Singapore in the Grip of a New Covid Wave, Ministry of Health Issues Mask Advisory

Singapore is experiencing a new Covid wave, with a surge in cases prompting the government to advise mask-wearing once more, with the peak expected in two to four weeks.

Singapore is experiencing a new Covid-19 wave, with authorities recording more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11, despite Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s advice on Saturday to wear masks again.

“We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising,” Ong stated. “So, I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which is between mid- and end-June,” the minister told the Straits Times newspaper.

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the estimated number of Covid-19 cases from May 5 to 11 increased to 25,900, up from 13,700 the previous week.

The average daily Covid-19 hospitalisations increased to around 250 from 181 the previous week.

The average daily intensive care unit (ICU) case count remained low, at three, compared to two the previous week.

To protect hospital bed capacity, the MOH has asked public hospitals to reduce non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to transitional care facilities or back home via Mobile Inpatient Care@Home, an alternative inpatient care delivery model that allows clinically suitable patients to be hospitalised in their own homes rather than a hospital ward.

Ong urged those at highest risk of severe disease, such as those over the age of 60, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional dose of the Covid-19 vaccine if they had not done so in the previous 12 months.

Click Here to read the advisory by Ministry of Health, Singapore

Ong stated that if the number of Covid-19 cases doubles once, Singapore’s healthcare system will have 500 patients, which is the maximum capacity. However, if the number of cases doubles again, there will be 1,000 patients, which “will be a significant burden on the hospital system,” he noted.

“One thousand beds is equivalent to one regional hospital,” Ong stated. “So, I think the healthcare system has to brace ourselves for what is to come.”

There are no plans for any social restrictions or other mandatory measures for the time being, as Covid-19 is considered an endemic disease in Singapore, he said, adding that imposing additional measures would be a last resort.

Ong stated that Singapore, as a transportation and communications hub, will be one of the cities to experience a wave of Covid-19 earlier than others.

“So, Covid-19 is just something we have to deal with. Every year, we can expect one or two waves,” he said.

Globally, the most common Covid-19 variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, which include KP.1 and KP.2. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 account for more than two-thirds of cases in Singapore.

As of May 3, the World Health Organization classified KP.2 as a variant under surveillance. The MOH stated that there is currently no evidence, either globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

However, the general public is encouraged to stay up to date on vaccinations in order to protect themselves from current and emerging virus strains. The MOH stated that approximately 80% of the local population has completed their initial or additional dose, but has not received a dose within the last year.

The ministry also stated that since Covid-19 vaccination began in 2020 to 2021, the vaccines have consistently been shown to be safe and effective in protecting people from serious illness. Billions of doses have been administered worldwide, and international safety monitoring has confirmed the vaccine’s safety, the company stated.

There have been no long-term safety concerns with Covid-19 vaccination, and all adverse effects from vaccines, including mRNA vaccines, have occurred shortly after vaccination, according to the ministry.