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SYDNEY: Countries in the Asia-Pacific region reported record numbers of novel coronaviruses and new outbreaks on Monday (November 16), with Japan facing mounting pressure to reimpose a state of emergency and South Korea warning it was in a “critical crossroads”.
The resurgence of the virus in Asia comes at a time when travel restrictions are gradually easing in the region and will dim prospects for a broader reopening that would fuel the ongoing recovery in economies like Japan.
New daily cases in Japan hit a record 1,722 on Saturday, with hot spots on the northern island of Hokkaido and the western prefectures of Hyogo and Osaka. In Tokyo, cases have approached 400 in recent days, levels not seen since early August.
Analysts expect rising infections to slow the recovery in the world’s third-largest economy, which grew at the fastest pace recorded in the third quarter.
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Desperate to maintain economic momentum, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday that the situation did not justify reimposing the state of emergency or halting the government’s campaign to encourage domestic travel and tourism.
Japan first adopted a state of emergency in April and lifted it the following month. Since then, Tokyo has eased restrictions to boost the economy and prepare for the postponed Olympics next year.
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, met with Suga on Monday and said he was “very, very confident” that spectators will be able to watch the Games safely in stadiums.
News of a potentially successful vaccine from Pfizer has fueled optimism that the Games can continue as planned next year.
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In South Korea, officials reported more than 200 new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row on Monday, as the government considers tightening social distancing.
“We are at a critical crossroads where we may have to readjust the distancing,” said South Korean Health Minister Park Neung-hoo.
“The current situation is taking a very dangerous turn considering the increase in infections in daily life and the relentless rate of spread.”
REMINDER
In Australia, 14 new cases were reported in South Australia on Monday after a streak of months without infections in the state ended at the weekend. An official said the group was likely connected to a hotel for quarantined travelers.
Several other states imposed new border restrictions as the outbreak threatened Australia’s strong track record in controlling the disease, and no new infections were reported nationally for several days this month.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the new cases were “a reminder, even after a lockdown, even after all this time, the virus has gone nowhere.”
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India said on Sunday it would send doctors from other regions to the capital, New Delhi, and double test rates to contain record numbers of cases in the city of 20 million people.
While the daily increase in cases in India has been below the 50,000 mark for eight days in a row, roughly half the peak, Delhi has recorded more than 7,000 daily infections in recent days, a record high.
Indonesia, which has the highest number of cases in Southeast Asia, has reported new spikes after infection rates stabilized in recent weeks. It announced a record daily jump of 5,444 infections on Friday.
China, where the pandemic began late last year, reported eight new infections on Sunday, up from 13 the day before. China’s latest significant outbreak subsided this month.
Beijing is increasing testing of frozen foods after repeatedly detecting the virus in imported products, despite the World Health Organization saying the risk of contracting COVID-19 from frozen foods is low.
Taiwan, which has kept the pandemic well under control, is expected to announce tougher measures this week after a surge in positive cases imported from abroad.
Taiwan reported eight new cases on Friday, all imported, the highest in a single day since April 19.
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