



A spike in patient numbers across the region – which initially recorded relatively few cases - has increased doubts over a theory that warmer weather may prevent the spread of the virus, Reuters reported last night.

People take a commuter ferry on the Chao Phraya River as some wear face masks amid concerns over the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in Bangkok on March 16, 2020. Photograph: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images

Malaysia, which announced sweeping measures to stop the virus on Monday evening, now has 553 reported cases, while in the Philippines, cases rose from six to 140 last week.



The Philippines has placed its capital region and the island of Luzon under lockdown, stopping public transport, closing schools and many businesses. The measures have caused chaos for those who still need to travel to and from work, Rappler reported, forcing commuters to scramble onto the backs of crowded trucks.



MovePH (@MovePH) WATCH: Commuters rush to ride trucks in Philcoa, Quezon City on March 17, as mass public transpo is suspended due to the Luzon-wide #COVID19quarantine. | via @jaegermaraester pic.twitter.com/RnISKU71nS

In Malaysia, all mass gatherings, including religious activities, have been banned. It follows a surge in infections linked to a gathering of 16,000 people at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur.



There is also anxiety about a recent Hindu gathering that attracted 30,000 people.



In Indonesia, the country’s most important Muslim body issued a fatwa stating that people should not attend Friday prayers if they live in an area which has a “high or very high transmission potential” but that people in areas with “low potential for transmission” must attend. So far, the country has recorded 134 cases of the disease.



Indonesian president Joko Widodo said on Saturday that he had withheld some information about cases to prevent the country from panicking, the Jakarta Post reported. He has rejected calls for a lockdown to be imposed on hard hit areas.



In contrast to other countries in Southeast Asia, both Mynamar and Laos have not reported any cases of the virus. Myanmar officials have denied suggestions that there are unreported cases.