Over the past week, the number of COVID-19 cases reported daily has been dropping steadily.
And you’re thinking, is it time for restrictions to ease again? Can I eat with my usual clique of twenty people?
Well, while I have no comment on the second part of the statement (you walking Friendster, you), there’s been an update on the first.
Experts Now Say S’pore is on Track to Further Ease COVID-19 Measures
According to a Straits Times report, infectious diseases experts in Singapore are encouraged by the COVID-19 situation over the past three weeks.
Associate Professor Alex Cook, who is vice-dean of research at NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said “there isn’t much else to wait for” with regards to reopening.
That’s unless the authorities are looking to give more booster shots or get more children vaccinated.
He went on to add that he won’t be surprised if there isn’t a further relaxation of measures “soon”.
“It makes sense to be a little cautious while the Omicron epidemiology is gauged, but I’d be surprised if there isn’t further relaxation of measures soon, perhaps come the new year.”
Previously, the authorities had called a halt on the further relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions due to the Omicron virus.
Falling Number of Cases
Since the middle of last month (November), the number of new cases being reported per day has dropped.
From two to three thousand to fewer than 1,000; yesterday’s was 350.
Even though this might have been caused by fewer people getting officially diagnosed, he pointed out that the number of cases in ICU has dropped by quite a bit over the past weeks as well.
The Hospital Situation
Professor Paul Tambyah, a senior consultant at the National University Hospital’s division of infectious diseases, said the daily number of cases being reported do not include those testing positive for ART.
These, he said, should be the majority of the cases according to MOH’s guidelines.
However, he felt that we can look at the hospital situation to gauge the COVID-19 situation in Singapore.
“What is more important is that most of the public hospitals are now apparently able to start reducing the additional beds that they had set aside for patients with severe Covid-19.”
The number of people in ICU, as well as those who need oxygen supplementation, has remained stable as well, he noted.
The Omicron Variant
So far, here are a few things that we know about the Omicron variant, according to a report by the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health:
- It spreads far more easily than the Delta variant
- Data seems to show that the proportion of Omicron cases developing severe disease is lower
More would be known about the new threat by the end of the year, Professor Cook says.
To know more (slightly) more about the new variant, you can watch this YouTube video that simplifies everything in very broken Singlish:
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Feature Image: kandl stock / Shutterstock.com (Image for illustration purpose only)
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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