SINGAPORE: As Singapore’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it “strongly encourages” people to wear a mask in crowded places, especially indoors or when visiting vulnerable people.
The ministry said on Friday (Dec 15) that the estimated number of COVID-19 cases from Dec 3 to Dec 9 rose to 56,043 cases, a 75 per cent jump compared with 32,035 cases in the previous week.
The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations rose to 350 from 225 the week before.
The average daily Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cases increased to nine cases compared with four cases in the previous week.
The vast majority of cases are infected by the JN.1 variant, a sublineage of BA.2.86.
“Based on the available international and local data, there is currently no clear indication that BA.2.86 or JN.1 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants,” said MOH.
“We urge the public to exercise personal and social responsibility. Individuals who are unwell with acute respiratory infection symptoms should stay at home until symptoms resolve, and avoid contact with others,” the ministry said.
It added that those who are travelling should wear a mask at the airport, purchase travel insurance and avoid crowded areas with poor ventilation.
“We urge the public to seek medical treatment at a hospital’s emergency department only for serious or life-threatening emergencies,” stressed the ministry.
“This will preserve our hospital capacity for patients who truly need acute hospital care and allow those with severe illness to receive timely treatment.”
MEASURES TO PRESERVE HEALTHCARE CAPACITY
The Health Ministry said it has been working with public hospitals for contingency planning, including ensuring adequate manpower and deferring non-urgent elective surgeries to maximise bed capacity for urgent cases in need of acute care.
“In addition, hospitals are tapping on step-down facilities like Transitional Care Facilities and alternative care models like Mobile Inpatient Care@Home (MIC@Home) to ensure proper right-siting of patients,” MOH said.
A second COVID-19 Treatment Facility will open this weekend at Singapore EXPO Hall 10, augmenting capacity at the existing facility at Crawfurd Hospital.
Together, they will be able to care for more than 80 stable COVID-19 patients who do not require intensive hospital care.
“If the need arises, the CTF (COVID-19 Treatment Facility) capacity at EXPO can be further increased,” said MOH.
MOH WEBSITE TO BE UPDATED DAILY
From Dec 19, MOH will update its estimated COVID-19 case count daily instead of on a weekly basis to provide the latest information on the situation.
“As COVID-19 testing is no longer routinely required in DORSCON Green, the number of reported COVID-19 cases is expected to under-represent the actual situation,” said MOH.
To get a more accurate estimate on the number of local cases, MOH said it calculates the estimated number of infections by taking into account the number of people who have symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) at the polyclinics, the proportion of polyclinic ARI samples that test positive COVID-19 epidemiological week, and the share of national ARI cases that are seen in polyclinics.
The ministry reiterated that vaccination remains Singapore’s primary defence against COVID-19 and it continues to be effective in preventing severe illness.
MOH said its analysis shows that hospitalisation rates are considerably lower among those who have kept up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination compared with those who have not.
“Our society has weathered several infection waves and emerged more resilient each time, and we can similarly withstand this wave with everyone’s cooperation,” said MOH.
“We urge everyone to play their part in protecting themselves and their families, especially seniors and medically vulnerable persons.”