Southeast Asian residents celebrated the New Year 2023 with various activities in public spaces, despite several countries in the region still having many active Covid-19 cases.
Based on Worldometers data, on January 2, 2023, there were still 9,577 active Covid-19 cases in Indonesia. However, this number is relatively low compared to Vietnam, which has 870,776 active cases, the highest in Southeast Asia.
Singapore is second with 72,319 active cases, followed by Thailand with 38,705 cases, Brunei with 22,993 cases, the Philippines with 13,061 cases, and Malaysia with 11,871 cases.
Southeast Asian countries with lower active Covid-19 cases than Indonesia are Myanmar with 5,883 cases, Timor Leste with 146 cases, and Cambodia with 73 cases. Worldometers did not record active case data in Laos.
The high number of active Covid-19 cases in several Southeast Asian countries should be heeded. Moreover, there are local tourists currently traveling or on holiday to neighboring countries.
The public can remain disciplined in implementing health protocols by wearing masks, maintaining distance, and washing hands with soap. In addition, the public is urged to get fully vaccinated and receive booster doses to reduce the risk of severe infection and death from Covid-19.