Indonesia issues Covid-19 warning over surge in cases in Asia
There has been a rise in Covid-19 cases in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong as health officials warn about new strains emerging
The dominant Covid-19 variants were XEC and JN.1 in Thailand, LF.7 and NB.1.8 in Singapore, JN.1 in Hong Kong, and XEC in Malaysia, said Murti Utami, the ministry’s acting director of disease control.
“However, the infection transmission and the death rate are still relatively low,” she added.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia fell from 28 to three over a week in May, according to a report by the Antara news agency.
The health ministry has urged medical institutions to implement timely measures to address the surge in Covid-19 cases across Asia, such as issuing public alerts and putting in place early detection processes. It also advised the public to use masks in crowded areas and seek medical advice for respiratory problems.
Thailand recorded 65,880 Covid-19 cases and three deaths in the last week of May, according to a Bangkok Post report citing Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, who said on Monday that the outbreak was easing from its yearly peak.