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HomeWorldSingapore may see 10,000-15,000 Omicron cases daily; 'significant proportion' of workforce could...

Singapore may see 10,000-15,000 Omicron cases daily; ‘significant proportion’ of workforce could be hit: minister

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Singapore, Jan 21 (PTI) Singapore could witness doubling of Omicron cases every two to three days and report 10,000 to 15,000 or even more of its infections daily, affecting a “significant proportion” of the country’s workforce, a senior minister warned on Friday.

Gan Kim Yong, the co-chair of the multi-ministry task force, also cautioned that Singapore will likely see a “significant wave” of COVID-19 soon, with the more infectious Omicron variant now causing at least 70 per cent of daily cases, Channel News Asia reported.

Businesses should put in place “robust” business continuity plans to mitigate disruptions to operations, especially for those in essential services, said Gan, also the Minister of Trade and Industry.

The minister cautioned that Singapore must be prepared for a situation where a “significant proportion” of the workforce may be infected with the coronavirus.

“If we have, for example, 15,000 cases a day, which is very possible, with each one of them out of action for an average of say about five days, we are looking at some 75,000 workers absent due to COVID-19,” the channel reported Gan as saying during a press conference.

The number will be much higher if close contacts are included.

“This has been the experience of other countries and we cannot take it lightly. But in reality, the proportion is likely to be higher, perhaps close to 90 per cent or more,” he added.

Omicron has clearly dominated over the Delta variant in Singapore.

“Given that the Omicron variant is more infectious, it is likely that we will soon see a significant wave,” the report quoted Gan as saying.

Most of the Omicron cases have been “mild”, especially among people who are fully vaccinated and even more for those who received their COVID-19 booster shots.

“The percentage of those who needed oxygen supplementation, intensive care or die is far lower than during the Delta wave. This is in line with the experience of other countries like South Africa and the United Kingdom,” Gan pointed out.

In a statement, the Ministry of Heath said that given Omicron’s lower severity, Singapore should focus its attention on the number of patients in the intensive care unit instead of case numbers.

“Nevertheless, Omicron’s higher transmissibility means that we cannot let our guard down, as an uncontrolled rise in overall case numbers could still push hospital and ICU admissions to unmanageable levels,” it added.

To prepare for the Omicron wave, the ministry will implement a series of measures, such as suspending visits to hospital wards and residential care homes for the next four weeks.

It has also made plans to optimise healthcare resources and adjust recovery protocols.

Studies by the National Centre of Infectious Diseases (NCID) have shown that although the Omicron variant is more transmissible, infected individuals carry a lower viral load and “generally recover faster”, noted Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

Thus, the isolation period for fully vaccinated individuals and children under 12 years old will be reduced from 10 to seven days, he announced.

On the recommendation of the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination, Singapore will extend its booster programme to those aged 12 to 17.

Earlier in January, MOH announced that from February 14, those aged 18 and above would have to take a booster shot within 270 days of completing their primary vaccination series to maintain their fully vaccinated status.

For those aged 12 to 17, this deadline will be set for March14, said MOH.

“This will give them sufficient time to receive their booster dose. We urge our young to go for their booster vaccinations as soon as possible, once they are invited to do so five months after their last dose,” it added.

Meanwhile, in-person visits to all hospital wards and residential care homes will be suspended for four weeks from January 24 to February 20, said MOH.

This is to “better protect our patients and healthcare workers”, particularly in settings with vulnerable people, amid a looming Omicron wave, MOH statement said.

There were 1,001 new cases with the Omicron variant on Thursday, down from the 1,185 cases a day earlier, said the Health Ministry.

Of these, 952 were local cases and 49 were imported.

Separately, the Ministry reported 1,472 Covid-19 cases, 339 of which were imported and one death linked to coronavirus.

As of Thursday, Singapore has recorded a total of 297,549 Covid-19 cases, with 845 deaths. PTI GS RUP RUP RUP

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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