Asia Virus Latest: China Sued By US State; Northeast China Tightens Curbs

Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic:

India will introduce new penalties of up to seven years in jail and a maximum 500,000 rupees (US$6,540) fine for attacks against doctors and nurses, the government said late Wednesday, after a spate of assaults against medical personnel in recent weeks.

"This is a zero tolerance area," said Information Minister Prakash Javadekar.

The Indian Medical Association had planned a protest on Thursday against attacks amid fears from some that the virus could be transmitted by medical personnel, but called it off after the government assurances.

The US state of Missouri has sued China's leadership over the coronavirus crisis, prompting an angry rebuke from Beijing over the "absurd" claim.

Missouri is seeking damages over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the pandemic.

New clusters of coronavirus infections in northeast China near the Russian border led officials to tighten restrictions on movement as they seek to prevent another outbreak.

China has largely curbed the spread of the deadly virus, but there are growing fears of a second wave of cases and Heilongjiang province has emerged as a new front in the battle.

The region has seen an influx of imported cases, mostly among Chinese citizens returning home, but domestic infections have also been mounting -- prompting the sacking or punishment of several officials.

Prime Minister Imran Khan tested negative for coronavirus, Pakistan's health ministry said Wednesday, one day after it emerged he had met last week with a prominent charity worker who has since tested positive for COVID-19.

At least 34 crew members aboard a cruise ship docked in the Japanese city of Nagasaki have tested positive for coronavirus, local authorities said.

The Costa Atlantica first arrived in Nagasaki in January to undergo repairs, with top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga saying roughly 600 crew are on board.

Swimmers and surfers will return to Sydney's famed Bondi Beach next week, almost six weeks after it was closed amid a spike in coronavirus cases, officials announced.

But the white sands will remain off-limits to sunbathers, joggers and families in an effort to maintain Australia's strict social distancing requirements.

Singapore reported 1,016 new cases which took its total to 10,141, with most new infections linked to dormitories housing foreign workers.

The city-state won praise for initially keeping its outbreak in check but has been hit by a second wave of infections. The outbreak's epicentre are the dorms that house tens of thousands of migrants.

The government Tuesday announced an extension of a partial lockdown to fight the spread of the virus to June 1, with measures including school and workplace closures.

Eight babies and toddlers at a Tokyo care centre have tested positive for the coronavirus after a staff member contracted the disease, its operator said.

Tokyo Saiseikai Central Hospital, which operates the facility, said the affected children had been hospitalised, while another 21 tested negative and were under observation.

The top Islamic authority in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province says it will allow people to perform daily Ramadan mass prayers and prayers at night, in contravention of orders from the religious affairs ministry to curb such activities to fight the virus.

The Islamic holy month begins later this week.

Sri Lanka's health authorities have banned barber saloons and street food stalls as a new cluster of COVID-19 infections broke out at a densely populated part of the capital Colombo.

At least seven people have died of the novel coronavirus while another 322 have been infected in the Indian Ocean island of 21 million people.

Long lines of unemployed relying on free food across Bangkok, scrambles for cash handouts and fishing in fetid canals -- Thais are getting increasingly desperate as the pandemic destroys the economy and the government struggles to respond.

Some 27 million informal workers -- who lost their jobs in the tourism, entertainment, food and service sectors -- have applied for a monthly cash handout from the government, though only half have received approval.

More than 1,000 Philippine healthcare workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, with 26 -- including 19 doctors -- dying from COVID-19, the government said.