On May 15, 2025
Health officials in Hong Kong and Singapore sounded the alarm after a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, raising fresh concerns about a potential new wave of infections in two of Asia’s most densely populated cities. Hong Kong’s Department of Health expressed concern in a statement early in the day, around 9 a.m. local time, saying that daily new infection cases of Covid-19 had doubled from the week before.
The dramatic surge prompted the government to put the territory on “high alert” as they prepare for a possible explosion of cases that could overwhelm healthcare services.
The spike, which was first detected around May 10, 2025, seems to be caused by the fast spread of a new subvariant of the Omicron variant, called BA. 5. The subvariant has been detected in most of the new cases in Hong Kong, and its elevated transmissibility has worried health experts.
Although hospital admissions have remained fairly steady — emergency rooms taking in a daily average of between 200 and 300 patients — as the numbers continue to rise, the situation could worsen if the virus continues through the region unabated, health officials caution. Singapore’s Ministry of Health published an update at 3PM (local time) on May 14, 2025, reporting a 20 percent increase in new daily Covid-19 cases in the week ended on the week.
This surge of cases has spurred the government to reintroduce / implant more stringent preventive measures such as reinstating mask mandates in indoor public areas and strict social distancing rules. The booster campaign will be ramped up to increase community protection and lower the risk of severe illness, the health minister stressed.
Both Hong Kong and Singapore have won global accolades for their handling of the pandemic, through aggressive testing, contact tracing and strict quarantine measures. But now, this recent surge demonstrates that the virus is far from gone, especially with the appearance of new variants that can escape immunity from earlier infections or vaccinations.
Officials in both cities are urging residents to remain vigilant, through regular hand-washing, proper mask use and avoiding large gatherings where possible. They also urgently urge those eligible to get their booster shots, and underscore that vaccination is the best weapon to avoid severe outcomes from Covid-19.
Travelers to Hong Kong and Singapore now face more stringent entry requirements, including mandatory Covid-19 tests taken before departure and upon arrival, and enforced quarantine for those who test positive.
The efforts are intended to stop cases brought in from abroad from adding to community transmission.
Epidemiologists caution that as international travel resumes and social restrictions are eased around the world, cities like Hong Kong and Singapore are still vulnerable to fresh outbreaks. They caution governments to keep a close eye on infection trends and be prepared to act quickly should the situation worsen. As of May 16, 2025 both cities are still on high alert with health department authorities tracking hospital load, infection, and vaccination rate to respond well in time. The restrictions-amgoemsong play a bit differently at street level: many Seoulites are apprehensive about the prospect of doing it again, but as one journalist who calls herself Byun So-ah told me — we had met briefly before in Seoul under better times — they at least respect that the government is taking it seriously.
This resurgence is a reminder that the fight against Covid-19 is still raging, an indication to the world that while we have made progress in recent years, the pandemic is far from finished. Ongoing collaboration between governments, health organisations and communities will be critical to address this new challenges and avoid a repeat of health systems asphyxiation, he said.
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