Singapore Under The Grip Of Covid-19 As Cases Surge To Over 25,900
Singapore is reportedly facing a new wave of Covid-19 pandemic as the authorities recorded over 25,900 cases between May 5 t0 11. Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung said that Singapore is at the beginning of the wave as the cases are rising steadily. He also said that the wave might peak in coming two to four weeks.
Despite directing to wear the mask, the cases are rising high. In the week prior to May 5th, 13,700 cases was reported. This means, the average number of Covid-19 hospitalisation has reached 250, while compared to the 181 the week before.
The country”s Ministry of Health said that to protect the hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to transitional care facilities.
They were also aske to take back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home, an alternative inpatient care delivery model that offers clinically suitable patients the option of being hospitalised in their own homes instead of a hospital ward.
The Heath Minister asked individuals who are the risk of suffering severely 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.
Singapore said if the cases doubled over in pace for one time, it might have 500 patients at a time and the country is capable for that, but if it doubled over for a second time, the country may face a considerable burden on the hospital system. Ong said One thousand bed is equal to one regional hospital, and asked the healthcare system to brace themselves for what is to come.
Adding that imposing additional measures would be a last resort, Ong said there are no plans for any form of social restrictions or any other mandatory kind of measures for now, as COVID-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore.
The main variant of the virus is still the JN.1 and its sub-lineage, KP.1 and KP.2, which constitute to two-third of the cases in Singapore. The JN.1 is a subvariant of Omicron variant BA.2.86, and contains several mutations that are associated with escape from vaccine-mediated immune protection.
According to Singapore”s health ministry, there are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants. On May 3rd, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring.
(with inputs from agencies)
