Is Covid back? Here's what authorities in India, Hong Kong, and Singapore say as cases go up

Hindustan Times

20-05-2025

Covid-19 cases in Asia have seen a surge in recent weeks, with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand being the most affected. After the years of the pandemic, in which the world almost came to a standstill, the big question is whether Covid is back again.
India has remained largely unaffected by the recent surge in cases, with the government maintaining that the situation is under control.
– Covid cases in India: As per the data from the ministry of health and family welfare, India reported 164 cases since May 12 and the total number of active Covid infections in the country stood at 257 on Tuesday. Kerala reported the highest number of cases at 69, followed by Maharashtra at 44 and Tamil Nadu at 34.
– Review meet held in India: Experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, Emergency Medical Relief division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research, and central government hospitals held a review meeting on Monday under the chairpersonship of 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.
–2 Covid deaths in Mumbai, sources say: Mumbai's KEM Hospital reported two Covid-19 positive deaths, both patients having underlying serious health conditions, according to sources cited in a PTI news agency report. "One patient had oral cancer, while the other suffered from nephrotic syndrome. Both the deaths were attributed to their pre-existing conditions rather than Covid-19." ANI quoted sources. HT could not independently verify the report.
– Hong Kong and Singapore Covid-19 cases: While there is an uptick in cases in Southeast Asian countries, the Covid still seems to be in check. Authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore have urged caution but have also said that these waves were expected. The Singapore ministry of health and the communicable diseases agency said that the estimated number of Covid-19 cases stood at 14,200 for the week of April 27 to May 3, rising from the previous week's figure of 11,100, the Straits Times reported.
"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 posted on Facebook that periodic Covid-19 waves are "expected throughout the year".
– South Korea: Meanwhile, the South Korea's Disease Control and Prevention Agency extended its seasonal Covid vaccination period last month by two months, until the end of June. It advised people aged 65 and above to get inoculated with the JN.1 shot from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE.