The latest wave of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has likely peaked and there is no need to implement additional measures, such as mandatory mask-wearing, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
“We might have a slight surge, but I think more or less, we are seeing the peak of this wave,” Channel News Asia quoted Ong as saying on Friday at the soft opening of a health campus at Woodlands in northern Singapore.
However, the fact that between 600 and 700 hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients represents a heavy burden on the system, the minister said.
“We are a 10,000-bed system. To occupy 600 or 700 beds, it’s between six and seven percent, which is no small amount. This represents a significant workload for our physical care staff and our system. “
“However, I think our assessment is still . . . that we can cope with this without more MMS (safe control measures),” Ong said.
Noting that the estimated number of infections has declined in days, he said: “The indications are that we have reached a plateau. “
Experts say hospitalizations and the need for comprehensive care still lag behind infections, which have been surging for four consecutive weeks: from 10,726 infections in the week of Nov. 12-18 to 58,300 in the week of Dec. 10-16.
“We don’t want to forget that severe cases often peak after mild cases, so even if peak cases have already occurred, we may have to wait a while before the effect on the fitness formula starts to improve,” he added. said Associate Professor Alex Cook of the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
“The fact that the number of cases has decreased means that the wave has peaked, and the wave will end until the number of cases has decreased again,” Cook said, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Acknowledging that the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays will bring chances for the virus to spread, Minister Ong encouraged Singaporeans to exercise personal responsibility by wearing a mask when sick and staying at home and continuing to be up to date with vaccinations.
Especially older people or people with underlying conditions should be vaccinated once a year, as they are especially vulnerable, he added.
Ong said that MOH will work to improve the availability of vaccines by increasing the number of general practitioners (GPs) that administer COVID-19 vaccines and having it be part of the Healthier SG programme.
The seven-day rolling average of the estimated number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has declined in recent days, from 7,730 on Dec. 17 to 6,820 the next day and then to 6,530 cases on Dec. 19.
He said many other people had asked him to reinstate the mask requirement, especially on public transportation.
If necessary, Singapore will make it mandatory, he said, but in the face of this wave “we can face it without further protective measures. “
Nevertheless, the minister appealed to everyone, “When you are sick, do wear a mask, do stay at home”.
“If you want to get in touch with someone, wear a mask. “
Ong reiterated the importance of being up to date with Covid-19 vaccination, “at least once a year, especially if you are senior, and have underlying conditions”.
He said this is necessary because the effect of the vaccine wears off in about one to 1.5 years (18 months).
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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