Covid cases surge in Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. India ramps up vigil

Covid-19 cases are rising again in Asian countries and cities including Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, China and India. The densely populated regions in Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Thailand are witnessing a spike in cases and health authorities have urged people to take new booster vaccinations.

The virus activity is “quite high” in Hong Kong where the percentage of respiratory samples testing Covid-positive reached its

The resurgence is still much less than the infection peaks of the past two years, but the rise of viral load in sewage water, medical consultations and hospitalisations suggests the infection is spreading rapidly.

Most affected places

In Singapore, both the number of Covid-19 cases and daily hospitalisations have surged.

“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.

Similarly in Thailand, Covid-19 cases spiked to 33,030 in the week ending May 17, doubling from 16,000 cases reported in the previous week.

The resurgence of infection followed the Songkran festival in April, which involved widespread gatherings and is believed to have accelerated transmission.

Cases are also rising in China, where the COVID-19 positivity rate has increased nationwide. The sudden spike in cases is considered a warning sign that China may be entering a wave similar to that experienced during the previous summer.

India has also witnessed a rise in Covid-19 cases in the past week, with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reporting 257 active cases nationwide. However, there has been no sign of an outbreak so far, with authorities closely monitoring the situation.

New Variant— JN.1

The cause of this surge of Covid-19 cases in Asia is the JN.1 variant and its related descendants, which are subvariants of the Omicron lineage. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated JN.1 as “variant of interest”, though not yet a “variant of concern”.

That suggests that authorities are closely monitoring the situation, but there's no conclusive evidence so far that it causes more severe illness like the other Omicron subvariants.

India ramps up surveillance

The most affected states in India are Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. In India, the government has ramped up surveillance. A high-level review meeting was convened to assess the domestic situation. Surveillance for respiratory illnesses continues under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and ICMR’s laboratory network.

“The Union Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely, ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to safeguard public health,” the ministry said in an official statement.