SG COVID-19 infections doubled since previous week

SINGAPORE: The estimated number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore more than doubled recently, going from 6,401 cases to 14,843 cases in the week of Sept 17 to 23, 2023, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Oct 2). Nevertheless, MOH said this number is still low compared to previous waves.

Importantly, the average number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cases have also remained low, the Ministry added. “The increase could be due to a number of factors, including waning population immunity, rise of other emerging variants, and increased travel and community interactions resulting in virus transmission.”

MOH added that it continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and advised the public to maintain personal hygiene and keep up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, including a booster dose around one year after their last booster dose for those aged 60 and older, medically vulnerable individuals, and those who live in aged care facilities.

In Singapore, the variants of the COVID-19 virus going around all come from the Omicron strain, which was discovered in late 2021, over two years into the pandemic.

Nearly half of the cases are from the HK.3 variant, a sub-variant of EG.5.1, the dominant strain for the past three months.

Elsewhere in the world, COVID-19 cases are also on the rise.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that infection numbers are increasing in over half of European countries, alongside a limited spike in hospitalisations, ICU admissions, and deaths.

This has caused France to start a new vaccination campaign this week, especially for older and vulnerable persons, with updated vaccines that have proven to better protect against a number of Omicron variants also released.

Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Bulgaria have also launched vaccination campaigns before colder weather sets in.

Meanwhile, in the United States, updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer against new variants have also been administered, with an updated vaccine from Novavax approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Oct 3.

The US also recently restarted its free at-home COVID-19 testing service, as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows hospitalizations are on the increase in the past weeks. /TISG

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