COVID-19 is spreading again in Hong Kong and Singapore: Record cases as summer begins.

Southeast Asia has recently witnessed a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in Hong Kong and Singapore, where the region's residents are facing a new wave of the virus amid warnings of its spread as summer approaches.

In Hong Kong, health officials have declared the start of a new outbreak wave after a sharp increase in infections, with the positive sample rate rising from 1.7% in mid-March to 11.4% currently, surpassing the peak of cases recorded in August 2024.

Albert Au, head of the infectious diseases branch at the center, confirmed that the viral activity in the city has reached levels not seen since a year, warning of the seriousness of the situation.

In Singapore, the Ministry of Health announced a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, with infections rising by 28% to a total of 14,200 cases in the week ending on May 3, compared to the previous week.

The ministry explained that the rise in cases is not due to the emergence of more deadly strains, but rather due to a decline in immunity among the population.

Officials also noted a 30% increase in hospital admissions, but emphasized that the situation is not a cause for concern at the moment.

It has been revealed that the most prevalent mutated strains in Singapore currently are LF.7 and NB.1.8, both derived from the JN.1 strain, representing over two-thirds of the genetically analyzed cases.

Singapore has not provided regular updates on COVID-19 cases for a while, only releasing numbers in case of significant increases in infections.