Omicron caseloads have remained low in many countries in Asia. For now, many remain insulated from the worst, although the next few months are critical. Asia is bracing for a possible surge and making plans to step up vaccine booster campaigns.
“Once the pace picks up, its upsurge would be extremely fast,” said Dr. Shigeru Omi, a top medical adviser to Japan’s government.
“There are many people who don’t believe in this disease. They think it doesn’t exist. But I am very scared. I have children and a family,” he said. “If something happens to me, who will take care of them?, with a state leader saying Wednesday that “omicron is moving too quickly.” Elsewhere, Thailand has topped 700 cases, South Korea has more than 500 and Japan, over 300. China, which has some of the strictest virus controls in the world, has reported at least eight.
Taiwan, where wearing a face mask is near universal in major cities, has started to offer booster shots of the Moderna vaccine and is urging people get a third shot before an expected influx of people returning home for Lunar New Year at the end of January. Sinovac did not respond to a request for comment. Chinese officials have said their vaccines are still effective.
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