Is Covid back? Singapore sees surge in cases; minister advises wearing of masks

The Singapore government is closely monitoring a new surge in Covid-19 infections, as the estimated weekly case count almost doubled in the week ending May 11. Health minister Ong Ye Kung on Saturday advised the wearing of masks again.

Singapore’s ministry of health stated that the government was closely tracking the trajectory of the new wave. According to the ministry, the estimated number of the Covid-19 cases nearly doubled from 13,700 in the previous week to 25,900 in the week of May 5 to 11.

The ministry reported that average daily Covid-19 hospitalisations increased from 181 to approximately 250 during the same period. To preserve hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been instructed to reduce non-urgent elective surgeries and transfer appropriate patients to care facilities.

“We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising,” health minister Ong Ye Kung said, according to a Straits Times report.

He added, “The wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end-June.”

Ong also encouraged those at highest risk of disease—including individuals aged 60 and above, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities—to get an additional dose of the Covid-19 vaccine if they have not been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

Speaking about social restrictions Ong said there were no plans for any form of social restrictions as of now, as Covid-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore. The minister added that imposing additional measures would be a last resort.

Ong, however, accepted the fact that Singapore, being a transport and communications hub, will be one of the cities that experience a wave of Covid-19 earlier than others.

“So Covid-19 is just something that we have to live with. Every year, we should expect one or two waves,” he said.