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6 Updates During 10 Sep COVID-19 Press Conference That You Should Know About

2021-09-10 , 6:05 pm

Whenever the leaders of the multi-ministry COVID-19 task force put on their light-coloured shirts and call a press conference, you know some important announcements are about to be made.

Some say the lighter the colour, the more serious the announcement.

We all panicked upon hearing that a press conference was called today (10 Sep), as Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said a few days ago that a circuit breaker cannot be ruled out.

Fortunately, the news wasn’t as bad as anticipated; there is no circuit breaker 2.0, and we’re not returning to Phase 2 (Heightened Annoyance), or Phase 3B (The Newest New Normal).

Instead, some updates were made to our current measures, and there are new initiatives as well.

Here are six things from today’s press conference that you should be aware of:

Quarantine Cut to 10 Days

Let’s begin with the good news, shall we?

From next week, the quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19 will be cut from 14 days to 10.

This is because the Delta variant typically has a short incubation period of four days or less, compared with six to eight days for the original strain.

Consequently, it will only take around four days after exposure for the virus to be detectable in an individual, the task force explained.

The quarantine period will only end on the tenth day if the individual tests negative for COVID-19 at the end of their quarantine.

Even after they exit, the individual will need to conduct antigen rapid tests daily until Day 14.

This is for individuals in the country, though. Incoming travellers will still have to quarantine for 14 days.

Reader: Aw man

The reduced quarantine period will not be extended to residents in dormitories, however, as there’s still a high risk of transmission there.

Seniors Can Register For Booster Shots From 14 Sep

From next Tuesday (14 Sep), seniors aged 60 and above will be invited to register for their COVID-19 booster shot.

Residents of aged care facilities and moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals will receive this invitation as well.

To be eligible, these individuals must already have completed their full vaccination regimen with two doses at least six months ago.

Immunocompromised individuals, however, are encouraged to get their booster shot two months after their third dose. They should consult with their treating specialist before getting the third dose. They are also allowed to receive the vaccination in a hospital or a specialist outpatient clinic of their treating specialist.

As for the two other groups, the invitation will be sent to the same number that they had used to register for their earlier doses.

Once they receive the invitation, they can book an appointment here.

Daily COVID-19 Cases Likely to Surpass 1,000 Soon

The announcement that made everyone’s eyes widen was that our daily case numbers could soon exceed 1,000.

Two weeks ago, the authorities were detecting an average of 76 cases a day. This number has shot up to 288 in the past week.

With our current outbreak raging on and the authorities ramping up testing further, cases may soon exceed 1,000 a day.

No Plans to Reopen Further

Since we’re going to have a high number of cases, we must remain cautious, Mr Wong said in the press conference.

There’s no need to reimpose strict measures, but, at the same time, the authorities cannot proceed with their plans to reopen further.

“During this period, especially when we are in the midst of an exponential rise in infection cases, that would be a reckless thing to do,” he said.

More COVID-19 Patients to Recover at Home

The home recovery programme for COVID-19 patients will also be expanded from 15 Sep.

The scheme will start with fully vaccinated, young individuals who have no underlying illnesses or co-morbidities.

The scheme will then be extended to people up to 50 years of age in a progressive manner, provided they too have no underlying illnesses or co-morbidities.

If successful, this group will account for over 50% of infected cases now.

Children aged five and above will also be allowed to recover at home, as long as they have been assessed to be medically eligible for the scheme.

This way, hospital beds can be kept for those who truly need medical attention, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.

Speaking of which…

Hospitals to Defer Non-Urgent Clinical Services

Hospitals here have been instructed to defer all non-urgent clinical services, as the authorities prepare for COVID-19 cases to rise further.

Hospitals have also been asked to place some of their reserve beds on standby, in case additional intensive care unit beds are required.

This could possibly lead to some delays or long waiting times for some clinical services for those who do not have urgent medical conditions, which the authorities apologised for.

At the moment, there are 664 COVID-19 cases in hospitals, most of whom are well and under observation.

26 severe cases require oxygen supplementation and seven patients are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.