Fresh COVID-19 wave in Asia? Cases surge in HK, Singapore
What's the story
Hong Kong and Singapore are experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 infections as an outbreak spreads across Asia. Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch at Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, said that the virus activity in Hong Kong was now "quite high." This comes after respiratory samples testing positive for COVID-19 reached their highest level in a year.
Health data
Severe cases and hospitalizations at yearly high
Severe cases, including deaths, also hit their highest level in about a year, with 31 in the week ending May 3, according to the center's data. While this resurgence isn't as high as previous peaks in the past two years, rising viral loads in sewage water as well as increased COVID-19-related medical consultations and hospitalizations indicate active virus spread in the densely populated city.
Singapore update
Singapore reports significant increase in COVID-19 cases
Singapore's health ministry has also reported a surge in COVID-19 cases. The estimated number of cases increased by 28% to 14,200 in the week ending May 3 from the previous seven days. Daily hospital admissions increased by about 30%. Singapore only reports case updates when there is a huge increase. However, Singapore's health ministry said there's no indication that the circulating variants are more transmissible or cause more severe cases compared to during the pandemic.
Regional impact
China's COVID-19 wave expected to reach last year's summer peak
Furthermore, data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that China is heading toward a COVID-19 wave that is likely to reach last year's summer peak. Positivity rate of COVID-19 tests more than doubled among patients seeking diagnosis at hospitals across mainland China in the five weeks ending May 4. Thailand has reported two cluster outbreaks this year, with cases rising after April's annual Songkran festival.