Omicron BA.2 strain on increase in United States; Japan and Hong Kong relax restrictions

The WHO has repeatedly stated that the epidemic is far from ended, citing an increase of daily Covid cases in various countries, which has been hastened by the development of the highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron strain. France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are experiencing a new surge. China has tightened its restrictions in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.

Here’s a 10-point summary of the Covid increase over the world:

1. As the nation tackles the Omicron BA.2-led surge, China has instituted a stringent strategy that includes strict lockdowns, mass testing, and enforced quarantine in state buildings.

2. For the second day in a row, Shanghai experienced a record number of Covid cases. According to Bloomberg, which cited local media, 896 cases were discovered on Monday as the city became the newest Chinese hotspot.

3. France recorded an average of over 90,000 new coronavirus infections in the previous seven days, a 36% increase from one week before following the relaxation of limitations.

4. The UK opened reservations on Monday for the fourth Covid-19 vaccination shot for people aged 75 and older, as well as high-risk immunocompromised patients, as daily cases in the country continue to grow.

5. Germany is already establishing new infection rate records virtually every day. Austria has also reached record highs, while instances in the Netherlands have more than quadrupled since limitations were lifted, according to Bloomberg2.

6. Illnesses are beginning to rise in New York City, where BA.2 accounts for a higher proportion of cases than in other regions of the country, according to reports citing statistics from the main medical authority, the CDC. According to Helix, a genetics business located in San Diego, around 50 to 70% of all Covid cases in the US are BA.2. According to the results of testing conducted over the previous two weeks, the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is fast gaining traction in the United States.

7. The US Food and Drug Administration said on Monday that a panel of independent advisors would meet on April 6 to review the use of Covid-19 vaccination booster doses. Moderna is requesting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for a second booster dosage of their COVID-19 vaccine for patients over the age of 18.

8. Japan’s government dropped quasi-state of emergency restrictions in Tokyo and other parts of the nation, bringing an end to measures implemented in early January as cases continue to fall after peaking in early February. As of Monday, Tokyo had an average of around 7,500 cases each day.

9. Indonesia is also relaxing all quarantine regulations for fully vaccinated travellers in order to end two years of border closures, following in the footsteps of its neighbours in lowering entrance restrictions as Southeast Asia gets past the worst of the omicron wave.

10. Hong Kong will restart international flights from the United States, the United Kingdom, and seven other nations, according to the government, as it eased some of the world’s most stringent Covid-19 restrictions.