Covid-19 is once again making headlines in Asia, with Hong Kong and Singapore witnessing a sharp rise in infections, hospitalizations, and virus activity, challenging assumptions that the disease would slow in warmer months, Bloomberg reported.
In Hong Kong, authorities are sounding the alarm. “The virus’ activity is quite high,” said Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at the Center for Health Protection. The city recorded its highest percentage of Covid-positive respiratory samples in a year, and severe cases, including deaths, also climbed to a year-high of 31 in the week ending May 3.
Sewage surveillance, a reliable indicator of community spread, shows elevated viral loads, confirming that the coronavirus is circulating widely in the city of over 7 million.
Singapore, meanwhile, is grappling with its own spike. For the first time in nearly a year, the health ministry released a formal Covid update after cases surged by 28% in one week to an estimated 14,200 infections. Hospitalizations have jumped by 30%, and the government has reminded high-risk residents to stay up to date on vaccinations.
Though no new variant is to blame, health experts suggest waning immunity is allowing the virus to spread more easily. “There’s no evidence these strains are more severe,” Singapore’s health ministry said, “but they are still capable of disrupting lives and overwhelming healthcare systems.”
The effects are already being felt beyond hospitals. In Taiwan, popular Hong Kong singer Eason Chan tested positive and was forced to cancel his Kaohsiung concerts this week, disappointing thousands of fans.
Elsewhere in Asia, similar patterns are emerging. China’s CDC reported a doubling of Covid test positivity among hospital patients in the past five weeks. And in Thailand, post-Songkran gatherings have led to cluster outbreaks, according to the Department of Disease Control.
In Hong Kong, authorities are sounding the alarm. “The virus’ activity is quite high,” said Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at the Center for Health Protection. The city recorded its highest percentage of Covid-positive respiratory samples in a year, and severe cases, including deaths, also climbed to a year-high of 31 in the week ending May 3.
Sewage surveillance, a reliable indicator of community spread, shows elevated viral loads, confirming that the coronavirus is circulating widely in the city of over 7 million.
Singapore, meanwhile, is grappling with its own spike. For the first time in nearly a year, the health ministry released a formal Covid update after cases surged by 28% in one week to an estimated 14,200 infections. Hospitalizations have jumped by 30%, and the government has reminded high-risk residents to stay up to date on vaccinations.
Though no new variant is to blame, health experts suggest waning immunity is allowing the virus to spread more easily. “There’s no evidence these strains are more severe,” Singapore’s health ministry said, “but they are still capable of disrupting lives and overwhelming healthcare systems.”
The effects are already being felt beyond hospitals. In Taiwan, popular Hong Kong singer Eason Chan tested positive and was forced to cancel his Kaohsiung concerts this week, disappointing thousands of fans.
Elsewhere in Asia, similar patterns are emerging. China’s CDC reported a doubling of Covid test positivity among hospital patients in the past five weeks. And in Thailand, post-Songkran gatherings have led to cluster outbreaks, according to the Department of Disease Control.
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