Overview

• Hong Kong and Singapore are experiencing significant increases in COVID-19 cases, with high positivity rates, rising hospitalisations, and fatalities reported in mid-May 2025.
• Singapore's weekly COVID-19 cases rose 28% to 14,200 by May 3, with daily hospitalisations increasing by 30%, driven by subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8.
• Hong Kong recorded its highest positivity rate in a year, with 31 deaths in the week ending May 3, primarily affecting elderly individuals with underlying health conditions.
• Health authorities attribute the resurgence to waning population immunity and reduced booster uptake, though the circulating variants show no signs of increased severity.
• India remains largely unaffected with 257 active mild cases as of May 19, supported by proactive surveillance systems like the IDSP and ICMR to monitor and control potential outbreaks.