Countries from Laos, Vietnam and Thailand in Southeast Asia, to those bordering India such as Bhutan and Nepal have reported significant increases in cases over the past few weeks.
In Laos last week, the Health Minister hunted for medical equipment, supplies and treatment drugs as infections increased more than 200-fold in a month.
Health facilities are under great pressure in Thailand, where 98% of new cases are due to the more contagious variant.
Military police patrol the `red zone` to ensure people comply with epidemic prevention measures in Phnom Penh on April 23.
Although these countries have much smaller populations and outbreaks than India, the spike is much more severe, signaling the risk of uncontrolled spread.
`It is very important to realize that the situation in India could happen anywhere,` emphasized Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe.
Laos is the country that recorded the most serious increase in infections compared to the previous month at 22,000%, followed by Nepal and Thailand, both of which saw new infections skyrocket by more than 1,000% compared to the previous month.
`All countries are at risk,` said David Heymann, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
The sudden outbreak in Laos, which recorded only 60 cases until April 20, shows the challenges facing some landlocked countries.
Laos has ordered a blockade of the capital Vientiane and banned travel between the capital and provinces.
Ali Mokdad, director of strategy at the University of Washington, commented that the situation was `very serious`.
Mokdad said the economic difficulties of developing countries make the fight even more difficult.
As the country’s public health system is under pressure, officials are trying to set up field hospitals to accommodate the `flood` of patients.
About two million students in Hanoi switched to online learning when Vietnam recorded 36 cases of infection in the community since April 29.
Cases of infection in the community appeared in major cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, along with northern provinces such as Ha Nam, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai and Hung Yen.
The cases involve a 27-year-old man who returned from Japan on April 7 and a Chinese expert who entered the country to work, both of whom tested positive for nCoV after a two-week mandatory quarantine.
In Cambodia, since the beginning of the current outbreak, more than 10,000 cases of community transmission have been detected in more than 20 provinces.
In Sri Lanka, authorities quarantined residential areas, banned weddings and meetings, and closed cinemas and pubs as cases surged to a record level after local New Year festivals last month.
After remaining largely unaffected by the pandemic thanks to strict border controls, several Pacific island nations are now suffering their first wave of infections.
`The recent increase in cases across the Pacific shows that we cannot rely solely on border controls but must deploy vaccinations,` said Jonathan Pryke, head of research for the Pacific region at the Institute.
Heymann said that developed countries need to contribute to ensure more equitable sharing of vaccines, test kits and medical supplies globally.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun wrote last week that vaccines are not the optimal solution, after the United Nations-backed deployment was delayed.
The Covax program that distributes vaccines worldwide planned to ship 1.9 million doses in the first half of this year.
North Korea says it has not recorded any Covid-19 cases but experts remain skeptical, given the country’s poor medical infrastructure and porous border with China.
In South Korea, about 3.5 million people have been vaccinated with at least one vaccine shot after starting the vaccination program on February 26.
However, a group of Korean experts warns that the virus will continue to spread because vaccines cannot completely prevent it.
Phuong Vu (According to Bloomberg)