SINGAPORE: In the first week of this month, between December 3 to December 9, the estimated number of Covid-19 cases rose to 56,043 in Singapore.
In light of the recent surge in coronavirus cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore advised mask usage in crowded places, especially indoors, and urged travellers to take precautions such as mask-wearing at airports and avoiding poorly ventilated crowded places.
In a briefing held on December 15, the health ministry disclosed that the number of Covid cases for the week of December 3 to 9, 2023, reached 56,043, marking an increase from 32,035 in the preceding week. Notably, average daily Covid hospitalizations rose from 225 to 350 compared to the previous week, and daily Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cases increased from four to nine.
The Singapore government identified the dominant strain responsible for these infections as JN.1, a sublineage of BA.2.86. Despite the surge, the government stated that, based on available international and local data, there is currently no clear indication that BA.2.86 or JN.1 are more transmissible or cause more severe illness than other circulating variants.
In response to the rise in Covid cases, Singapore has implemented additional measures to safeguard healthcare capacity. These measures involve collaboration with public hospitals for contingency planning, including increasing manpower and deferring non-urgent elective procedures. To optimize patient care, step-down facilities like Transitional Care Facilities and alternative care models such as Mobile Inpatient Care@Home are being utilized.
The health ministry emphasized the critical role of vaccination and its effectiveness in preventing severe illness. To keep the public informed, the Singapore Health Ministry announced that, starting from December 19, 2023, its website will provide daily updates on Covid-19 case numbers.
