Singapore faces new COVID-19 wave

Singapore is facing a new COVID-19 wave with a surge in infection cases in the last two weeks, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

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The wave should peak in the next two to four weeks or between mid- and end of June, he was quoted by local media as saying.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that to ensure hospital bed capacity and as a precaution, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to facilities like transitional care facilities or back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home.

Ong urged those who are at the greatest risk of severe diseases, including individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not done so in the last 12 months.

The ministry said the estimated number of COVID-19 cases in the week of May 5-11 rose to 25,900, compared with 13,700 in the previous week. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations increased to about 250 from 181 the week before.

Ong said that if the number of COVID-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its health care system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and “that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system”, he noted.

The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be free for all eligible residents, the official said, adding that over the next few months, the MOH will progressively expand the network of Healthier SG clinics offering COVID-19 vaccination to ensure its ready accessibility to the community./.

VNA