A recent spike in Covid-19 cases is seen among Asian nations with the fresh wave exerting pressure on the healthcare systems.
The infections in Singapore doubled in the final week of March and reached a record high this year. India, on the other hand, has touched daily cases of 10,000, the highest in nearly eight months, while Indonesia’s caseload is near a four-month high, Bloomberg reported.
In Vietnam, the number of Covid-19 cases over the past week has quadrupled from the previous period and Hanoi is recording most of the cases.
Despite the rise in infections, nations are treating the virus as endemic as the virus isn’t causing widespread severe illness. The Asian countries seeing this rise have attributed to the new surge to XBB subvariants, which is a highly transmissible strain of Omicron.
The report said that most of the population in these countries have been vaccinated or had prior infections. The governments have also said that new Coronavirus waves are to be expected from time to time after the pivot to living with Covid and dismantling many curbs.
Singapore
Singapore is witnessing a surge in Covid-19 infections as the country transitions to living with an endemic virus.
The weekly infections this year peaked in March-end with over 28,000 cases, which was almost double the previous week’s figure of 14,467.
The country has already dropped most mask mandates in February, citing significantly reduced threats from the virus.
India
India, which saw a deadly second wave in 2021, reported 10,158 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths. The new cases are seen in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Kerala and other states.
India is already conducting mock drills this week to check for preparedness and a handful of states have also imposed new mask rules.
Medical experts have said the virus’ new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the surge and predicted that the cases in the national capital will peak in the next couple of weeks.
Indonesia
Indonesia’s Covid-19 caseload has also risen in recent months as the government has eased mobility curbs. The daily infections reached around 1,000 on Wednesday.
President Joko Widodo has urged citizens to take a second booster shot and said the country’s high level of immunity meant the situation was “still well under control”.
Vietnam
The Covid infections in the Asian nation has quadrupled from the previous period and capital Hanoi recording the most cases. The country has also seen a surge in patients being hospitalized also increased.
Hanoi recorded the highest number of cases with 67 cases observed from March 31 to April 7, up 44 cases from the previous week, a report in VN Express said.
Cases have also plateaued in the Philippines since February and there was just a single Covid death in March.
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