"No more talk cock, see you in court!"

Iris Koh has filed a lawsuit against HSA:

Singapore facing new Covid-19 wave; vaccination recommended especially for seniors: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE – Singapore is seeing a new Covid-19 wave, with rising cases of infection in the last two weeks, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on May 18.

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

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that to protect hospital bed capacity and as a precaution, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to facilities like transitional care facilities or back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home. 

Mr Ong urged those who are at greatest risk of severe disease, including individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional dose of the Covid-19 vaccine if they have not done so in the last 12 months.

MOH said the estimated number of Covid-19 cases in the week of May 5 to May 11 rose to 25,900 cases, compared with 13,700 cases in the previous week. The average daily Covid-19 hospitalisations rose to about 250 from 181 the week before. The average daily intensive care unit (ICU) cases remained low at three cases, compared with two cases in the previous week.

Mr Ong said that if the number of Covid-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its healthcare system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and “that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system”, he noted.

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

There are no plans for any form of social restrictions or any other mandatory type of measures for now, as Covid-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore, he said, adding that imposing additional measures would be a last resort.

Mr Ong said that with Singapore being a transport and communications hub, it will be one of the cities to get a wave of Covid-19 earlier than others.

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

More at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s-pore-facing-new-covid-19-wave-vaccination-recommended-especially-for-seniors-ong-ye-kung

Mask-wearing no longer mandatory in lower-risk health settings such as polyclinics, GPs

SINGAPORE — From Mar 1, it will no longer be mandatory for people to wear masks in some healthcare settings that are considered lower-risk, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Feb 29) as it adjusts Singapore's Covid-19 response protocols, including vaccine recommendations.

“Mask-wearing will no longer be compulsory for patients, visitors and staff in outpatient settings, including polyclinics, general practitioner clinics, specialist outpatient clinics, dialysis centres, Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics and dental clinics,” said MOH. 

“However, mask-wearing is still strongly encouraged for medically vulnerable persons, seniors and persons with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in these settings.”

Mask-wearing will also be required for higher-risk healthcare settings, such as inpatient wards, emergency departments and residential care facilities. 

“We intend for this to be a standing requirement, to improve general infection control practices in these areas,” the ministry said in a media release.

“Inpatients of hospitals and residents of residential care facilities are not required to wear a mask. Nevertheless, as good practice, we encourage residents and inpatients to wear a mask if they are unwell or develop ARI symptoms.”

The revised measure comes about a year after Singapore lowered its disease alert level to green under the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) framework.

On Feb 13, 2023, the country lifted most Covid-19 curbs, including mask-wearing on public transport and border measures. The TraceTogether app and tokens were no longer needed, and the government stood down the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force that was convened in January 2020 to respond to the pandemic. 

The Health Ministry noted on Thursday that in the year since Singapore lowered its Dorscon level, people have been living with Covid-19 as an endemic disease, weathering two major infection waves without the need for further restrictions. 

Taking into consideration the stronger collective resilience of our population, the Ministry of Health will progressively stand down the remaining Covid-19 response protocols, and integrate them into our broader public health programmes from Mar 1, 2024, it added.

UPDATED VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS

Covid-19 vaccine recommendations have also been updated.

For people who have not been vaccinated, two initial doses of Covid-19 vaccines would now be sufficient to ensure an essential level of protection, down from the previous recommendation of three initial doses. 

"Thereafter, they should receive any additional doses being offered or recommended to them based on prevailing recommendations, taking into account their age, medical conditions and other factors," said the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination.

Explaining the revised guidelines, the expert committee said this is because most people would have had one or more Covid-19 infections and would have some underlying protection even if they are unvaccinated.

"A sequence of two vaccine doses will be sufficient to ensure an essential level of protection for unvaccinated persons," it added.

Beyond the initial doses to achieve minimum protection, MOH said people should still go for any additional doses being offered or recommended to them.

The overall vaccination guidelines are:

• Unvaccinated people should receive two initial vaccine doses at an interval of eight weeks apart.

• An additional dose of an updated vaccine for 2024 continues to be recommended and should be administered around one year (and no earlier than five months) after the last dose received.

• The additional dose is recommended for people aged 60 and above, medically vulnerable individuals, as well as residents of aged care facilities.

• The additional dose is also encouraged for all individuals aged six months and above, in particular healthcare workers, as well as household members and caregivers of medically vulnerable people.

CLOSURE OF 4 JOINT TESTING AND VACCINATION CENTRES

Given the “stable demand” for Covid-19 vaccination, MOH will cease operations at four Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres (JTVCs) from Apr 1 — Ang Mo Kio, Jurong West, Pasir Ris and Yishun.

The five remaining JTVCs are located at Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Kaki Bukit, Sengkang and Woodlands. 

"Covid-19 vaccinations will continue to be available at more than 200 participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) and polyclinics located islandwide," said MOH.

"We are working to bring in more GP clinics and polyclinics to offer Covid-19 vaccination, to ensure that Covid-19 vaccination remains accessible to the community." 

The ministry also announced that from Mar 1, Covid-19 statistics will be folded into the weekly infectious diseases bulletin along with other diseases such as influenza. 

The expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination (EC19V), which was appointed in October 2020, will hand over its role to the Expert Committee on Immunisation, a standing committee that provides advice on nationally recommended immunisations for children and adults.

The EC19V’s term ends on Mar 31.

"Even as we take these steps to integrate our Covid-19 response into our broader public health programmes, MOH will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation, both domestic and international, and update our public health strategies to protect the health and well-being of all Singaporeans," said the ministry.

"We seek the support of the public to keep up to date with their vaccination and exercise social responsibility. In this way, we can continue to protect ourselves and our families, especially our seniors and the medically vulnerable."

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mask-wearing-no-longer-mandatory-lower-risk-health-settings-such-polyclinics-gps-2373001

Contact tracing data from pandemic era TraceTogether, SafeEntry systems deleted

SINGAPORE: Almost four years after the launch of TraceTogether and SafeEntry, authorities have deleted all COVID-19 related personal contact tracing data derived from the two systems.

The only exception is TraceTogether data pertaining to a murder case in May 2020 that will be retained by the police, the Smart Nation Group announced on Monday (Feb 5). 

"This is necessary because legal applications may be made to challenge the conviction or sentence many years after the case has concluded," said Smart Nation, adding that the Singapore Police Force may be obliged to disclose the data if such situations arise.

TRACETOGETHER AND SAFEENTRY

TraceTogether, a mobile app, was launched in March 2020 to support contact tracing efforts amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Developed by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and the Health Ministry, the app worked by exchanging Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other users of the app who are in close proximity.

This allowed the authorities to identify people who had been in close contact with anyone who had tested positive for COVID-19. A physical token was subsequently developed for those who did not own mobile phones, as well as those who preferred not to use the app.

SafeEntry was a national digital check-in system that logged the details of people visiting public venues like malls and workplaces. It was integrated with TraceTogether and user had to tap their phones or tokens to check in and out of such venues.

STOOD DOWN

Part of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act enacted in February 2021 required the government to specify a date after which digital contact tracing systems were no longer required to prevent or control the spread of COVID-19.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, as the minister in charge of digital government and public sector data governance, in consultation with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, determined the date to be Jan 5, 2024.

"This is because the risk of a severe COVID-19 outbreak requiring TT (TraceTogether) and SE (SafeEntry) to be restarted in the immediate term is low," said Smart Nation, which oversees Singapore's digital transformation and leads development of such strategies.

The law also requires the data administrator of the digital contact tracing systems must stop all data collection and ensure the deletion of any personal contact tracing data used for the purpose of contact tracing from the systems. 

All such data, except for the one related to the murder case, was deleted as of Feb 1.

REMOVED FROM APP STORES

Both the TraceTogether and SafeEntry (Business) apps have been removed from the official mobile app stores, said Smart Nation, adding that the backend digital infrastructure supporting the systems have been dismantled.

The TraceTogether and SafeEntry websites have also been shut down, it added.

TraceTogether apps on mobile phones may be uninstalled and tokens recycled at 3-in-1 e-waste bins across the island.

"TT and SE have served us well during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating our contact tracing efforts and enabling the implementation of community safe management measures," said Smart Nation.

"We thank members of the public for their support of the TT programme and our digital contact tracing efforts in our fight against COVID-19."

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/tracetogether-safeentry-discontinued-covid-19-pandemic-contact-tracing-4099406

Expect a 40-hour and 35-hour wait for a bed at NUH and NTFGH respectively!

COVID-19 hospitalisations, ICU cases on the rise amid increasing infections: MOH

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is closely monitoring the current COVID-19 wave to ensure Singapore's healthcare capacity is able to cope.

SINGAPORE: The number of hospitalisations and intensive care unit (ICU) cases due to COVID-19 has increased amid a rising number of infections, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Dec 8).

The estimated number of COVID-19 cases in the week of Nov 26 to Dec 2 rose to 32,035, compared with 22,094 cases in the previous week. 

The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations also rose to 225 from 136 the week before, and the average daily intensive care unit cases increased to four cases compared to one case in the previous week.

MOH said the numbers of hospitalisations and ICU cases are not as high as during the pandemic.

“This has added workload to our hospitals, which are already busy,” said MOH, adding that it is closely tracking the trajectory of this wave to ensure that its healthcare capacity is able to cope.

Although the number of cases is rising, there is no indication that the variants circulating locally are more transmissible or cause more severe disease, added the ministry.

It also urged members of the public to seek medical treatment at emergency departments only for serious or life-threatening emergencies. 

“This will preserve our hospital capacity for patients who truly need acute hospital care and allow those with severe illness to receive timely treatment.”

INCREASED TRAVEL, FESTIVE SEASON

MOH said the increase in the number of cases could be due to several factors, including waning population immunity and increased travel and community interactions during the year-end travel and festive season. 

Cases infected by JN.1, a sublineage of BA.2.86, currently account for more than 60 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Singapore.

While BA.2.86 and its sublineages have been classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization since Nov 21, the ministry added that there were currently no indications, globally or locally, that BA.2.86 or JN.1 is more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

In its health advisory for travellers, MOH recommended that people visit their doctor four to six weeks before a trip for a health risk assessment. This includes advice on required vaccinations.

Good personal hygiene should always be observed during the trip and travellers are encouraged to avoid close contact with those who are unwell or have symptoms of infectious diseases.

Upon return to Singapore, those who feel unwell or develop respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose should wear a mask and promptly seek medical attention. They should also inform their doctor of their travel history. 

VACCINATIONS, MASKS

Vaccination remains effective in protecting against severe illness, said the Health Ministry, who advised everyone to keep up to date with their COVID-19 jabs. 

This includes an additional dose around one year after a person's last vaccine dose for those aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable persons, and residents of aged care facilities.

Beyond this group, MOH encouraged all individuals aged six months and above to receive the additional dose, particularly for healthcare workers and household members or caregivers of those who are medically vulnerable.

The updated COVID-19 monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna/ Spikevax vaccines have been available at MOH's joint testing and vaccination centres, participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPC) and selected polyclinics since November 2023, and continue to be free.

Further information on the location of these sites and the type of vaccines they offer is available online. 

In addition to staying up to date with their shots, the Health Ministry also recommended that the public exercise precaution, alongside personal and social responsibility. 

Such steps include staying at home when feeling unwell and minimising contact with others, especially those who are more vulnerable. 

"At a crowded place, particularly if not well-ventilated, consider wearing a mask," added MOH. 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-wave-cases-hospitalisation-icu-rise-infections-travel-festive-season-moh-3974996

https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20220426-updates-to-safe-management-measures-in-schools-and-institutes-of-higher-learning

Singapore in the middle of COVID-19 wave, about 30% of cases are reinfections: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE: Singapore has been in the middle of a COVID-19 wave over the past month, with daily infections rising from about 1,400 a month ago to roughly 4,000 cases a day last week.

About 30 per cent are reinfections, higher than the proportion of 20 per cent to 25 per cent during the previous wave, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Friday (Apr 14).

While the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients has gone up, from 80 last month to 220 currently, Mr Ong said this is still "far below" the figure during the peak of the pandemic and much lower than the number of patients hospitalised for non-COVID infections.

Fewer than 10 COVID-19 patients have been in the intensive care unit at any one time over the past month, he added.

"What is happening is a clear demonstration of how far we have come in dealing with COVID-19," Mr Ong said. "Even during a COVID-19 infection wave like now, we continue to live life normally, we’re not preoccupied over infection numbers ... This is what endemicity should look like."

Speaking during the National Healthcare Group’s population health collective annual work plan seminar, Mr Ong also addressed comments by some people who attributed the rise in Singapore's COVID-19 infections to travellers.

"But the understanding that this caused a rise in infections is actually incorrect," the minister said.

"The virus is endemic, which means it is always circulating within the community. In such a situation, what drives our local waves is not imported infections, but reinfections of existing individuals in the community," he added.

"When the protection against infection from past infections or vaccination wanes over time, people do get reinfected and that causes the number of cases to rise and a new wave will emerge."

SUBVARIANTS

Mr Ong said Singapore continues to conduct genetic sequencing of the viral samples, noting that there are now multiple COVID-19 variants circulating, including XBB.1.16.

"Of particular interest now is XBB.1.16. It is only of particular interest because someone gave it a sexy name called Arcturus," he said.

"But really of all the variant strains now, there is really not a single one that we notice is particularly dominant. There is no evidence showing that any one of them causes more severe illness."

Singapore in February stepped down its COVID-19 measures and its disease alert to the lowest level since the pandemic started.

COVID-19 infection numbers are now updated on a weekly basis.

"Like all endemic diseases, we no longer have very granular data on COVID-19 infections," Mr Ong said, adding that the Ministry of Health continues to monitor the coronavirus closely through sampling patients who display acute respiratory symptoms and testing wastewater samples for viral fragments.

While the estimated daily infections have gone up, the Health Minister said this is a small fraction of the 20,000 or more daily cases Singapore used to experience during the peak of the pandemic.

"Our assessment is that this week, the numbers have probably stabilised, may have even come down," he added.

Although the current wave is not severe, Mr Ong cautioned that the additional caseloads do add to the heavy workload of the hospitals.

He urged people to do their part to keep themselves healthy and if they are unwell, to stay home and wear a mask.

"And if they are vulnerable groups, such as (people) aged 60 and above, get your vaccinations annually," he added.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-covid-19-wave-reinfection-cases-xbb-variants-ong-ye-kung-3417596

Singapore extends COVID-19 control order laws for a year to combat possible new variants

SINGAPORE: Control orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were extended for a year for the final time on Monday (Mar 6), allowing the authorities to react quickly to new and dangerous variants if they emerge.

Parliament passed amendments to the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 in order to extend the validity of Part 7 of the Act, which gives the Government powers to make regulations in order to prevent, protect against, delay, or otherwise control the coronavirus here.

This includes movement restrictions such as the “circuit breaker” that was in place from April to June 2020.

On Monday, Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary told the House that while Singapore now treats the coronavirus as endemic, people “must not take the current situation as a given or be complacent”.

Last month, the nation stepped down its disease alert to the lowest level since the pandemic started and lifted the final legal requirements for COVID-19 community measures - namely, the wearing of face masks on public transport as well as in indoor healthcare and residential care settings.

Dr Janil cautioned: “There is still uncertainty as to how COVID-19 will develop globally. The virus continues to circulate and will continue to mutate.

“We cannot rule out the possible emergence of new variants that can cause infection waves and strain our healthcare resources.”

He noted that the health ministry is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation and the evolution of the virus through its international networks and local surveillance, in order to pick up early signals of new variants that could be more transmissible or cause more severe disease.

Should such variants pop up, Singapore must continue having the necessary tools to take appropriate prevention and control measures, Dr Janil added.

“We should therefore continue to provide in our statutes the ability to implement measures used during the pandemic,” he said.

“This extension will continue to allow targeted public health measures to be implemented for the purposes of preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19, so that we can react swiftly to new and dangerous COVID-19 variants should they emerge.”

Dr Janil added that the Ministry of Health had begun a review to enhance the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA) - Singapore’s main legislation to control and prevent infectious diseases - and aims to table amendments to it in the second half of this year.

The ministry’s review includes incorporating provisions under Part 7 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act into the IDA, so that the latter legislation “is more robust and affords us the agility to be able to cater to different situations”.

Dr Janil said: “Now that we are heading into an endemic COVID-19 new normal and are at DORSCON Green, we should work towards stepping down Part 7… and rely on the IDA to manage new variants of concern or new pandemics."

If amendments to the IDA are passed, Part 7 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act will be revoked.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-pandemic-control-order-infectious-diseases-act-3328246

The Big Read: Through the frontliners' eyes, what went well and what fell short in Singapore's Covid-19 fight

SINGAPORE — Singapore has come full circle since its first Covid-19 case surfaced in January 2020, from a lockdown, shuttered borders, ever-changing permitted group sizes, mass vaccination programme, to a mask-lite existence in recent days.

Along the way, its efforts at battling the unprecedented pandemic has also won international plaudits.

In May 2021, Singapore topped the Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking — which considers factors ranging from Covid-19 case numbers to freedom of movement — knocking out New Zealand which had ruled the chart for months.

Bloomberg cited Singapore's efficient vaccination programme compared to the slow rollout in New Zealand as the chief reason for the change in position.

Singapore was also one of the countries where a majority of its people feel more united than before the pandemic, according to a survey by American think tank Pew Research Center last year.

Only 22 per cent of Singapore respondents said that the country is more divided, compared with a median of 61 per cent among the 19 countries polled.

The survey also found that a majority in Singapore feel that it is very important to get the Covid-19 vaccine in order to be a good member of society, and this opinion translates to higher rates of vaccination across the population.

While Singapore’s overall handling of the pandemic is deemed successful by international standards, there were also missteps, said infectious diseases experts. One such lapse was the Government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak in migrant worker dormitories.

Singapore this week exited the acute stage of the pandemic, with the country’s Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) lowered from yellow to green and mask-wearing requirements largely removed.

The population has also achieved 92 per cent vaccine coverage for the primary series and the lowest mortality rate for Covid-19 infections in the world.

Infectious disease expert Leo Yee Sin, who has been at the forefront of Singapore's Covid-19 battle, told TODAY: “Barring unexpected surprises by the rapidly evolving Sars-CoV-2 virus, Singapore has reached a significant milestone of ‘normalcy’ with remarkable achievement.”

Thus, it is now time to reflect on areas of deficiency and learn from the lessons to further strengthen Singapore’s capability to take on emerging infections, added the executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

As a Government review of its Covid-19 response remains underway, TODAY speaks to infectious diseases experts and those at the front lines to take stock of a crisis that is without parallel in recent memory. The areas highlighted in this feature are those that they largely agreed on.

AREAS WHERE SINGAPORE DID WELL

1. Procurement of vaccines and test kits

Singapore has been lauded for its high vaccination coverage, which has shielded the population from new variants of the coronavirus, such as the Omicron XBB variant which emerged last October.

The Government rolled out a bivalent vaccine after it was found to be more effective against Omicron variants and used the lull period between Covid-19 waves to increase healthcare capacity and surveillance.

Infectious diseases experts largely attributed Singapore’s high vaccination rate to the rapid procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and test kits, which helped reassure the public and healthcare professionals.

Prof Alex Cook, from the National University of Singapore (NUS)'s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said that the Government’s success in reaching deals to get enough supplies of vaccines enabled the mass vaccination to start quickly, so that Singapore could move out of containment as early as possible.

“You can compare outcomes to other countries that did well in containment in the first year, like Thailand: They managed to contain the pandemic until the middle of 2021, when Delta took off, but was months behind Singapore in vaccination, and thus had many more deaths during that Delta wave,” said Prof Cook.

Prof Cook's work in infectious disease modelling and statistics was critical in the determination of the adequacy of Singapore’s healthcare capacity and whether safe management measures needed to be tightened or relaxed.

Healthcare workers whom TODAY spoke to also said that community-level testing was effective in the early detection of Covid-19 waves and the availability of antigen rapid test kits enabled the community to test and isolate or seek medical treatment swiftly.

It also helped that the test kits were sent to each household and all Covid-19-related healthcare costs for residents were borne by the Government.

“When the virus first broke out, we had people declining to get themselves tested and treated because they were worried about how much it would cost, or if it would be covered by their insurance, et cetera,” said a medical officer who works in a public hospital in central Singapore.

The 34-year-old declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“I think that was one of the reasons why Singapore was so successful in its handling of the pandemic… no one was denied basic healthcare because they could not afford it,” he added.

A lot more at https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/big-read-through-frontliners-eyes-what-went-well-and-what-fell-short-singapores-covid-19-fight-2110646

PENGZ

Please do all you can to locate the TT token and return it...

Mask-wearing no longer required on public transport and in some indoor healthcare settings from Feb 13

SINGAPORE — In light of the improved global Covid-19 situation, mask-wearing will no longer be required on public transport and parts of indoor healthcare and residential care settings from next Monday (Feb 13), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

In indoor healthcare and residential care settings, masks still have to be worn by visitors, workers and patients where there is interaction with patients and in patient-facing areas, such as at hospital wards, clinics and nursing homes.

MOH said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 9) that this will be a "requirement" rather than mandated under the Covid-19 regulations.

Professor Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at MOH, said at a press conference held by the multi-ministry task force tackling the Covid-19 pandemic that mask wearing will be a requirement in areas where patient care is delivered.

“But if you are in an area in the hospital that is not related to the delivery of care, (such as) the cafeteria in the hospital… there is no requirement from us for that purpose."

He also said that hospitals here will look at their operational requirements and identify "opportunities to lighten up" and minimise mask-wearing in some settings.

Giving an update on the Covid-19 situation here, MOH said that about 80 per cent of the Singapore population has achieved minimum protection, and around half are up to date with their vaccinations.

Many have also recovered from infection during past Covid-19 waves.

"With this, the risk of Covid-19 infections leading to severe illness or death has become very low, comparable to other endemic respiratory diseases, such as influenza or pneumococcal infections," it said.

In January, the daily number of Covid-19-related hospitalisations here stayed below 100, and daily cases related to Covid-19 in intensive care units remained in the single digits.

On the global situation, the ministry said that the number of Covid-19 cases has been declining since late December last year, and virus strains that led to higher severity in disease have not emerged.

"Infection waves in the northern hemisphere and in China are rapidly subsiding," the ministry said, adding that there was also no significant increase in the number of imported cases here.

"The World Health Organization has recently acknowledged that the pandemic is nearing a turning point, signalling that the global Covid-19 emergency may be ending soon," MOH added.

Besides healthcare, other authorities may also require people to wear masks. One example is the Singapore Food Agency, which has required food handlers to wear a mask or spit guard for food safety reasons.

MOH said that private enterprises may also choose to maintain mask-wearing requirements as company policy for workplace health and safety or business continuity reasons.

“As mask-wearing is an effective way to minimise the risk of infectious diseases, we encourage members of the public, especially the elderly and immunocompromised, to wear masks in crowded places, or when visiting or interacting with vulnerable persons.

“We strongly advise individuals who are unwell with symptoms of Covid-19 or other respiratory infections to wear a mask when they need to leave their homes,” it added.

STEPPING DOWN BORDER MEASURES

Due to the stable and improving global Covid-19 situation and the low impact of imported cases on Singapore's healthcare capacity, MOH said that Singapore will also stand down remaining Covid-19 border controls from Monday.

This means that all travellers who are not fully vaccinated and entering Singapore will no longer have to show proof of a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test. Short-term visitors who are not fully vaccinated will also no longer be required to purchase Covid-19 travel insurance.

However, the vaccinated travel framework, which was launched last April to facilitate the safe resumption of international travel, will remain in place for reactivation if there are any "international developments of concern", such as new severe variants for Covid-19 or signs that the healthcare capacity here is strained by imported cases.

MOH said that it continues to screen travellers for other infectious diseases of concern, such as Yellow Fever, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Ebola.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/mask-not-required-feb-13-2103971

Rules tied to Covid-19 vaccination status to be lifted from Oct 10, as S'pore switches to 'up-to-date' vaccination policy

SINGAPORE — The Government will lift vaccination differentiated safe management measures (VDS) from next Monday, with the country resuming normalcy in its daily activities.

This means that those who are not fully vaccinated will now be allowed to attend large events with more than 500 participants at any one time.

They can also enter nightlife establishments involving dancing and dine in at food and beverage establishments, including hawker centres, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a press release on Friday (Oct 7).

Currently, those who are not fully vaccinated are barred from being in such settings.

However, if the Covid-19 situation worsens, the Government may impose “an appropriate level” of Covid-19 rules based on vaccination status to protect the public, healthcare workers and conserve hospital capacity, said MOH.

The ministry urged people who have yet to be fully vaccinated to receive their Covid-19 jabs or take their own precautions to protect themselves even as the rules are lifted.

KEEPING UP-TO-DATE WITH VACCINATION

The ministry will also stop counting the number of shots and boosters Singaporeans receive to determine if an individual is protected against Covid-19.

Instead it will use a new definition to determine if a person is up-to-date with their vaccination. Under the new "up-to-date" definition, everyone should adhere to the latest vaccination recommendations by the ministry, said MOH.

This arrangement is similar to the Government’s stance on flu vaccinations, where individuals are advised to be vaccinated periodically to protect themselves against new Influenza strains, said MOH.

As part of the latest recommendations for Covid-19 vaccinations, people should adhere to two key recommendations, said the ministry.

Firstly, they should ensure that they have achieved minimum protection against Covid-19.

This means that those aged five years old and above should either complete three mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccination doses, or four Sinovac-CoronaVac doses in order to achieve minimum protection.

Secondly, those aged 50 and above should receive an additional booster dose between five months to a year from their last dose. The ministry recommended that those in this age group take the updated bivalent vaccine for their booster shots.

"Individuals will be considered up-to-date with their Covid-19 vaccination if they have received at least the minimum protection and their last vaccine dose was received within the past one year,” said the ministry.

This ministry said it will consider extending the second recommendation to other age groups at a later date.

BIVALENT VACCINES

The original Moderna/Spikevax vaccines will be replaced with an updated, bivalent version that protects against original and subsequent strains of the virus.

The replacement, which will kick in from Oct 17, will apply to everybody aged 18 years and above who are receiving the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine.

This follows the recommendation by the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination to replace the current formulation with the bivalent vaccine, said MOH.

“This updated bivalent vaccine will provide better protection against newer Covid-19 variants,” said MOH.

The ministry also said that those aged 50 and above, or have yet to achieve minimum protection against the virus should take the bivalent vaccines. They can do so by going to any Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres offering the Moderna/Spikevax vaccines from Oct 17.

The Pfizer/Comirnaty bivalent vaccine is undergoing evaluation and is expected to be available by the end of this year, added the ministry.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/vds-rules-lifted-oct10-date-vaccines-2014076

NDR 2022: Masks will be optional indoors, required only on public transport and in healthcare settings

SINGAPORE: As Singapore’s COVID-19 situation stabilises, masks will soon be optional indoors and required only on public transport and in healthcare settings, announced Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Aug 21).

“Our safe management measures have protected us well throughout the pandemic,” said Mr Lee during his National Day Rally speech. “With our situation stabilising, we will reduce the mask requirements further to prevent people from getting tired.”

Masks will be required only on public transport, where people are in prolonged close contact in a crowded space, and in healthcare settings like clinics, hospitals and residential and nursing homes where there are vulnerable people.

“Everywhere else, outdoors or indoors, masks will be optional.”

In schools, masks should not be needed in class, said Mr Lee.

“The children do need to be able to see the facial expressions of their teachers and of each other ... It's crucial for their learning and development,” he continued.

“But please don't take your masks off this very moment,” said Mr Lee, adding that the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force will make a detailed announcement.

Singapore has come a long way in its fight against COVID-19, and is now learning to live with the virus, the Prime Minister said.

“With each infection wave, we have managed the impact better,” he said, adding that the latest wave is now subsiding.

“In many other countries, when a wave happens, cases shoot up furiously and then crash down suddenly, like a rollercoaster. And when cases shoot up like that hospitals come under a lot of pressure.

“In Singapore, our waves grow as well as tail off more gradually. And this suggests we have been effective in slowing down disease transmission. We have spread out the impact and prevented our hospitals from being overwhelmed,” said Mr Lee, noting that Singapore has had fewer than 1,600 COVID-19 related deaths.

“Every death is one too many. But if our mortality rates had been like other countries, we could easily have suffered 10,000 COVID-19 deaths or more by now.”

The key to Singapore’s success in managing the pandemic is the “high level of trust” in society, said the Prime Minister.

“In some countries, a precaution as simple and essential as mask-wearing became a heated point of contention. But in Singapore, people worked with and not against one another,” he added.

“You trusted your Government. You patiently endured rounds of easing and tightening measures despite the inconvenience,” Mr Lee added.

“The Government upheld your trust by being open and transparent. We spoke directly to you, shared information readily and gave you the full facts even when things didn't look good.”

People in Singapore also practised personal and social responsibility, getting themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 and keeping their masks on indoors, said Mr Lee.

Those who tested positive isolated themselves to protect others, he said, adding that many people went out of their way to help others.

“Healthcare workers, through their care and professionalism, ensured that the rest of us could carry on safely with our daily lives. Public officers, especially those on the frontlines, carried out many demanding operations, often at short notice.”

Private companies provided resources to tackle problems and other community groups made special efforts to take care of those who needed more help, he added.

“Your actions were critical in our fight against COVID-19. And the nation is grateful to all of you,” said Mr Lee.

More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/masks-not-required-indoors-covid-only-public-transport-healthcare-hospitals-clinics-ndr2022-2891281

18 more deaths added to Singapore’s official COVID-19 tally after revision by MOH

SINGAPORE: Eighteen more deaths have been added to Singapore’s tally of COVID-19 fatalities last year after a revision by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

MOH said on Monday (Aug 1) that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in 2021 has been revised from 803 to 821. The adjustment follows an “annual reconciliation exercise” after the Registry of Births and Deaths finalised its report for last year, said MOH.

“Doctors are required to notify MOH of COVID-19 deaths as soon as possible. Based on the doctors’ submissions, MOH publishes the number of COVID-19 deaths on our website every day,” said the Health Ministry.

Under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021, doctors are also required to report information on the cause of death to the Registry of Births and Deaths.

The report on Registration of Births and Deaths for the preceding year is finalised and publicised every June.

Overall, 18 deaths were added to the Health Ministry’s official COVID-19 death count for 2021 following the reconciliation exercise. This represents a 2.2 per cent increase from the previous count.

There is no difference in the number of COVID-19 deaths for 2020, said MOH.

The following are the adjustments to the recorded number of deaths following the reconciliation exercise between MOH records and the Registry’s Report:

• Eight deaths were not reported to MOH but were reported to the Registry. MOH said that it will remind doctors to report all COVID-19 deaths to the ministry.

• Eleven deaths were reported to MOH, but COVID-19 infection was not indicated as the underlying cause of death in these notifications, as doctors report the cause of death based on available medical information at the point of reporting. These deaths were subsequently reported to the Registry with COVID-19 as the cause of death after further review by the doctors.

• One death was in the MOH COVID-19 count for 2021, and in the Registry’s count for 2022. This was due to differences in the date of reporting to MOH and the Registry because the death occurred on Dec 31, 2021. MOH said it will include the case in the 2022 count instead of the 2021 count.

MOH added that five deaths from the report on Registration of Births and Deaths were individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 while overseas, and who died after returning to Singapore.

“These deaths will not be included as MOH’s count only includes deaths from COVID-19 diagnosed in Singapore,” said the Health Ministry.

“We expect to make annual adjustments to the COVID-19 death count in July, following the publication of the report on Registration of Births and Deaths.”

As of noon on Monday, Singapore has reported a total of 1,718,765 cases of COVID-19 with 1,502 fatalities.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-18-deaths-added-tally-moh-revision-2021-2850231