The coronavirus pandemic has affected Christmas worldwide: South Korea reported record daily cases, the Pope held a reduced Christmas Eve mass and China halted flights from the UK indefinitely. Thailand is considering lockdowns and Hong Kong extended quarantines for visitors.
The Tokyo metropolitan government late Thursday reported a record 888 new daily coronavirus cases, as concerns continue to grow about the increasing strain on the medical system as cases in the capital continue to surge. The last figure has surpassed the previous record of 821 recorded Dec. 17, bringing cumulative infections in the city of 14 million to 54,018. Since Dec. 17, the Tokyo metropolitan government has raised its alert level regarding the strain on the medical system to the highest on its four tier scale, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Hong Kong extended a compulsory quarantine by an extra seven days to 21 days for all visitors outside China, effective Friday, in stepped-up efforts to prevent a new variant of the novel coronavirus from spreading. Authorities also banned all people who have stayed in South Africa in the past 21 days from boarding for Hong Kong, Reuters said.
Hong Kong has already banned all flights arriving from the UK from Monday and the city said Wednesday two students who returned from the UK were likely to be infected with the new super-virulent strain of COVID-19.
In a statement early Friday, authorities said people who have stayed in places outside China during the 21 days before their arrival have to undergo 21 days of compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels.
"Noting the drastic change of the global pandemic situation with the new virus variant found in more countries, there is a need for the government to introduce resolute measures immediately...to ensure that no case would slip through the net even under very exceptional cases where the incubation period of the virus is longer than 14 days," a government spokesman said.
South Korea has reported its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections on Christmas Day as Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun pleaded for vigilance to contain a COVID-19 surge that has worsened hospitalization and deaths.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 1,214 new cases Friday, the highest daily count recorded, with a large outbreak at a prison in the capital, Seoul.
Tougher restrictions to stem new cases were taken this week including a ban on gatherings of more than five people and ski resorts and tourist spots have been closed in a bid to stop the spread during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Al Jazeera reported Friday.
In Thailand, New Year celebrations and crowded events have been prohibited in Bangkok and many provinces. The decision was announced by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration late Thursday as it announced a color-coding system to identify which areas were most vulnerable to Covid-19 outbreaks.
Bangkok has been declared an "orange zone" - and thus subject to strict measures. However, it has escaped a total lockdown.
In the Catholic-majority Philippines, some are choosing to spend the holidays alone because of the risk of catching the virus on public transport, as well as quarantine rules making traveling time consuming and expensive.
For now, Sydney in Australia still plans to ring in 2021 with its famous Harbor Bridge fireworks display, with New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian pledging the seven-minute spectacle will go ahead "no matter what."
