Several Asian countries have seen a resurgence in new COVID-19 cases over the past weeks, prompting fears that the second wave has finally arrived amid reopenings and apparent recovery in some areas.
China Logs Highest Increase in Local Transmissions Since March
China on Monday recorded a total of 64 locally-transmitted coronavirus cases, marking the second time since March 6 that the country recorded the highest number of local infections. The country now has a total of 83,959 cases.
In total, the country logged 68 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. Most of the confirmed cases were in Xinjiang, with 57, followed by six in Liaoning. There were also over 30 asymptomatic patients that were not included in the day's caseload.
Xinjiang's outbreak started in July 15 in the capital of Urumqi. Before the outbreak, the capital did not have any confirmed cases for five months.
Tracking Down Xinjiang's Patient Zero
Xinjiang's patient zero is a 24-year-old woman who was an employee at a mall before getting infected. The authorities still have not determined how the patient contracted COVID-19.
As part of the efforts to hopefully track down the route of the virus getting to patient zero, the government has tested millions of residents in the region.
Aside from the Xinjiang outbreak, the Chinese government is also battling a separate outbreak in the northeastern province of Liaoning. As of July 27, there have been six confirmed coronavirus cases in the area.
Singapore Work Permit Holders
Over the past few months, Singapore's work permit holder community has accounted for most of the city-state's new daily COVID-19 cases.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said there were 359 new coronavirus cases as of noon. Of the new cases, 356 patients were found to be work permit holders who live in foreign worker dormitories.
There have been multiple outbreaks in foreign worker dormitories across the city-state since March, prompting the government to conduct widespread testing among residents.
As of Tuesday, Singapore has logged a total of 51,197 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Japan May Release Nightlife Establishment Names
Japan's minister of economic revitalization, Yasutoshi Nishimura, said on Tuesday that the names of nightlife bars or clubs should be released to the public if there are confirmed cases in the establishments.
Nishimura noted that confirmed COVID-19 cases in nightlife establishments as a result of weak or lax anti-coronavirus measures should be monitored carefully.
The Japanese minister's comments came following a resurgence of confirmed transmissions in hostess clubs and bars.
In some areas across the country, confirmed cases have been linked to nightlife establishments that feature closed spaces. It is unclear whether the locations have insufficient anti-coronavirus measures.
On Tuesday, Japan recorded 266 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. The country now has over 31,900 infections and over 1,000 deaths.
South Korea Sees Slowdown in New Cases
Meanwhile in South Korea, the situation appears to be on a downtrend. The country recorded 28 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the national infection toll to 14, 203.
The additional cases on Tuesday marked the second straight day that the country logged daily cases below 30. Health experts noted that the downtrend may be attributed to a slump in imported and local transmissions.
Still, the South Korean health authority remains vigilant as fluctuating figures do not mean the COVID-19 crisis is over, especially as the economy reopens and travel bans are lifted.
