The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the number of Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia over the past 4 weeks has increased by more than 481% compared to the same period last year.
“The number of new cases recorded over a 28-day period has decreased in regions including Africa (decreased by 45%), the Western Pacific (decreased by 39%), North and Latin America (decreased by 33%), and Europe (decreased by 22%). However, the Covid-19 infection rate has increased in two regions: Southeast Asia (increased by 481%) and the Eastern Mediterranean (increased by 144%),” the WHO’s weekly epidemiological report stated on April 13th.
According to the WHO, over the past month, a total of 3 million new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded worldwide, with over 23,000 deaths from the disease.
Photo: RIA Novosti
New Covid-19 wave in Asia
The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported on April 13th that the country recorded 10,158 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
According to the agency, this is the first time the number of Covid-19 cases has exceeded 10,000 in 223 days since September 2nd, 2022. The total number of Covid-19 cases in India is now 40,215, bringing the total number of cases recorded in the country to 44,210,127.
According to the Indian Ministry of Health, the sharp increase in new Covid-19 cases is due to the Omicron XBB.1.16 sub-variant. However, this sub-variant is not a cause for concern and Covid-19 vaccines are still effective in preventing the disease.
The WHO stated that XBB.1.16 has appeared in around 20 countries. The WHO is closely monitoring this sub-variant. Most of the specimens of XBB.1.16 were collected in India.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, the number of cases in the last week of March rose to 28,000, more than double the 14,467 cases from the previous week.
In Indonesia, the number of Covid-19 cases has also been increasing in recent months as the government loosens travel restrictions, with 987 new cases reported on April 12th.
On April 13th, Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for people to receive booster shots, stating that the country’s high level of immunity has helped to keep the current situation “under control”.
In addition, neighboring Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, etc. have also reported many new cases of Covid-19. Prior to Asia, this Covid-19 wave had swept through Europe but now appears to be subsiding.
@Vietnamnet
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