BEIJING, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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DHAKA -- Bangladesh reported 1,541 new COVID-19 cases and 22 new deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 345,805 and total deaths to 4,881, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

The official data showed that 12,730 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

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HANOI -- Vietnam reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 1,068 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to the Ministry of Health.

The two cases, who are both 36 years old, have recently entered Vietnam from abroad and were quarantined upon arrival, said the ministry.

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MANILA -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended a state of calamity for a year amid the spike of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country, the government said on Friday.

Duterte declared a state of national calamity for six months in mid-March as the country strengthened its response to the pandemic.

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HARARE -- Zimbabwe has not recorded a new case of COVID-19 death over the past six days, its longest period since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in March.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care released on Friday, the country last reported COVID-19 related deaths on Sept. 11, when the toll reached 224.

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TOKYO -- Japan's lower house of parliament announced on Friday afternoon that a member from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first lawmaker in the country infected with the coronavirus.

Shuichi Takatori, who had been a special aide of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, developed a fever of more than 37 degrees on Friday morning, which has since subsided, and the results of an antigen test came back positive, said his office.

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BEIJING -- China has encouraged disease control and prevention centers to actively provide novel coronavirus nucleic acid tests as social services to better meet the need of people who require testing, according to a recent circular.

The renovation and expansion of laboratories, equipment and facilities outfitting, as well as personnel training, among others, should be carried out in accordance with regulations, read the circular issued by the State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism against COVID-19.

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MALE -- The Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) of the Maldives has urged citizens to report gatherings that violate health regulations, as the country's COVID-19 case count approached 9,500, local media reported here Friday.

HEOC Epidemiologist Dr. Ibrahim Afzal warned that greater action may be taken against individuals who violate health regulations that limit public gatherings to below five people in order to control the spread of COVID-19. Enditem

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