Singapore ― In response to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s update on the Covid-19 situation in Singapore, members of the public wondered why the death rate is not going down in line with the “good news” provided.
Mr Ong said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 13) that there was no spike in Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, unlike previous weeks.
“I have been feeling anxious on Tuesdays because that is when cases detected on Mondays would be reported, and it always spikes after the weekends,” said Mr Ong.
“The good news is that it didn’t today, to the great relief of the MTF (Multi-Ministry Taskforce for Covid-19).”
However, Mr Ong added that many patients still need oxygen supplementation and intensive care unit care. The Covid-19-related deaths continue, he noted.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few days. But it would appear the stabilisation measures are helping to moderate the transmission wave, and infection numbers are no longer doubling every week,” said Mr Ong.
He highlighted the importance of preventing a strain on the healthcare system and healthcare workers.
Members from the online community responded to his post, seeking answers on the continuing number of Covid-19 deaths.
“But the death rate is not coming down,” said Facebook user Mandy Wong. “Are we not concerned about that anymore? It is just so puzzling with the sudden spike in deaths.”
“I know it’s the Delta variant being more infectious, but the rate of people dying is just way beyond my comprehension,” the netizen added.
“I am not concern(ed) about the number of cases, but the number of deaths daily. More effort should be spent to reduce the deaths to zero, if possible. Every life is important, irrespective whether young or old, vaccinated or unvaccinated,” said Facebook user Francis Ong.
Another individual wondered if the current management measures were enough.
“If Tuesday is an indication of the cases detected in Monday, which is then to suggest that weekend has contributed to the spike, how does one explain that the infection pattern peaks mostly in midweek?” said Facebook user Mervin Tem.
“One thing for sure, the chart does not support the efficacy of current management measures. I could be wrong, though,” he added, referencing the chart Mr Ong attached.
Regarding the number of cases reported, others mentioned that there could be those who tested positive through Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) “and still walking around.”
“Hi sir, the numbers do not increase, not because of the stabilisation measures, but the change in the way things are reported. Nowadays, positive ART cases are no longer counted,” added Facebook user Wong Wong. /TISG
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