Singapore is following the XBB strain of Covid-19 “very closely” but there is no indication that the new subvariant is causing more severe consequences, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday.
“XBB demonstrates characteristics that make it dominate over all other subvariants. It has been detected in many parts of the world, but in Singapore it is emerging very. . . In three weeks, out of nowhere, it now accounts for more than a portion of all daily cases. Said.
“But so far, the smart thing is that there is no evidence that this is leading to more serious consequences,” the minister quoted the minister as saying to Channel News Asia.
Singapore reported 11,732 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, but the Ministry of Health said it was taking action against rumours circulating via WhatsApp about an immediate and significant build-up of severe illness and deaths from the XBB strain, another subvariant of Omicron.
The Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that it will launch the Online Falsehood and Manipulation Protection Act (Pofma) action in opposition to rumours circulating via WhatsApp that Singapore is experiencing an immediate and significant increase in cases of severe illness and deaths from the circulating XBB strain.
“That’s true. We are launching a POFMA action against such lies,” Channel News Asia quoted the Health Ministry as saying.
Tuesday’s increase in cases was 11,732 largely due to the XBB variant, although severe cases are low overall, the ministry said. This is the first time the number of daily cases has exceeded 10,000 in more than two months.
In a breakdown of local COVID-19 cases by strain released by the Ministry of Health on Monday, the ministry said about 55 percent of infections were from the XBB strain, also known as BA. 2. 10.
This is up from 22% last week, the Health Ministry said.
BA. 5 is guilty in about 21% of cases, while BA. 2. 75 is guilty in 24%. Both are also subvariants of Omicron.
The Ministry of Health said that “the number of severe cases has remained low. This is the maximum, probably due to the resilience built thanks to vaccination and past waves of infection. “
Singapore reported 4,719 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, while Tuesday’s figure is higher due to infections reported at weekend social events.
There were 11 cases in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 50 requiring oxygen supplementation, a figure that the Ministry of Health considered “slightly higher than that observed in recent months. “
This compares to 171 ICU cases and 308 cases requiring supplemental oxygen at the height of the Delta wave, and ICU cases and 242 cases requiring supplemental oxygen at the height of the Omicron wave, the Health Ministry said.
“The increase in hospitalization cases is in line with the overall increase in cases. Lately there are 490 hospitalization cases, compared to 1,600 at the peak of the Delta wave and around 800 at the peak of the Omicron wave,” the ministry said.
“However, our hospitals’ emergency departments (EDs) continue to be very busy, we inspire the public to hurry to the emergency room unless they are experiencing a medical emergency. “
Patients who come to emergency departments with non-urgent conditions, including children, will be redirected to other urgent care clinics or number one care clinics for further evaluation and prioritization of resources for patients who want medical care, the Ministry of Health said.
Earlier Tuesday, the Ministry of Health announced that it would bring forward the management of the Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine to October 14, three days ahead of schedule.
The immediate deployment was made possible by the ministry’s task forces that finalized preparations ahead of schedule, according to media reports.
In addition, early administration of the vaccine has “benefits, as infections are spreading due to the XBB Omicron subvariant,” the Health Ministry said.
“The Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine uses the same original vaccine, with the same booster dose,” the Ministry of Health added.
“Rather than focusing solely on the original Covid-19 virus, the updated edition also focuses on the Omicron variant. Therefore, it will offer greater coverage against the new variants of Covid-19. It has proven to be effective,” the ministry quoted the ministry as saying. . .
As of Tuesday, Singapore had 1,969,648 COVID-19 cases and 1,634 deaths since the outbreak began.