With the recent uptick in Covid-19 cases, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung took to Facebook on May 12, 2022 to assuage the public’s worries ahead of the long weekend.
He said that some members of the public have written to him expressing concerns, while others wonder if the uptick will trigger changes to Safe Management Measures (SMMs). Yesterday, Singapore recorded 3,645 new cases, as compared to 3,890 cases the day before. The weekly infection growth rate was 1.49, down from the 1.76 on Wednesday.
Here are three reasons why you should remain vigilant but not worried.
1. Yes, community cases are rising. But no, they are not doubling
Singapore relaxed SMMs on Apr 26, 2022 and the rise in cases is expected. The Dorscon status was also lowered from orange to yellow on Apr 26. Singapore has been in Dorscon orange since Feb 7, 2020.
Yet, despite the rise, Minister Ong said the cases are not doubling every few days, proving that there’s no new wave.
2. ICUs not seeing a rise of severe cases
From the graph above, we can see that ICU cases remain stable.
Minister Ong added that most cases show mild symptoms and recover uneventfully at home.
3. Strong resilience to virus
Singapore’s fully vaccination rate stands at 96 per cent of the eligible population, one of the highest in the world, and 75 per cent of the total population received booster shots.
These strong numbers stand us in good stead during the pandemic.
The Health Minister said: “With strong resilience to the virus due to vaccinations and recovery from past infections, we should be able to see through this uptick of cases, without any adjustments to current SMMs.”
Word of advice
While there’s no to tighten SMMS, we should remain vigilant and practise personal and social responsibility such as masking up in a crowded place even if it’s outdoors and stay home if you are feeling unwell.
Minister Ong summed this up in his Facebook post: “Of course, we will continue to monitor closely, as things can change very quickly, especially if a new variant was to emerge. So even as we enjoy this period of respite, we must not let our guard down and should continue to exercise personal and social responsibility at all times.”
Cover photo credit: NHG Facebook
