APIC Webinar | The Covid-19 East-West Divide: Is Asia too cautious?

After the COVID-19 Delta variant swept the globe in mid-2021, many countries relaxed restrictions late in the year, believing that the pandemic was almost behind them. However, the Omicron wave has led to a lot of uncertainty in terms of the contagion rate, as well as social and economic costs. While countries in the West have loosened restrictions, the Asia Pacific region continues to take a cautious stance. The pandemic raises questions about whether border controls and strict social distancing rules -- although credited with achieving some of the world’s lowest death tolls -- inflict growing social and economic costs. Immunology and public health experts from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines discuss gaps, trade-offs and benefits of Asia’s response to the pandemic in this instalment of the series.