COVID-19 cases spike again in Singapore, Hong Kong. Cause of concern for India?

A fresh COVID-19 wave is sweeping across parts of Southeast Asia, triggering concerns over the virus’s resurgence. Hong Kong and Singapore are witnessing a sharp rise in cases, hospitalisations, and even fatalities, marking the first major uptick in nearly a year, as per a Bloomberg report.

With countries like China and Thailand also registering an increase in infections, questions are being raised about how far this wave could spread — and whether India should be on alert.

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As of now, there’s little cause for alarm back home. India currently reports only 93 active COVID-19 cases, according to the official dashboard of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. So far, there are no signs of a new wave in the country.

Casualties in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, COVID-19 activity has climbed to a “quite high” level, said Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at the Centre for Health Protection. Respiratory samples testing positive for the virus have reached their highest point in a year. The resurgence is visible in multiple indicators — rising viral loads in sewage, a spike in hospital visits, and an increase in severe cases and deaths. In the week ending May 3, Hong Kong reported 31 fatalities linked to COVID-19.

The impact has already touched public life. Popular singer Eason Chan cancelled his performances in Taiwan after testing positive for the virus, according to a statement on the concert’s official Weibo page.

28 pc jump in Singapore

Singapore, meanwhile, reported a 28% jump in estimated COVID-19 cases, with numbers reaching 14,200 in the first week of May. Hospitalisations surged by around 30% in the same period. The health ministry noted this as the country's first significant update in nearly a year.

While the increase in cases could be due to factors including waning population immunity, there is no indication that the circulating variants are more transmissible — or cause more severe cases — than during the pandemic, Singapore’s health ministry said.

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Unlike other respiratory pathogens that tend to be more active during colder months, COVID’s comeback just as much of the northern hemisphere enters into summer shows the virus can still sicken a large swath of the population even when the weather is hot, said the report.

Similar trend in China

China is also witnessing similar trends, with test positivity rates in hospitals more than doubling in the five weeks leading up to May 4, according to the Chinese CDC. In Thailand, clusters of infections have emerged after the Songkran festival in April.

Regional health authorities are now urging vulnerable populations to stay updated on their vaccinations to reduce the wave’s impact.