Overview

 -- Indian megacities Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases. So far, there has not been a corresponding rise in hospitalisations, but fears are growing about a spread to rural areas in the coming days.

India reported 90,928 new daily cases on Thursday, up nearly four-fold since the start of the year, mostly from cities where health officials say the Omicron variant has overtaken Delta. The bulk of those infected have shown no or only mild symptoms and have recovered quickly at home, officials said. read more

 -- More than 85% of Indonesia's population has antibodies against COVID-19, a government-commissioned survey showed, but epidemiologists warned it was not clear whether this immunity could help contain a fresh wave of infections.

The survey, conducted between October and December by researchers at the University of Indonesia, found Indonesians had developed antibodies from a combination of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations. read more  ...

 -- U.S. military bases in Japan introduced stricter COVID-19 measures on Thursday after the host government expressed grave concern about a surge in infections and called for restrictions on the movement of U.S. personnel.

Three prefectures that host U.S. bases have requested quasi-emergency measures as Japan faces what some are calling a sixth wave of infections, with cases in some places at their highest in months. One official has blamed U.S. military personnel for spreading the Omicron variant. read more 

Africa's top public health official said on Thursday that severe lockdowns were no longer the best way to contain COVID-19, praising South Africa for its approach when responding to its latest infection wave driven by the Omicron variant.

"We are very encouraged with what we saw in South Africa during this period where they look at the data in terms of severity (of infections)," John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news conference. read more  ...