SINGAPORE: The number of COVID-19 cases over the last week has doubled from the previous week, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday (Dec 2). MOH advises people to stay vigilant and ensure their vaccinations stay on schedule.
MOH also said the average daily number of hospitalisations and ICU cases for people with Covid-19 is stable. Additionally, the overall incidence of respiratory illnesses in Singapore has stayed stable in the last month amid the rise of infectious diseases such as pneumonia in cooler countries.
From Nov 19 to 25, local COVID-19 infections rose to 22,094 from 10,726 in the previous week, MOH said, adding that the significant increase in infections may be due to waning population immunity and an increase in travel as 2023 ends.
Most of the cases in Singapore are from COVID-19 variant EG.5 and its sub-lineage HK.3. The infections from the “Eris” clan of the virus make up over 70 per cent of local cases. However, MOH added, “Currently, there is no indication that the predominant subvariants are more transmissible or cause more severe disease compared to other circulating variants.”
The Ministry is urging the public to stay updated with their vaccine schedule. Individuals aged 60 and older, residents of elder care facilities, and those who are medically vulnerable should get a COVID-19 vaccine one year after their last jab.
All other individuals from the age of six months and older “are also encouraged to receive the additional dose, particularly for healthcare workers and household members/caregivers of medically vulnerable individuals,” MOH said.
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The Ministry said it would keep on monitoring both the local and global Covid-19 situation but urged those who are planning on travelling to be vigilant and to adopt relevant travel precautions.
Elsewhere across the globe, another variant, BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola is being monitored by health authorities for its ability to break through the immunity people have acquired through vaccinations and previous infections. Pirola is now the third most prevalent strain in the United States.
On Nov 21, Pirola was reclassified by the World Health Organisation from a variant under monitoring to a “variant of interest.” This classification is one step below “variant of concern,” under which the Delta and Omicron variants that wreaked havoc around the globe were classified.
Fortunately, the public health risk posed by “Pirola” has been evaluated as low. Nevertheless, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention for the WHO emphasized several times that the virus is still present and urged for precautionary measures, including updated vaccination shots for more mature or at-risk individuals and masking in crowded public areas.
Read also: COVID-19 is still a threat and is circulating in every country—WHO/TISG