Policy Alert #243 | January 13, 2022
The Rising Powers have largely managed to keep the highly contagious Omicron at bay even as the variant rages in other parts of the world, but they are now bracing for what may be an inevitable surge.
China
On January 12, 2022, China reported 190 new confirmed coronavirus cases, down from 221 a day earlier, according to the National Health Commission. China is clinging to its “zero-COVID” strategy and further tightening restrictions as Omicron spreads. China quarantines those arriving from abroad for weeks, depending on the province, with three weeks being the most common.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian acknowledged the omicron variant will “pose some challenge… to prevent and control the virus.” However, Lijian conveyed his country’s confidence to host the Winter Olympics as scheduled, “smoothly and successfully.”
Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, has been on lockdown since December 22, 2021 after a delta outbreak. Recently, the city of Tianjin went under partial lockdown amid an Omicron outbreak. Beijing’s proximity – 80 miles northwest of Tianjin – is a particular concern for Chinese political leaders ahead of the Winter Olympics.
- In an op-ed for the independent South China Morning Post, political economy reporter Ji Siqi scrutinizes China’s “zero-COVID-19 policy”: “While the strategy proved a success early in the pandemic, a more transmissible variant in Omicron, the rising costs of lockdowns, soft domestic consumption, a deteriorating fiscal situation, and increasing dissatisfaction among its population are causing diminishing benefits for China.”
- The state-run China Daily vindicates the Chinese government’s zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19 amid the emergence of Omicron: “Efforts by some Western countries to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions have undermined their claims that the approach adopted by China is not sustainable.”
India
In India, which has been recovering from a devastating COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, Omicron is once again raising fears, with more than 700 cases reported. In December 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the nation to be vigilant and follow medical guidelines. “The fight against the pandemic is not over…and the need for continued adherence to COVID safe behavior is of paramount importance even today,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, swiftly introduced night curfews, shut down movie theaters, and slashed restaurants and public transport to half capacity in the new year.
- In an op-ed for the business-focused The Economic Times, consulting editor Swaminathan Aiyar argues the biggest mistake India can make in fighting Omicron is imposing another lockdown: “Many in India will call for stringent lockdowns…. this would be a mistake. Many global studies…have concluded that lockdowns have more negative than positive effects and can deepen rather than alleviate misery.”
- In an op-ed for the centrist Hindustan Times, journalist Poulomi Ghosh believes Omicron is not as much a cause for concern as other variants: “India will see a rise in COVID-19 cases, which may be termed as the third wave, but its impact will not be as severe as that of the first and the second waves.”
- In an op-ed for the pro-ruling party Daily Pioneer, journalist Archana Jyoti warns the general perception that Omicron is ‘mild’ should not be taken at face value: “We cannot dismiss Omicron as mild since the sheer number of predicted cases may overwhelm the health system.”
Japan
Japan managed to delay the spread of Omicron for about a month largely thanks to its reimposition of entry restrictions. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced, “we will assume the worst and implement the greatest possible measures,” explaining that “it is better to do too much than too little.” But the first locally transmitted cases were confirmed in late-December 2021. Japan plans to maintain its strict border restrictions of barring almost all new entries by foreign nationals until late February.
The U.S. military forces in Japan have come under fire for their failure to conduct PCR tests before flying U.S. personnel to Japan. On January 6, 2022, a record total of 981 newly confirmed cases excluding those among U.S. service members were reported in Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki blasted the U.S. military for allowing Omicron to spill over to the civilian population. In a news conference on January 2, 2022, Tamaki expressed, “I am outraged because the sharp increase in the number of infected… suggests that their [U.S. military personnel] management is insufficient.” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 6, 2022 and asked him to strengthen measures at U.S. military bases, including restricting outings of people tied to the U.S. military.
- In a commentary for the centrist Japan Times, contributing writer Brad Glosserman opines that Omicron is the price we pay for vaccine inequality: “Global divide between vaccine haves and have-nots will ensure future COVID-19 variants.”
Russia
Russia is set to face a new surge of coronavirus infections in the new year as Omicron sweeps through an under-vaccinated population. President Vladimir Putin stated Russia has just a “few weeks” to prepare for a new wave of infections. Just 46% of Russians are fully vaccinated as vaccine skepticism has been high since the country launched its mass vaccination campaign in December 2020. The Kremlin has frequently expressed frustration at the slow uptake of the domestically-made Sputnik V vaccine, with many citing distrust of the authorities and fear of new medical products.
