World starts tightening curbs again as variant strikes

The emergence of the Omicron variant has seen countries in Asia reimpose restrictions, just weeks after many had opened up amid hopes that they had turned the corner on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Grim warnings about Omicron overtaking its predecessor, the Delta variant, were borne out by its rapid spread globally.

Omicron was detected in South Africa on Nov 24 and as at Tuesday, the variant had been reported in 77 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia, according to the World Health Organisation.

With more than 5.3 million deaths globally in the coronavirus pandemic so far, policymakers across Asia are taking no chances, swiftly restoring measures such as flight bans and social curbs while encouraging their populations to get vaccinated.

In Malaysia, the detection of a second Omicron case prompted the government to ban large gatherings for Christmas and the New Year. Only small, private ones will be permitted as the authorities seek to stave off further contagion.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has indicated that a regimen of two doses will no longer suffice as proof of vaccination status in the country. Should those vaccinated fail to get a booster shot by February, their status will be deemed to be "incomplete", he said.

Singapore is mulling over a similar move.

The Malaysian authorities have also imposed a ban on flights from a number of African countries, and have designated others such as Britain and India as "high risk".

The Philippines, a largely Catholic country, has joined Malaysia in sounding the alert on Christmas and New Year gatherings. Indoor restaurants, gyms and cinemas can only operate at half capacity, while outdoor businesses are allowed 70 per cent capacity.

In South Korea, the authorities announced on Thursday the return of social distancing rules, 11/2 months after easing them under a "living with Covid-19" policy. The tougher measures coincided with a surge in the number of new infections and serious cases. Omicron was not entirely to blame for the surge, even though 148 cases of the variant were reported on Thursday, up 20 from a day earlier.

Curbs will be back from today till Jan 2, with gatherings limited to no more than four vaccinated people. Restaurants, cafes and bars have to close by 9pm and movie theatres and Internet cafes by 10pm, officials said. Unvaccinated people can dine out but alone only, or use takeout or delivery services.

China has also reported the first Omicron cases, which yesterday forced Dalang township in Dongguan city, one of southern Guangdong province's most important factory belts, and a suburban district in the provincial capital of Guangzhou to go into lockdown. The moves underline the challenge faced by the government in sticking to a "Covid-zero" strategy.

Japan said it detected more than 30 Omicron cases during airport screening and quarantine. The government now wants to speed up vaccine imports and shorten the interval between the two doses as well as the booster from eight months to six months.

In Indonesia, the detection of the first Omicron case prompted a complete lockdown of a health facility in Jakarta. The government has lengthened the required quarantine period for foreign arrivals to 10 days, from as short as three days, to curb the spread of the variant, Bloomberg reported.

The government remains wary of a potential virus resurgence following increased travel during the year-end period, even as it pared back planned restrictions due to improved testing and vaccination.

Tourism-reliant Thailand has so far confirmed nine imported Omicron cases. But the country has not imposed any curbs yet amid hopes over a return of foreign tourists to the country. However, plans to replace RT-PCR tests for travellers at airports with faster antigen tests may be shelved for the time being.

India has also detected dozens of Omicron cases, but with all of them showing mild symptoms, the Health Ministry has indicated that there is no immediate plan to authorise vaccine boosters. Nevertheless, the country has stepped up testing and surveillance of all incoming international passengers.

Worries about Omicron are even more heightened in Europe and the United States.

It could be the dominant variant in Europe by mid-January, causing a surge in cases and likely increasing the number of hospitalisations and deaths, European Union officials said on Wednesday.

Many EU countries have reintroduced restrictions and are scrambling to speed up vaccinations.

Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported that new data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the proportion of Omicron cases in the country has increased sharply and may portend a significant surge in Covid-19 infections as soon as next month.