Asian countries continue to adjust preventative measures.
The first vaccines have been delivered, and the world stands at the very start of the global distribution process. The expectation that many people will be vaccinated by the middle of 2021 to the end of 2021 seems to be shared by many experts. Until then, we shall continue to do our best to manage life under the current situation.
This week, Thailand expanded the availability of it’s Special Tourist Visa to everyone worldwide and Taiwan moved Australia to the “low-risk” category of countries. Malaysia, despite rising cases has lifted the ban in interstate travel.
Cambodia cancelled the quarantine-avoiding ‘visa by sponsorship’ scheme and going forward, all foreign arrivals will be required to quarantine in government facilities. Hong Kong continues to implement preventative measures, requiring civil servants such as Immigration Officers to work from home which will likely cause some processing delays. Korea has taken further protective actions domestically in Seoul including the closure of schools. Australia’s ban on it’s citizens overseas travel for those without an official exemption has now been extended to March 2021.
Despite rising cases, many Asian countries continue to successfully balance blocking widespread community spread and a somewhat normal life. With the exception of three countries, in-person service delivery is happening across our service area. Because the Region offers an environment safer than many others, Asia is a good bet for re-starting relocation and global mobility programs. The World Economic Forum recognized the health and safety available in Asia and announced a location change for their 2021 meeting from Davos, Switzerland to Singapore. Per statistics available on the World Health Organization’s website,, on December 9th, Switzerland reported 4,246 new cases of Covid-19 while Singapore reported only 12.
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