A few countries around the world account for a large number of active cases of COVID-19. According to the reference website Worldometer, three countries make up more than 40% of new cases.
Two of those countries are in Asia — and both will soon loosen travel restrictions.
South Korea, Vietnam and Germany together account for about 4% of the world’s population, and more than 41% of its new COVID-19 cases.
That’s according to Worldometer, which has been tracking COVID figures since the outbreak of the pandemic.
South Korea’s new cases hit a record of more than 400,000 on Wednesday, as the omicron variant sweeps through major cities.
Despite the surge, the government is trying to encourage what it calls a “return to normalcy.”
More than 86% of the population is fully vaccinated — and more than 62% have had booster shots.
The government’s also loosening some travel restrictions. Starting next Monday, fully vaccinated travelers arriving in South Korea won’t have to spend any time in quarantine — up to now, most have had to spend a week in quarantine.
Vietnam is also opening up to international travel — although Bloomberg reports the precise rules for quarantine and testing remain unclear.
The country is also experiencing a surge in new cases — with the nation’s pandemic hotspot remaining in the capital of Hanoi.
