Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Asia-Pacific region - statistics & facts
The unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in December 2019 sent shock waves throughout the world. At the end of January 2020, the outbreak was declared a public health emergency and by November 2020, the pandemic had spread to 220 countries. As of December 2022, there have been more than 652 million coronavirus cases worldwide. After the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, the number of COVID-19 cases across the Asia-Pacific region increased dramatically. The respiratory lung infection can cause problems with breathing, which could then, in turn, lead to the contraction of pneumonia.
Due to extended border closures, the tourism industry in APAC was particularly affected. The region as a whole experienced a dramatic decline in tourist arrivals, which posed a threat to economies highly depended on their travel and hospitality industries.
Early measures and impact
In an attempt to control and prevent the further spread of the virus, lockdown measures were introduced throughout many countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This saw the closing of borders and banning of any non-essential activities. The Chinese government deployed a policy called zero-COVID, which aimed to completely eradicate the virus in a given area by implementing measures like mass testing, contact tracing, and area-wide lockdowns. As many APAC countries have a high dependency on Chinese business, the zero-COVID strategy's impact was an additional factor stunting economic growth across the region.Due to extended border closures, the tourism industry in APAC was particularly affected. The region as a whole experienced a dramatic decline in tourist arrivals, which posed a threat to economies highly depended on their travel and hospitality industries.
