Covid-19 is making a quiet comeback in Asia, with fresh waves of infection being reported in several countries. In major cities like Hong Kong and Singapore, health authorities are now on the alert after a sharp rise in cases, while China and Thailand are also battling new outbreaks, prompting public health advisories and fresh calls for booster vaccinations.
Hong Kong is seeing its highest Covid-19 positivity rate in more than a year, according to Albert Au, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s Communicable Disease branch, who said the percentage of positive respiratory samples has reached new highs.
At the end of the first week in May, the city had recorded 31 severe Covid-19 cases, the most in a single week over the past 12 months.
More residents are also now seeking care at hospitals and clinics for Covid-related symptoms, marking a noticeable uptick in public concern, reports The Economic Times India.
The escalations are being attributed to waning immunity and increased travel and gatherings, say health officials, who are also tracking rising viral concentrations in sewage samples – a strong signal that community transmission is spreading.
Spike in Singapore
Singapore’s Ministry of Health recently reported a 28% increase in Covid-19 cases for the week ending 3 May, with an estimated 14 200 new infections.
Covid-related hospital admissions were also up by about 30% during the same period.
This is Singapore’s first major update on Covid case numbers in almost a year – a move the city-state usually reserves for major outbreaks.
Health authorities have ruled out the emergence of new, more dangerous variants. Instead, they believe the current surge is due to waning immunity in the population. The Ministry clarified that there’s no evidence of increased virulence in the current strains.
Officials are now urging older adults and immunocompromised individuals to get their Covid-19 booster shots, as these groups remain the most vulnerable to severe illness
China, Thailand similar trends
Both China and Thailand are seeing renewed Covid activity. In mainland China, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) reported that Covid test positivity rates in hospitals more than doubled over the five weeks leading up to 4 May. This sharp rise suggests that China may be headed for a wave similar to last summer.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, two major outbreaks have already occurred this year. The most recent spike followed Songkran, Thailand’s traditional New Year festival in April. Large gatherings during this public holiday probably contributed to the virus’s spread, according to the CDC.
Authorities in both countries are now encouraging the public to get vaccinated and take booster doses, especially for those in high-risk groups.
India stable
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India currently has just 93 active Covid-19 cases, with officials saying there’s no indication of a new wave in the country – at least for now.
However, given the increase in cases across neighbouring Asian countries, local health experts are monitoring the situation closely.
The regional surge is a reminder that conditions can shift quickly, and complacency could leave populations vulnerable, they said, with the rise in cases across Asia, especially during the warmer months, challenging previous assumptions about the virus’s seasonality.
Many had hoped Covid would follow patterns similar to the flu, which usually fades in summer. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Thailand are now stepping up efforts to share data, coordinate public health messaging, and promote booster vaccinations.
This wave is a clear sign: Covid-19 is not over, and the virus still has the power to disrupt daily life and strain healthcare systems, especially when populations let down their guard.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Increase in Covid-19 activity abroad
Singapore’s breathalyser COVID-19 test gets authorisation
Asian patients and palliative cancer patients at higher Covid-19 mortality risk — King’s College
Omicron spike puts China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policies under pressure