Malaysia has extended is MCO national lockdown once again. Thailand has tightened restrictions in Bangkok. Jakarta, where I am based, is in a dark place, with cases surging, with that pattern being repeated across Java. In Australia, the Greater Sydney area lockdown was widened, and Darwin also entered a snap lockdown with the trans-Tasman air bubble suspended until the end of tomorrow. Milder restrictions in the Wellington area of New Zealand were all extended
Although much has been made about the vaccine progress in the US, the UK, and Europe, Covid-19 and its new delta variant remain a severe problem for much of the world. Nowhere more so than Asia, with Japan and Taiwan also dealing with persistent virus cases and Singapore subject to still-severe, domestic restrictions.
I have stated before that resurgent Covid-19 posed the largest threat to the post-pandemic economic bounce across Asia. We are not there yet, but if we are at this point this time next month, many economic forecasts will need to be revisited for surgery.
