Across Asia, spike in virus cases follows Lunar New Year

By ZEN SOO
Associated Press

SINGAPORE (AP) — Many Asian countries are facing a spike in COVID-19 infections after the widely-celebrated Lunar New Year holidays, as health officials grapple with the highly-transmissible omicron variant and expectations that numbers will continue to rise in coming weeks. The Lunar New Year, which is China’s biggest holiday, was celebrated across Asia on Feb. 1 even as pandemic restrictions in many countries kept crowds and family outings to a minimum. Hong Kong’s authorities are confronting record virus cases that are straining its so-called “zero-COVID” policy. Elsewhere in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, health officials are reporting high infection numbers largely driven by the omicron variant.