From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Omicron wave that retreated in some areas of the world is still flaring up in parts of East and Southeast Asia, where caseloads are rising and some countries are enduring their worst waves of the pandemic, the W.H.O. noted this week, according to The New York Times.
Places including China and Hong Kong have kept caseloads low through strict rules, but the latest surge has worsened in Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.
The W.H.O. has also voiced worry about a subvariant of Omicron reported in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
The rise in Covid cases came as Southeast Asia reopened to international travel. After touch-and-go attempts to welcome tourism, Vietnam opened its borders to international tourists on Tuesday, with just a one-day isolation rule. Thailand introduced hotel isolation and testing, Bali dropped its quarantine requirement and the Philippines required social distancing in some areas but no quarantine.
The NYT reporter writes that travelers to the region can expect more paperwork, higher airfares, cheaper hotels and thinner crowds.
