As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a new wave is starting to ripple through Asia. While many countries in the region were able to contain and control the initial outbreaks last year, recent surges in new cases have prompted fresh concerns. Although this wave is considered to be mild in comparison to the previous ones, it has already prompted governments to implement new measures to try and contain the spread of the virus. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the current situation in Asia and what measures are being taken to protect citizens from this new wave of COVID-19.
Several countries in Asia are witnessing an uptick in Covid-19 infections, despite the fact that they have been treating the virus as endemic in recent months. According to news reports, Singapore registered the highest number of infections this year by the end of March 2022, with weekly cases crossing over 28,000, up from 14,467 a week earlier. Similarly, India recorded its biggest single-day tally since late-August, while Indonesia’s daily caseload is at a four-month high. Vietnam is also ramping up virus prevention measures after reporting 639 new cases in the past seven days, a roughly four-fold increase from a week earlier. Nonetheless, most countries are not worried since the fresh wave is not exerting significant pressure on their health care systems.
In Singapore, most mask mandates were lifted in February 2022, after the threat from Covid-19 was significantly reduced. However, weekly cases almost doubled by the end of March 2022, leading to some concern among the authorities. In India, hospitals and clinics have not seen a rise in admissions so far, but the country has conducted mock drills to check for preparedness, and a few states have imposed new mask mandates.
Indonesia has witnessed a rise in caseload over the past few months since the government eased mobility curbs. Daily infections reached 987 on Wednesday. However, President Joko Widodo urged citizens to take a second booster shot and reassured them that the situation was “still well under control” due to the country’s high level of immunity. Vietnam’s health ministry has ordered new preventative measures at schools and close monitoring at border gates to detect cases and prevent community spread.
Most countries in Asia are attributing the new wave to a mix of highly transmissible omicron subvariants, which so far are not causing widespread severe illness. Most people in the region have been vaccinated or previously infected, and governments have been counseling that new coronavirus waves are to be expected from time to time after the pivot to living with Covid-19 and dismantling many curbs.
The situation in the Philippines, on the other hand, has been encouraging, with cases plateauing since February, and only one Covid death recorded in March 2022. Overall, the region is treating the new wave as a mild one, and governments are not overly concerned, with most attributing rising cases to either high mobility or an increase in testing.
In conclusion, the fresh wave of Covid-19 infections in Asia is causing some concern among health authorities, but most countries are treating it as endemic and are not worried about significant strain on their health care systems. While cases are on the rise, most are attributed to highly transmissible omicron subvariants that are not causing severe illness, and most people in the region have been vaccinated or had prior infections. Governments are reminding citizens that new coronavirus waves are to be expected.
