Asia has witnessed a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks, with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand being the worst hit. Following the pandemic years when the globe nearly came to a halt, the question everyone wants answered is whether Covid is here once more.
India’s Covid Situation Remains Under Control
India itself has been relatively insulated from this recent wave of cases, with the government insisting that the situation is in check.
India Covid cases: According to the ministry of health and family welfare’s data, India recorded 164 cases from May 12 and the number of active Covid cases in India was 257 on Tuesday. The state with the maximum cases was Kerala at 69, followed by 44 in Maharashtra and 34 in Tamil Nadu.
Review Meeting Conducted in India
Officials of the National Centre for Disease Control, Emergency Medical Relief department, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research, and central government hospitals conducted a review meeting on Monday, presided over by the director general of health services.
“The meeting concluded that the current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control. As of May 19, 2025, the number of active Covid-19 cases in India stands at 257, a very low figure considering the country’s large population. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required,” an official told PTI.
Mumbai’s KEM Hospital saw two Covid-19 positive fatalities, both of whom had serious pre-existing health issues, sources told a PTI news agency report. “One patient had oral cancer, while the other had nephrotic syndrome. Both the fatalities were due to their pre-existing illness and not Covid-19.” ANI quoted sources. HT was unable to confirm the report independently.
Hong Kong and Singapore See Significant Spikes
Hong Kong and Singapore Covid-19 cases: There is an increase in cases in Southeast Asian countries, but the Covid still appears to be contained. Both Hong Kong and Singapore authorities have been calling for caution while also stating that these waves were inevitable. The Singapore health ministry and the agency for communicable diseases stated that the week’s estimated number of Covid-19 cases was 14,200 between April 27 and May 3, an increase from the last week’s count of 11,100, the Straits Times stated.
“After the resumption of normalcy, Hong Kong experienced cycles of active periods of Covid-19 every six to nine months. We expect the activity level of Covid-19 to remain at a higher level for at least the next few weeks,” the controller of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection, Edwin Tsui, said in a press release.
Last week, Singapore’s health minister Ong Ye Kung had written on Facebook that occasional Covid-19 waves are “expected throughout the year”.
South Korea Extends Vaccination Campaign
South Korea: In the meantime, South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency prolonged its seasonal Covid vaccination period in February for two months to end of June. It recommended individuals aged 65 and older get vaccinated with the JN.1 dose from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.
