A world divided by Omicron: Coexisting with the virus or adopting a Zero COVID policy

Several nations have divided their response to Omicron by accepting the spread of the virus as part of a process of living with it while others are tightening borders and in-country restrictions in an effort to control it.

The West tolerates the variant, but the East strongly believes that a Zero Covid policy is the only way to escape a pandemic.

The divergent paths came amid a growing consensus that Omicron is far less likely to cause serious illness and death than the Delta variant, despite spreading much faster than its predecessors.

However, authorities in Asia have shown little appetite for easing restrictions despite high vaccination rates and mounting evidence of Omicron’s lesser severity.

In Hong Kong, which has followed mainland China’s strict “zero Covid” stance, authorities on Thursday banned flights from eight countries. They also reimposed strict social distancing rules, including forcing bars and gyms to close and banning restaurant dining after 6 pm.

In China, whose borders have been sealed throughout the pandemic, authorities in the city of Xian have imposed a harsh lockdown that has resulted in food shortages and reports of medical neglect.

South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore have mandated quarantine for practically all international travelers since last month, while Japan has banned entry to all non-resident foreigners.

Meanwhile in the US, the UK, and Australia, where record-breaking case numbers are fueling perceptions that controlling the variant is either practically impossible or not worth the economic and social costs.

In Australia, which implemented some of the harshest lockdowns and border controls earlier in the pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday declared the “days of lockdown are gone.”

In the UK, PM Boris Johnson on Wednesday expressed hope the country would “ride out” the current Omicron without further restrictions.

In South Africa, where the variant was first discovered, the number of deaths resulting from its Omicron wave was less than one-fifth of that witnessed during its Beta variant-fuelled wave last January.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan Kingdom suspended all international flights since November last year to control the variant, however, authorities are avoiding imposing a lockdown despite the surge of cases, for fear of further damaging the economy.