Ong Ye Kung: S’pore COVID-19 Strategy is not a ‘Flip-Flop’; It Helps Us Avert Massive Deaths

It’s no secret that some netizens are frustrated with the authorities’ decision to reimpose some COVID-19 restrictions.

Head to any Facebook post regarding these measures and you’ll see what I mean.

For those who’ve been social distancing even before the pandemic and don’t know what I’m talking about, the authorities reimposed COVID-19 curbs on 27 Sep due to a spike in infections.

Since then, people have only been allowed to gather in groups of two. Since 13 Oct, only fully vaccinated individuals have been allowed to enter malls or eat at eateries in groups of two as well.

“If we’re planning to live with the virus, why these restrictions?” some have asked.

Well, simply put, it’s to save lives.

Ong Ye Kung: S’pore COVID-19 Strategy is not a ‘Flip-Flop’; It Helps Us Avert Massive Deaths

That was the message Health Minister Ong Ye Kung conveyed in his opening address at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Asia Pacific Conference today (18 Oct).

The authorities did not opt for a purely “zero-Covid” or “living with Covid” approach, but did what was necessary according to the severity of our COVID-19 situation here.

This meant imposing curbs when residents were vulnerable and opening up when our vaccination rate had increased, he said.

“Some may feel that this middle-of-the-road approach is unclear, and may even appear to be a ‘flip-flop’. But it has helped us avert the massive deaths that many countries have suffered from,” Mr Ong said.

“It is the correct approach for Singapore and, day by day, we are moving closer to the light at the end of the tunnel.”

MOH: Rate of Increase in COVID-19 Infections Has Slowed Down

Earlier this month on 8 Oct, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that time taken for cases to double had decreased from six to eight days to 10 to 12 days.

And it seems that the rate of increase has slowed even more since then.

On that day, 8 Oct, 3,590 new COVID-19 cases were reported. 10 days have passed and case numbers are still fluctuating around the 3,000 mark.

Have a look at our daily case count for the last three days:

• 15 Oct – 3,445 cases
• 16 Oct – 3,348 cases
• 17 Oct – 3,058 cases

If it weren’t for the tightened measures, it’s certainly possible that many more would have gotten infected, meaning an even higher number of cases that require hospitalisation.

1,651 COVID-19 Cases in Hospital; 66 in ICU

At the moment, there are 1,651 COVID-19 cases warded in hospitals, most of whom are well and under observation.

327 serious cases require oxygen supplementation and 66 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

In addition, there are 15,918 cases undergoing home recovery, 2,986 in community care facilities and 734 are in COVID-19 treatment facilities.

The tightened measures are set to be in place till 24 Oct, which is just six days away. So, even if you don’t agree with the decision, you won’t have to wait long for these restrictions to ease.

Understand the importance of masking up here:

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Featured Image: Facebook (Ong Ye Kung)