Is Asia really lagging? The Covid-19 pandemic finish line may be farther than we think

Other regions appear to have left Asia in the dust in the race to put the pandemic behind us. Time will tell.

Other regions (top row) appear to have left Asia in the dust in the dash to normalcy. PHOTOS: CHONG JUN LIANG, AFP, BLOOMBERG, EPA-EFE, REUTERS
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Across the Asia-Pacific, where several countries have witnessed alarming new Covid-19 outbreaks in recent weeks and governments have been forced to reimpose harsh anti-virus restrictions, people are gazing in envy at those on the other side of the globe.

In the United States, fully vaccinated Americans - nearly half the population - are revelling in their newfound freedom. They are hopping onto planes, cramming into stadiums, flocking to malls and hosting celebratory parties to send off a miserable year of having been forced to stay apart. Best of all, they are casting off their masks.

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