The World Health Organisation said countries in the Western Pacific — a vast region comprising nearly 1.9 billion people — have entered a new phase of pandemic response.

This is "the phase where governments will need to deal with multiple increases or surges, but in a sustainable way", said Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHO's regional director for the Western Pacific. He said governments will need to have earlier targeted responses to outbreaks, continue to improve health care systems, and promote healthy "new normal" habits that will help prevent the spread of the virus.