Despite Covid-19 community cases in Singapore doubling in a week, from 1,638 cases on May 4 to 3,890 on May 11, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Thursday (May 12) that this is not a new wave.
“We have been seeing an uptick in Covid-19 cases in recent days. Some members of the public have written to me expressing concerns, while others wonder if it will trigger changes to Safe Management Measures (SMMs),” he said in a Facebook post.
He provided an overview of the situation, noting that community cases are rising but not doubling every few days. “So there is no evidence of a new wave.”
Mr Ong also said that the rise is expected, “given that we opened up social activities almost fully since April 26.”
The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 3,645 new cases on Thursday, the weekly infection rate at 1.49, down from 1.76 on Wednesday.
The weekly infection rate measures the ratio of community cases for the past week over those in the week before; hence, a rate of more than 1 indicates an increase of new weekly Covid-19 cases.
Amid the surge in cases, Mr Ong said that most show mild symptoms and recovery “uneventfully at home.”
Furthermore, Singapore’s hospitals and intensive care units are not seeing a rise in severe Covid-19 cases.
“With strong resilience to the virus due to vaccinations and recovery from past infections, we should be able to see through this uptick of cases, without any adjustments to current SMMs,” he said.
Authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely, as it could change very quickly, especially if a new variant were to emerge, he added.
“So even as we enjoy this period of respite, we must not let our guard down and should continue to exercise personal and social responsibility at all times,” said Mr Ong.
According to MOH’s report, there are 265 patients in the hospital, including 30 needing oxygen supplementation and seven in ICU.
A week ago, on May 5, there were 231 patients hospitalized, including 18 needing oxygen support and six in the ICU.
Netizens commented on Mr Ong’s post, thanking the minister for the explanation. “Thank you for the explanation and assurance that the situation is under control and being monitored closely,” said Facebook user Yu Lik Ng.
Mr Ong listed some reminders on April 26 as the country further eased Covid-19 measures.
“As we go about our daily activities, here are five things to still remember:
1) Mask is still required indoors. Also a good idea to mask up in crowded outdoor areas.
2) Take your booster when eligible.
3) Test yourself before seeing someone vulnerable e.g. your grandparents.
4) Keep your TraceTogether app or token even if you may not use it very much.
5) Live life, exercise and stay healthy!” /TISG
TraceTogether tokens or apps may be needed in future, don’t discard them yet: Ong Ye Kung