Muscat: Health authorities in both cities are urging the public to stay vigilant and ensure their vaccinations are up to date, as the virus defies seasonal trends and continues to spread during the summer months.

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection has reported that Covid activity in the city is now at its highest level in a year. According to Albert Au, head of the Communicable Disease Branch, the percentage of respiratory samples testing positive for Covid has surged, with severe cases and deaths climbing to 31 in the week ending May 3.

Although the latest wave hasn’t reached the extreme peaks seen in previous years, a growing viral load detected in sewage water, along with a spike in Covid-related hospitalisations and medical consultations, indicates that transmission is actively occurring in the city of over 7 million people.

Singapore is facing a similar resurgence. The Ministry of Health, in its first update in nearly a year, reported a 28% increase in estimated Covid cases — reaching 14,200 in the week through May 3 — while daily hospitalisations rose by about 30%. The ministry emphasized that although the variants currently in circulation aren’t more severe or transmissible, waning immunity may be contributing to the rise in infections.

The surge is not confined to these financial hubs. In China, Covid test positivity rates more than doubled at hospitals over the five weeks through May 4, with the country expected to see a wave matching last year’s summer peak, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, Thailand has experienced two cluster outbreaks this year, with infections increasing after the annual Songkran festival in April, known for attracting large crowds.

The comeback of Covid during warmer months is a reminder that unlike other respiratory viruses, it can still cause widespread illness regardless of the season. Authorities across the region are reinforcing the need for booster shots, especially for vulnerable groups.