Gahmen needs to come clean on those cases classified as "work permit holders not residing in domintories"

jw5 · Nov 21, 2021

from MOH report 20 November 2021:

On 20 October 2021, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced the extension of the Stabilisation Phase for four weeks, through to 21 November 2021. With the efforts and cooperation of everyone, our overall infection numbers and hospital situation have largely stabilised and improved. In the coming weeks, a significant proportion of the population would have had or will be receiving their vaccination boosters. Overall, we are in a better position to proceed with further easing of our community Safe Management Measures (SMMs), in a careful and calibrated manner, and exit the Stabilisation Phase into a Transition Phase.

2. From 22 November 2021, we will increase group sizes for dine-in and social gatherings from 2 to 5 persons, irrespective of whether the group members are from the same household or not. We will also extend our Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) to protect the unvaccinated from getting infected and becoming severely ill. In-person visits to hospitals and residential care homes will also resume with VDS in place. To enhance protection for our population as we ease community measures, we will also accelerate our booster vaccination programme.

3. Even with these moves, it is important that we remain disciplined and vigilant. While the local situation is stabilising and our healthcare system is still able to manage the current caseload, we must not let our guard down. We should not seek to push the limits, but should continue to exercise restraint in our social interactions even as we approach the year-end period. All of us need to continue to play our part to prevent another wave of infection which could put pressure on our healthcare system.

Updates on Local COVID-19 Situation and Healthcare Capacity

4. The week-on-week ratio of community cases has remained stable at around 0.8 to 1.0 this past week. Daily case numbers have come down to less than 3,000 a day on average. Out of the infected cases, close to 99% of cases continue to have mild or no symptoms and the vast majority are recovering well at home.

5. The proportion of patients who require oxygen supplementation has held steady at 0.8% of our total cases, and those who require intensive care unit (ICU) care is at 0.2%, in the past 28 days. The number of cases in the ICU remains high but stable in the past week at around 120 cases per day. Our overall ICU occupancy in the past week is at approximately 60%. The unvaccinated continue to make up a disproportionate number of ICU patients and those requiring hospitalisation.

Updates to Safe Management Measures from 22 November 2021

(A) Increase in Social Gathering Group Size

6. From 22 November 2021, we will increase the permissible social gathering group size from 2 persons to 5 persons. The cap of 2 distinct visitors per household per day will correspondingly increase to 5 distinct visitors per household per day. As far as possible, we should accept only visitors who are vaccinated, so as to protect those who are unvaccinated from exposure to the virus. Unvaccinated individuals should also exercise caution and protect themselves by reducing their movement and staying at home as much as possible. In addition, visitors to households that have an unvaccinated person or vulnerable elderly are strongly encouraged to test themselves prior to the visit to ensure that they do not unwittingly transmit COVID-19 to those who are vulnerable.

(B) Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) for F&B settings

7. Groups of up to 5 persons, even if not from the same household, will be allowed to dine-in at Food and Beverage (F&B) establishments if all the diners are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below (i.e. born in 2009 or later) may be included within the group of 5 persons as long as all these children are from the same household. As previously announced, medically ineligible persons may also be included within such groups of 5 persons from 1 December 2021. Nevertheless, we continue to caution medically ineligible persons of their susceptibility to severe illness if infected with COVID-19, and urge them to be careful despite such a concession.

8. Such groups of up to 5 persons will only be allowed to dine-in at hawker centres and coffee shops where full VDS checks have been implemented. The initial batch of hawker centres and coffee shops that are ready will start such checks from 23 November 2021, and more will do so when ready with access control and systems to perform vaccination checks at entry points. Otherwise, dining-in at hawker centres and coffee shops without full VDS checks will remain at groups of up to 2 fully vaccinated persons. Unvaccinated individuals are not allowed to dine-in and may continue to only take-away food from these establishments. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been actively consulting the Hawkers’ Associations, and working with the Town Councils and NEA-appointed operators, to also implement access control with vaccination checks at entry points at the remaining hawker centres by the end of November 2021. NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will share more details on the first group of hawker centres and coffeeshops.

(C) Marriage Solemnisations and Wedding Receptions

9. We will be adjusting the SMMs for Wedding Solemnisations and Wedding Receptions from 22 November 2021 so that couples may safely include more activities in their wedding celebrations. This includes unmasking by the wedding couple throughout the reception or solemnisation event, and singing by members of the Wedding Party at the reception, subject to additional precautions. To include such activities in their event, the wedding couple or such individuals from the Wedding Party will be required to (i) undergo an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) minimally supervised by the venue operator1; or (ii) have a valid PET obtained within 24 hours prior to the event. More details will be provided in a separate advisory by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).

(D) Expanding VDS to More Venues

10. Vaccination is key to protecting our population even as SMMs are further relaxed. From 1 December 2021, we will expand VDS to more settings and activities, including in all Libraries under the National Library Board (NLB), and selected activities in community clubs/centres under People’s Association (PA). By restricting entry to only individuals who have been fully vaccinated, we can further reduce the risk of transmission in such settings.

11. A summary of the updated community measures from 22 November 2021 can be found in Annex A.

(E) Removal of VDS Concession for Voluntarily Unvaccinated Individuals

12. We will further strengthen efforts to protect unvaccinated individuals from getting infected, as they are subject to greater risks of severe illness. Under current rules, unvaccinated individuals can get a PET and show a negative test result to enter a VDS setting. We will remove this concession for unvaccinated individuals to perform PET in lieu of being fully vaccinated. Hence, only fully vaccinated, recovered, or medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 years and below (subject to venue/event-specific caps) will be allowed to enter settings where VDS is implemented. We will effect this on 1 January 2022, to allow time for more individuals to complete their primary series vaccination regime.

Further Resumption of Senior-Centric Activities

13. In line with our updated adjustments to SMMs and drawing lessons from the resumption pilots launched to-date by the People’s Association and SportSG, we are working on the resumption of more senior-centric activities in a safe manner, enabled by the use of VDS for such activities. In the coming weeks, seniors can look forward to more active-ageing programmes such as exercise programmes offered by the Health Promotion Board and participate in other forms of learning under the National Silver Academy. Details will be released soon.

Resumption of In-Person Visits to Hospitals and Residential Care Homes with VDS In Place

14. To continue protecting vulnerable individuals in our hospitals and residential care homes (Homes) but conscious also of the well-being of our patients and residents, we will resume in-person visits to hospitals and Homes with enhanced VDS-related measures in place, from 22 November 2021. The strict implementation of such VDS measures will minimise the risk of outbreaks, which may otherwise jeopardise the lives of vulnerable patients and residents and affect the operating capacity of our hospitals and residential care homes.

15. Such in-person visits will be allowed only when both the hospital patient/ Home resident and their visitors are fully vaccinated. As a concession, we will also allow visits for medically ineligible patients/residents and visitors. If the patient/resident and/or visitor are not fully vaccinated, in-person visits will only be allowed under exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis, as advised by the hospitals and Homes. More details for visits to hospitals and Homes can be found in Annex B. For avoidance of doubt, this measure does not apply to individuals seeking medical care from our hospitals.

Tapering of Support Measures

16. As we exit the Stabilisation Phase, the Government will correspondingly taper down the support measures to the following:

a. 10% Jobs Support Scheme support from 22 November to 19 December 2021 for F&B, retail, cinemas, museums, art galleries, historical sites, family entertainment, tourism, gyms and fitness studios, and performing arts and arts education. Please refer to Annex C for details.

b. 0.5 month rental waiver for the cooked food and market stallholders in centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators.

c. COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund payout at $10 and $5 per vehicle per day in December 20212 and January 2022 respectively for taxi and private hire car drivers.

17. The total sum of the support measures is $90m. This will be funded from the higher-than-expected revenues collected to-date. There will be no further draw on Past Reserves.

Enhancing Protection by Accelerating our Booster Vaccination Programme

18. Booster vaccination significantly increases protection against infection and severe disease, and prevents waning of vaccine protection. Today, based on an earlier recommendation from the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V), we are administering boosters six months after the second dose for those aged 30 to 59, and five months after the second dose for those aged 60 and above. The EC19V has studied further international and local data. It is evident that waning of antibodies can clearly occur by around six months after the second dose and occur earlier for older groups. It now recommends that we standardise the interval rate to five months for all age groups eligible for boosters, as this would be an appropriate interval to pre-empt waning of antibodies for all.

19. Therefore, eligible persons will now be able to receive their booster doses starting from five months after the completion of their primary series (typically with two doses of the mRNA vaccines), and SMS invitations will be sent to them before that. This will provide individuals more flexibility in planning and getting their booster vaccination in a timely manner, before significant waning in protection occurs. We encourage everyone eligible for the booster vaccination to receive it when it is offered to them, so as to achieve high levels of protection. For those who are eligible based on the criteria to-date (aged 30 and above, frontline workers at higher risk of COVID-19 infection, etc.), but have not received their SMS invitations, they are also invited to walk in to any Moderna Vaccination Centre to receive their booster vaccination without a need to book an appointment.

Towards a COVID-19 Resilient Singapore

20. Even as we resume our transition towards living with COVID-19, we need to do so in a careful and controlled manner. We seek everyone’s cooperation to exercise social responsibility and cooperate with the SMMs which have been put in place. If you are offered a vaccination or booster dose, please also come forward and get vaccinated. These will ensure the current situation continues to remain stable, and allow us to progressively resume our social and economic activities.

[1] This refers to the party that has charge, management or control of the room or place where the event takes place.

[2] This latest total payout of $10 per vehicle per day in December 2021 supersedes the $5 per vehicle per day payout announced previously.

jw5 · Nov 22, 2021

from MOH report 21 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

1,362 cases remain warded in hospital. 186 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 44 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 60 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 52.9%.
Over the last 28 days, of the 79,364 infected individuals, 98.8% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
As of 20 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 23% has received their booster shots.
Over the past day, 2,640 cases were discharged, of whom 448 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,577 in the community, 80 in the migrant worker dormitories and 13 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.81.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 21 November 2021, 186 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 44 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 60 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 52.9%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.8% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 20 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 23% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.7 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.9 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.8 and 41.8 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 10.1 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 2,640 cases were discharged, of whom 448 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 21 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,577 community cases, 80 dormitory resident cases and 13 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 273 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.81.

8. 8 more cases, aged between 63 and 95 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
Sunlove Senior Care Centre @ 70 Buangkok View	3	18	Transmission amongst staff and clients. Of the 18 cases, 2 are staff, 12 are clients, and 4 are household members.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	1	15	Transmission amongst residents. Of the 15 cases, all are residents.
Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village	12	86	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 86 cases, 2 are staff and 84 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH's daily Situation Report (http://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
21 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases' worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under 'Deceased' and not under 'Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU'.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner's cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 23, 2021

from MOH report 22 November 2021:

Summary of local situation
· 1,421 cases remain warded in hospital. 204 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 30 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 62 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 53.5%.
· Over the last 28 days, of the 77,654 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
· As of 21 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 23% has received their booster shots.
· Over the past day, 2,127 cases were discharged, of whom 321 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,461 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,415 in the community, 40 in the migrant worker dormitories and 6 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.79.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 22 November 2021, 204 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 30 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 62 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 53.5%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 21 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 23% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.6 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.8 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.8 and 41.1 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 8.6 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 2,127 cases were discharged, of whom 321 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 22 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,461 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,415 community cases, 40 dormitory resident cases and 6 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 247 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.79.

8. 5 more cases, aged between 61 and 105 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
Sunlove Senior Care Centre @ 70 Buangkok View	3	21	Transmission amongst staff and clients. Of the 21 cases, 2 are staff, 15 are clients, and 4 are household members.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	8	23	Transmission amongst residents. Of the 23 cases, all are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
22 NOVEMBER 2021

1 Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
2 May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
3 Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
4 Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
5 Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 24, 2021

from MOH report 23 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

· 1,389 cases remain warded in hospital. 205 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 28 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 64 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 55.2%.

· Over the last 28 days, of the 76,158 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.

· As of 22 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.

· Over the past day, 1,778 cases were discharged, of whom 304 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,782 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,754 in the community, 21 in the migrant worker dormitories and 7 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.83.

SITUATION AT HOSPITALS

1. As of 23 November 2021, 205 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 28 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 64 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 55.2%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

STATUS OF PATIENTS

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 22 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.6 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.7 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.8 and 41.8 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 7.5 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 1,778 cases were discharged, of whom 304 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 23 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,782 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,754 community cases, 21 dormitory resident cases and 7 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 326 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.83.

8. 5 more cases, aged between 62 and 92 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	7	35	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 35 cases, 1 is a staff and 34 are residents.
Sunlove Senior Care Centre @ 70 Buangkok View	1	23	Transmission amongst staff and clients. Of the 23 cases, 2 are staff, 16 are clients, and 5 are household members.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	2	25	Transmission amongst residents. Of the 25 cases, all are residents.
Banyan Home @ Pelangi Village	1	109	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 109 cases, 1 is a staff and 108 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
23 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.

[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 24, 2021

from MOH report 23 November 2021:

Transition phase for religious activities

On 20 November 2021, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced further easing of community safe management measures (SMMs), in a careful and calibrated manner, as we exit the Stabilisation Period into the Transition Phase. This document provides the conditions under which religious organisations (ROs) are permitted to carry out activities in places of worship from 22 November 2021.

Transition Phase

The key changes affecting religious activities from 22 November 2021 are:
a. Increase in permissible group size from 2 persons to 5 persons: and
b. Special provisions for wedding solemnizations, subject to additional precautions (see paragraph 15).
From 1 December 2021, individuals who are medically ineligible for all COVID-19 vaccines under the National Vaccination Programme will be able to enter places of worship or participate in religious activities where there are vaccination-differentiated measures (e.g. worship services involving more than 50 persons). Please see paragraph 9 for restrictions for children under 12 years old.
Annex A summarizes the changes that will take effect from 22 November 2021.

Religious activities
Worship Services
ROs may continue to conduct congregational and other worship services at places of worship for up to 50 unvaccinated worshippers at a time, subject to SMMs and the safe capacity of the premises. This cap excludes religious and supporting workers, whose numbers should be kept to a minimum. ROs are strongly encouraged to only deploy fully vaccinated workers for worship services.
We strongly encourage all religious and supporting workers (including cleaners and volunteers) to undergo a self-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART), before they are deployed on-site during this period, even if they are fully vaccinated.
Worshippers can participate in worship services in groups of no more than 5 persons (increase from 2 persons today).
ROs can conduct congregational and other worship services, for more than 50 and up to 1000 worshippers at a time, only if all worshippers, religious and supporting workers are vaccinated1.
From 10 November 2021, for congregational and other worship services exceeding 50 worshippers, worshippers have to be segregated into zones holding no more than 100 worshippers each.
a. As there should be no mingling of individuals across zones, each zone must be completely separated from another by either a physical solid partition (at least 1.8m high if not floor-to-ceiling, from wall-to-wall); or at least 2 metres physical spacing demarcated by continuous physical barriers (e.g. rope barrier).
b. There must either be a separate ingress/egress for each zone or staggered entrance/exit timings so that worshippers from different zones do not mix with one another during entry/exit.
c. ROs must also take reasonable steps to ensure that worshippers do not cross the physical barrier (where applicable) or enter another zone that they are not assigned to.
Children aged 12 years and below are currently ineligible for any COVID-19 vaccine in the National Vaccination Programme, and are exempted from undergoing PET. Children aged 12 years and below2 can participate in vaccinated only- worship services provided they make up no more than 20% of the total number of worshippers on-site. If there is more than one child in the group, all children must be from the same household.
Seniors aged 60 years old and above are strongly discouraged from attending or supporting religious activities, even if they are vaccinated. Seniors should also take their vaccination booster shot if they are eligible.
ROs should continue to observe the following SMMs for worship services (including services for vaccinated individuals): a. Keep worship services to as short a duration as possible. There must be no reception or mingling between worshippers, before, during or after each worship service.
b. All persons present (except children below 6 years of age) must wear a face mask at all times.3 Face shields are not permitted as substitutes for face masks. Young children are still strongly encouraged to use a mask, especially when they are in a group setting (e.g. attending worship service).
c. Singing by worshippers with masks on is not permitted.
d. Live performance elements are permitted during the worship service at places of worship, with the following SMMs (see Annex B for details).
i. A maximum of 50 persons are allowed to be involved in/support the conduct of the worship service. This includes persons on-stage, backstage or off-stage.
ii. Up to 20 persons who are involved in the conduct of the worship service may unmask at any given time, of which up to 20 persons can be unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments. Persons should only unmask when required to perform their duties.
iii. If there are persons unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments, all persons involved in the live performance elements must be vaccinated. Otherwise, unmasking for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments is not allowed.
iv. Persons unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments must also undergo ART by an approved test provider4 with results valid5 through the duration of the service for which they are unmasked for this purpose.
v. There must be at least a 2 metres setback between persons involved in the conduct of live performance elements and worshippers.
vi. Minimise the duration of live performance elements for congregational and other worship services.
vii. During rehearsals for live performance elements, if there are persons unmasked for singing or playing of wind/brass instruments, all persons involved in the rehearsal must be vaccinated.
viii. Masked singing will be treated in the same way as unmasked singing (i.e. masked singers will count towards the maximum number allowed to unmask for singing and/or playing of wind instruments).
ix. From 22 November 2021, static performers (i.e. in the same position throughout the live performance) may be in groups of 5 persons (increase from 2 persons today)
i. At least 1 metre safe distance from other groups if there are no persons singing and/or playing wind/brass instruments
ii. At least 2 metres safe distance from other groups if there are persons singing and/or playing wind/brass instruments
e. There should be no sharing of prayer and other common items (e.g. holy books, passing of offertory baskets, prayer mats) as this increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Worshippers are to bring along their personal prayer items instead, where required.
f. Places of worship with reduced air circulation (e.g. enclosed prayer spaces, air-conditioned worship hall) should, where possible, open doors and windows to naturally ventilate the space after each use6.

Marriage Solemnizations
ROs may continue to use places of worship to conduct marriage solemnizations where:
a. Solemnizations involving up to 50 attendees (including bride and groom): for unvaccinated attendees.
b. Solemnizations involving 51 to 1000 attendees (including bride and groom): all attendees must be vaccinated7.
These activities are subject to SMMs and the safe distancing capacity of the solemnization premises. The caps at paragraph 12 exclude the solemnizer and religious and supporting workers, whose numbers should be kept to a minimum.
a. From 10 November 2021, if the total number of attendees is more than 50 (including the wedding couple), they must be segregated into zones of up to 100 persons each (increase from 50 persons; see paragraph 8 for zoning requirements). An individual attending the solemnization must remain within his or her respective assigned zone and must not enter an unassigned zone.
b. Attendees must maintain a 1 metre safe distance between groups except a core “wedding party”8, which is allowed to comprise up to 20 persons (including the couple and their two witnesses). There should be no intermingling or mixing between groups nor between the “wedding party” and these other groups.
c. Up to 10 persons may be unmasked when engaged in public speaking during the solemnization, while maintaining a distance of at least 2 metres from the audience and at least 1 metre from each other.
d. There must not be any reception with food and drinks, or wedding celebrations that are not essential religious rites.
e. ROs must also comply with prevailing safe management measures stipulated on the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)’s website9.
Solemnizations at places of worship10 may continue to involve live instrumental music (non-wind/brass) with the necessary SMMs in place (see Annex C). The number of persons involved in/supporting the live instrumental music segment should be kept to the minimum. No other performances (e.g. singing, dance, variety act) are allowed.
From 22 November 2021, wedding couples or individuals from the Wedding Party who (i) undergo an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) minimally supervised by the venue operator (either in person or virtually), within 24 hours prior to the end of the event; or (ii) have a valid PET obtained within 24 hours prior to the end of the event will be allowed to enjoy the following special provisions for their solemnization:
a. Wedding couple will be allowed to unmask throughout the solemnization while maintaining a safe distance of 2 metres from other attendees except for the Wedding Party.
b. Up to 10 individuals from the Wedding Party will be allowed to unmask and sing during the solemnization, while maintaining a safe distance of 2 metres from the other attendees when these individuals are unmasked.
ROs are strongly encouraged to continue offering video link solemnizations as an option for couples.

Funerals
Funerals, wakes, installation of niches and post-funeral rites at places of worship can involve not more than 30 attendees at any time, and in groups of no more than 5 persons (excluding religious and supporting workers, whose numbers should be kept to a minimum), subject to SMMs and the safe capacity of the premises.
a. There must not be any reception with food and drinks.
b. ROs must also comply with prevailing safe management measures listed on MTI’s website11.
Funerary-related activities at places of worship12 may continue to involve live instrumental music (non-wind/brass) with the necessary safe management measures in place (see Annex C). Persons involved in/supporting the live instrumental music segment should be kept to the minimum. No other performances (e.g. singing, dance, variety act) are allowed.
Visits to columbaria at places of worship should be kept as short as possible, with no mingling between groups. Each group may have no more than 5 persons(increase from 2 persons today).

Other Religious Activities
Religious rites that are not part of a worship service are limited to 5 worshippers (increase from 2 worshippers today) at any one time. Religious and supporting workers involved in the conduct of these rites should be kept to a minimum.
ROs may conduct in-person religious rites and other religious activities (e.g. religious classes, pastoral services) for all persons (including children aged 12 and below13) in gatherings not exceeding 50 persons, subject to SMMs appropriate to the nature of the religious activity.
a. Each religious class must not exceed 50 persons, including the religious worker/teacher (and supporting workers, if any) with each group comprising no more than 5 persons. As a best practice, we encourage a greater separation of 2 metres between groups of students attending religious classes.
b. ROs are strongly encouraged to conduct religious classes online.
Religious and supporting workers (including volunteers) conducting in-person religious classes for children aged 12 and below more frequently than once a month are required to undergo Fast and Easy Testing (FET).
a. The mandatory FET will be conducted once a week (7 days), regardless of vaccination status. Unvaccinated workers who are under this FET regime will be subject to the more stringent Vaccinate or Regular Test (VoRT) requirements (i.e. testing twice a week).
b. ROs are required to notify MCCY through the CPRO website of (i) the names of the persons involved in the conduct of the class; and (ii) appointed supervisor to oversee the FET, before conducting the religious class. More information on the FET guidelines are available on the CPRO website.

Recording and Broadcast of Religious Services and Prayers
ROs are encouraged to continue supporting the religious needs of their communities via remote means such as recording and broadcast of religious services and prayers.
a. ROs can have up to 50 persons on-location for these productions, of which up to 20 persons can be unmasked at any one time, with no more than 2 persons unmasked for singing and/or playing wind/brass instruments.
b. If everyone involved in the production is vaccinated, all 20 persons can be unmasked for singing and/or playing of wind instruments.
c. Masked singing will be treated in the same way as unmasked singing (i.e. masked singers will count towards the maximum number allowed to unmask for singing and/or playing of wind instruments).
d. From 22 November 2021, static performers (i.e. in the same position throughout the live performance) involved in this production may be in groups of 5 persons (increase from 2 persons today) with
i. At least 1 metre safe distance from other groups if there are no persons singing and/or playing wind/brass instruments
ii. At least 2 metres safe distance from other groups if there are persons singing and/or playing wind/brass instruments
e. The time spent on-location for this activity should be kept as short as possible. The production team must also put in place safe management measures, including no-cross deployment between locations, and thorough cleaning of technical equipment. There shall be no audience.

Safe capacity in the place of worship
All the permitted religious activities in paragraphs 12 to 23 (i.e. excluding congregational and other worship services) can continue to take place concurrently, subject to a total premises cap14 of 1000 persons – subject to SMMs and the safe distancing capacity of the premises – and only if these activities can be conducted safely at separate locations within the place of worship, with no interaction between worshippers while entering, exiting or while in the premises, and where the activities also comply with the activity SMMs.
ROs are strongly encouraged to support the religious needs of their communities through remote means, as far as possible, in line with national guidelines to reduce social interactions, and thus minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission.
a. ROs should consider reducing other concurrent activities when congregational and other worship services are ongoing, so that there is a smaller total number of people on the premises at any one time, which will help to minimise the risk of large clusters from forming.

Deployment of Manpower
ROs should primarily engage their religious workers and staff to support the permitted religious activities but can deploy volunteers to support if necessary. The number of personnel involved in conducting each permitted activity should be kept to a minimum.
Work-from-home is the default arrangement for workplaces. During this Transition Phase, the snap 10-day Work from Home (10D WFH) regime will be suspended. Social gatherings at the workplace will continue to be disallowed.Religious workers and administrative staff should comply with prevailing workplace SMMs stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).15 Restrictions against cross-deployment16 across worksites remain in place.

TraceTogether and SafeEntry
TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, where the TraceTogether App or Token is required for SafeEntry check-ins, is required at all venues that are required to implement SafeEntry17. ROs must make the necessary preparations to accept check-ins by the TraceTogether App or Token. ROs can refer to www.safeentry.gov.sg for FAQs, or more information on how to set up TraceTogether-only SafeEntry for their premises.
To provide quicker and more seamless check-in using the TraceTogether App or Token, all ROs conducting congregational and worship services are required to deploy the SafeEntry Gateway (SEGW) at their main entrances. ROs may deploy either the physical SEGW Box or use the SEGW function found in the latest version of the SafeEntry (Business) App based on their needs [Refer to https://go.gov.sg/gateway-overview for more information].

Mandatory submission of safe management plans
ROs must acknowledge through the CPRO website the new conditions for religious activities imposed before commencing the activities. ROs that have not submitted their Safe Management Plans (SMPs) previously for Phase 3 will need to submit their plans, at least 2 days before commencing any activities outlined above. The detailed requirements and format for submitting these SMPs can be found at www.cpro.gov.sg.
MCCY reserves the right to suspend a RO’s activities if there are gaps in the SMP submitted and until the necessary rectifications are made. ROs are responsible for the implementation of safe management measures and action could be taken for lapses and breaches. Should there be any confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to a RO’s premises or place of worship, the premises may be closed for a period of time as determined by the authorities.

Working together towards a covid-19 resilient Singapore
We thank ROs for their continued vigilance and understanding during the Stabilisation Phase. Even as we resume our transition towards living with COVID-19, we need to do so in a careful and controlled manner. Hence, we seek the continued cooperation of the ROs and their followers to exercise social responsibility, protecting the more vulnerable members of our community and ensuring that religious activities can continue safely. MCCY will continue to work with our ROs to ensure a COVID-19 resilient environment for religious activities.

Issued by:
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

For more information and FAQs on COVID-19 for the religious sector, please visit www.cpro.gov.sg or contact MCCY’s Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations Programme Office at [email protected].

1From 1 December 2021, individuals who are medically ineligible for all COVID-19 vaccines under the National Vaccination Programme can take part in these larger worship services. An individual is considered vaccinated if he/ she has been: a) fully vaccinated, i.e. has received the full regimen of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna or WHO EUL vaccines, with an additional two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective, b) recovered from COVID-19, or c) has obtained a negative result on a pre-event test taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event. Refer to https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/pet for more details.
2This measure applies to children 12 years and below (i.e. born in and after 2009).
3Children 12 years and below, as well as persons who have health conditions that may result in breathing or other medical difficulties when a mask is worn for a prolonged period of time, may wear a face shield in lieu of a face mask.
4Refer to https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/pet for more details on ART, including a list of MOH-approved COVID-19 test providers.
5The test results are only valid for 24 hours from the time an individual registers at the testing premises to take the test. The RO must ensure that the result of the test is valid until the end of the participation in the worship service.
6Refer to: https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/n...ther-reduce-the-risk-of-covid-19-transmission
7From 1 December 2021, individuals who are medically ineligible for all COVID-19 vaccines under the National Vaccination Programme can take part in these larger worship services.
8Besides the couple and their two witnesses, the core wedding party can comprise a group of close family and/or friends who are required or expected to interact with one another during the course of the solemnization.
9Refer to Safe Management Measures for Marriage Solemnizations and Wedding Receptions at: https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/safemanagement/sector.
10Should ROs conduct solemnizations at third-party premises, live instrumental music (non-wind/brass) is permitted only at indoor third-party premises. ROs may also be subject to other safe management measures as stipulated by the premises owner.
11Refer to Safe Management Measures for Funeral Events at: https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/safemanagement/sector.
12Live instrumental music (non-wind/brass) is also permitted for funerals/post-funeral rites held at permitted indoor/outdoor third-party premises. ROs may also be subject to other safe management measures as stipulated by the premises owner.
13This measure applies to children 12 years and below (i.e. born in and after 2009).
14This total cap is the combined number of persons participating in the various permitted activities (excluding congregational and other worship services) on the premises at any one time, excluding religious and supporting workers. Respective caps on the individual activities will continue to apply.
15Refer to: https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/requirements-for-safe-management-measures.
16If cross-deployment cannot be avoided (e.g. due to the nature of the job), additional safeguards must be taken to minimise the risk of cross-infection (e.g. systems are in place to ensure no direct contact with the cross-deployed personnel). ROs will be required to demonstrate that cross-deployment or interaction between employees is critical for business operations, when requested by MOM or MCCY.
17To help ease the transition, scanning of barcodes on personal IDs will be retained until 31 May 2021.

jw5 · Nov 25, 2021

from MOH report 24 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

1,365 cases remain warded in hospital. 203 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 34 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 59 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.1%.
Over the last 28 days, of the 72,913 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
As of 23 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.
Over the past day, 2,275 cases were discharged, of whom 366 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 2,079 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 2,030 in the community, 40 in the migrant worker dormitories and 9 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.75.

SITUATION AT HOSPITALS

1. As of 24 November 2021, 203 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 34 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 59 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.1%.
Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients
2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.
Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition[1]

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:
Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died[2], by Age Groups

Vaccination
4. As of 23 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.6 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.6 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.6 and 41.8 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 7.0 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status [3]

Inflow and Outflow of Cases
6. Over the past day, 2,275 cases were discharged, of whom 366 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 24 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 2,079 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 2,030 community cases, 40 dormitory resident cases and 9 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 312 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.75.

8. 6 more cases, aged between 60 and 83 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.
Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio[4]

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.
Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total[5]	Remarks
Society for the Aged Sick	3	24	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 24 cases, 2 are staff and 22 are residents.
Sunlove Senior Care Centre @ 70 Buangkok View	1	24	Transmission amongst staff and clients. Of the 24 cases, 2 are staff, 17 are clients, and 5 are household members.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	7	32	Transmission amongst residents. Of the 32 cases, all are residents.
Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village	7	94	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 94 cases, 2 are staff and 92 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
24 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 26, 2021

from MOH report 25 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

1,251 cases remain warded in hospital. 206 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 31 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 55 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.8%.
Over the last 28 days, of the 70,746 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
As of 24 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.
Over the past day, 3,223 cases were discharged, of whom 481 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,275 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,228 in the community, 31 in the migrant worker dormitories and 16 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.72.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 25 November 2021, 206 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 31 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 55 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.8%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition[1]

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died[2], by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 24 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.6per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.02 and 0.6 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.6 and 42.5 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.1 and 6.1 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status[3]

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 3,223 cases were discharged, of whom 481 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 25 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,275 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,228 community cases, 31 dormitory resident cases and 16 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 167 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.72.

8. 3 more cases, aged between 69 and 74 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio[4]

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total[5]	Remarks
Society for the Aged Sick	2	27	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 27 cases, 3 are staff and 24 are residents.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	1	33	Transmission amongst residents. Of the 33 cases, 1 is a staff and 32 are residents.
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	1	36	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 36 cases, 1 is a staff and 35 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
25 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 27, 2021

from MOH report 26 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

1,233 cases remain warded in hospital. 214 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 33 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 52 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 54.2%.
Over the last 28 days, of the 67,589 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
As of 25 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.
Over the past day, 2,233 cases were discharged, of whom 301 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,090 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,064 in the community, 22 in the migrant worker dormitories and 4 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.74.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 26 November 2021, 214 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 33 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 52 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 54.2%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 25 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 24% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.5 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.02 and 0.5 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.6 and 41.8 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.1 and 5.5 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 2,233 cases were discharged, of whom 301 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 26 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,090 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,064 community cases, 22 dormitory resident cases and 4 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 185 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.74.

8. 3 more cases, aged between 69 and 83 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
Society for the Aged Sick	1	28	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 28 cases, 3 are staff and 25 are residents.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	1	34	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 34 cases, 1 is a staff and 33 are residents.
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	1	37	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 37 cases, 1 is a staff and 36 are residents.
Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village	8	104	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 104 cases, 2 are staff and 102 are residents.
Sunlove Senior Care Centre @ 70 Buangkok View	1	25	Transmission amongst staff and clients. Of the 25 cases, 2 are staff, 17 are clients, and 6 are household members.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.
[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.

[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.

[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.

[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.

[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 27, 2021

from MOH report 26 November 2021:

The Multi-Ministry Taskforce has been closely monitoring the global COVID-19 situation and will be tightening border measures given the deteriorating situation in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Restricting Travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

2. Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe are currently Category IV countries and arriving travellers with recent travel history to these countries are currently required to serve a 10-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at dedicated SHN facilities. South Africa is currently a Category II country and arriving travellers from South Africa are subjected to a 7-day SHN at their declared place of accommodation.

3. There have been recent reports of a potentially more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus, the B.1.1.529 which may be circulating in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Scientists around the world are still finding out more about the new variant of virus, such as whether it is more transmissible than the Delta variant, whether it is more likely to lead to severe illnesses, and efficacy of existing vaccines against this new variant. Singapore currently has no cases of this variant.

4. In the meantime, we should take the necessary precautions to reduce the risks of spread of B.1.1.529 to Singapore. We are therefore putting in place new restrictions for travellers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. From 27 November 2021, 2359 hours:

a. All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into Singapore, or transit through Singapore. This restriction will apply to those who have obtained prior approval for entry into Singapore.

b. Returning Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents will be subjected to a 10-day SHN at dedicated SDF.

c. South Africa will be placed in Category IV1.

5. These additional border restrictions will apply for four weeks in the first instance, after which we will review and extend the restrictions if necessary.

6. As mentioned, while the variant has been suggested to be more transmissible, there is currently insufficient evidence to determine if this variant is associated with any change in disease severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy. These aspects are being investigated. The Ministry of Health will evaluate the data as it emerges and review our border measures accordingly.

7. The updated country/region classification and its corresponding border measure may be found in Annex A. The full list of Safe Travel Lanes for travel to Singapore and prevailing border measures under each lane for different categories and changes to border measures will be updated on the SafeTravel website. Not all lanes may utilise the Category I/II/III/IV health measure framework. Travellers are advised to visit the website to check the latest border measures for their country/region which will apply upon entry into Singapore

Regular Review of Border Measures

8. As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures in tandem with our roadmap to becoming a COVID resilient nation. Any changes to border measures will be updated on the SafeTravel website. Travellers are advised to visit the website to check the latest border measures for the associated country or region before entering Singapore; and be prepared to be subjected to the prevailing border measures upon entry.

9. All travellers are reminded to accurately declare their travel history. Strict enforcement actions will be taken against false declarations.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
26 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe are currently in Category IV

jw5 · Nov 28, 2021

from MOH report 27 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

• 1,161 cases remain warded in hospital. 199 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 21 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 58 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.6%.

• Over the last 28 days, of the 66,231 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.

• As of 26 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 25% has received their booster shots.

• Over the past day, 1,897 cases were discharged, of whom 329 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,761 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,689 in the community, 63 in the migrant worker dormitories and 9 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.75.

SITUATION AT HOSPITALS

1. As of 27 November 2021, 199 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 21 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 58 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 56.6%.
Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients
2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.
Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition[1]

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:
Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died[2], by Age Groups

Vaccination
4. As of 26 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 25% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.03 and 0.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.6 and 41.6 respectively.The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 4.4 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status [3]

Inflow and Outflow of Cases
6. Over the past day, 1,897 cases were discharged, of whom 329 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 27 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,761 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,689 community cases, 63 dormitory resident cases and 9 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 282 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.75.

8. 6 more cases, aged between 55 and 82 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.
Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio[4]

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.
Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total[5]	Remarks
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	1	38	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 38 cases, 1 is a staff and 37 are residents.
Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village	17	121	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 121 cases, 2 are staff and 119 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
27 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 29, 2021

from MOH report 28 November 2021:

Summary of local situation
· 1,147 cases remain warded in hospital. 210 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 27 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 55 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 57.4%.
· Over the last 28 days, of the 63,816 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
· As of 27 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 25% has received their booster shots.
· Over the past day, 2,061 cases were discharged, of whom 324 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 747 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 719 in the community, 25 in the migrant worker dormitories and 3 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.69.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 28 November 2021, 210 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 27 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 55 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 57.4%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.8% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 27 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 25% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.6 and 41.2 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 4.3 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 2,061 cases were discharged, of whom 324 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 28 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 747 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 719 community cases, 25 dormitory resident cases and 3 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 135 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.69.

8. 11 more cases, aged between 67 and 98 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the clusters listed below, which have already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	3	41	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 41 cases, 1 is a staff and 40 are residents.
Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home (6 Lengkok Bahru)	9	44	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 44 cases, 1 is a staff and 43 are residents.
Society for the Aged Sick	1	29	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 29 cases, 3 are staff and 26 are residents.

10. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
28 NOVEMBER 2021

1 Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
2 May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
3 Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
4 Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
5 Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Nov 30, 2021

from MOH report 28 November 2021:

The Multi-Ministry Taskforce has been closely monitoring the global COVID-19 situation and regularly reviews Singapore’s border measures to manage the risk of importation from travellers and onward local transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Omicron (B.1.1.529) as a variant of concern. As a precautionary measure to reduce the risks of importation and spread, we will defer the launch of our Vaccinated Travel Lanes with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Deferment of Vaccinated Travel Lanes with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE

2. We had previously announced that we will be launching Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE from 6 December 2021, with applications for the Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders opening on 29 November 2021.

3. On 26 November 2021, the WHO classified a potentially more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus, known as Omicron (B.1.1.529), as a variant of concern. Scientists around the world are presently working to determine the characteristics of the new Omicron variant, such as whether it is more transmissible than the Delta variant, and if it is more likely to lead to severe illnesses. Singapore has not detected any cases of this variant to date.

4. As a precautionary move to reduce the risks of importation and spread of the Omicron variant to Singapore, we will be deferring the commencement of the VTLs for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE until further notice. This is in view of their proximity as transport nodes to the affected countries of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe1. We will provide more details on the commencement of these VTLs at a later date.

Regular Review of Border Measures

5. We are reviewing our border measures, and will announce more details soon.

6. As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures in tandem with our roadmap to becoming a COVID resilient nation. Any changes to border measures will be updated on the SafeTravel website. Travellers are advised to visit the website to check the latest border measures for the associated country or region before entering Singapore; and be prepared to be subjected to the prevailing border measures upon entry.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
28 NOVEMBER 2021

HeMan · Nov 30, 2021

jw5 · Nov 30, 2021

from MOH report 29 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

· 1,158 cases remain warded in hospital. 221 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 17 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 62 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 51.2%.

· Over the last 28 days, of the 62,442 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.

· As of 28 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 26% has received their booster shots.

· Over the past day, 1,812 cases were discharged, of whom 274 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,103 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,070 in the community, 25 in the migrant worker dormitories and 8 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.69.

SITUATION AT HOSPITALS

1. As of 29 November 2021, 221 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 17 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 62 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 51.2%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

STATUS OF PATIENTS

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 28 November 2021, 94% of our eligible population (aged 12 years and above) has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the total population, 85% has completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 86% has received at least one dose, and 26% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.3 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.7 and 40.7 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 4.5 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 1,812 cases were discharged, of whom 274 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 29 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,103 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,070 community cases, 25 dormitory resident cases and 8 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 183 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.69.

8. 9 more cases, aged between 58 and 91 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. We are closely monitoring the cluster listed below, which has already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.

Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total5	Remarks
Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village	5	126	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 126 cases, 2 are staff and 124 are residents.

10. The NSW Ministry of Health has confirmed that two travellers who arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Singapore Airlines SQ211 on 28 November had tested positive for the Omicron variant of concern. The travellers departed from Johannesburg on 27 November via Singapore Airlines SQ481 and arrived at Changi Airport on the same day for their transit flight. Their pre-departure tests in South Africa on 26 November were negative for COVID-19 infection. Most of the travellers had remained in the transit area at Changi Airport until their departure for Sydney on 28 November, and did not enter Singapore or visit other areas in Changi Airport. Seven disembarked. Six are currently on 10-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at a dedicated facility and will be PCR tested. One was a close contact of an infected individual on the flight, and has been quarantined. Contact tracing is ongoing for airport staff who may have come into transient contact with the cases.

11. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
29 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Dec 1, 2021

from MOH report 29 November 2021:

ISSUANCE OF CORRECTION DIRECTION UNDER THE PROTECTION FROM ONLINE FALSEHOODS AND MANIPULATION ACT ON FALSEHOODS ON COVID-19 VACCINES

There are false and misleading statements about COVID-19 vaccines contained in a blog post by Cheah Kit Sun titled ‘Do Not Participate In A Society that Rejects You’, published on Wednesday, 20 October 2021 on various online locations, which was shared by Goh Meng Seng on Facebook (20 October 2021). It is important to correct these falsehoods, especially given the ongoing vaccine booster exercise.

2. The Minister for Health has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue Correction Directions to Cheah Kit Sun and Goh Meng Seng for spreading those falsehoods. Cheah and Goh are required to publish the correction notices as specified by POFMA Office for each webpage and social media post containing the falsehoods.

Corrections and clarifications on falsehoods regarding content about COVID-19 vaccines in a blog post by Cheah Kit Sun

3. In particular, the blog post misleads people into thinking that the COVID vaccines are the most dangerous developed recently as they have caused a substantially higher rate of death and serious injury compared to all other vaccines over the last 10 years.

4. These claims are false. COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Singapore are safe. They have been assessed to be safe and effective internationally by reputable health and scientific agencies, and in Singapore by both the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V). As of 31 October 2021, the serious adverse event incidence rate reported by healthcare professionals to HSA is 0.006% of total doses administered. Thus far, no deaths have been attributed to the COVID-19 vaccines. The benefits of receiving COVID-19 vaccines continue to far outweigh the risks of vaccination.

5. The United States’ Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)1 data do not support the claim that COVID-19 vaccines have caused a substantially higher rate of serious injury and death.

6. First, COVID-19 vaccines have been given to a very large proportion of the US population in 2021, while the other vaccines have been given to substantially fewer individuals in any given year. Thus, it is misleading to compare the absolute number of reported adverse events and deaths for COVID-19 and non-COVID vaccines.

7. Second, there is much higher surveillance and awareness of adverse event reporting for COVID-19 vaccines, compared with other vaccines.

8. Third, any member of the public may report adverse events and deaths to the VAERS system, regardless whether it is caused by vaccines or other factors. The reports are not required to be verified. They often lack details and sometimes contain errors. No proof is required that the adverse event or death was caused by the vaccine. And adverse events need not be serious; they include mild side effects such as rash/cold/headaches.

9. The post has been written to falsely exaggerate the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines, and to discourage people from taking them. If people believe these falsehoods, there could be serious health consequences for those who then remain unvaccinated. As stated earlier, the evidence so far is that serious adverse events have been reported in only 0.006% of total doses administered.

10. For facts of the case, please refer to the Factually article “Corrections and Clarifications regarding content about COVID-19 vaccines in a blog post by Cheah Kit Sun at https://www.gov.sg/article/factually291121”.

11. MOH advises the public not to speculate and/or spread misinformation which may cause public alarm, and to refer to credible sources of information instead. Please visit www.moh.gov.sg for the latest information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. For vaccine SAE statistics, please refer to HSA and its Safety Updates published monthly.

[1] The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

jw5 · Dec 1, 2021

from MOH report 30 November 2021:

MAINTAINING VIGILANCE WITH PRECAUTIONARY MOVES TO BETTER DETECT AND REDUCE RISK OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF THE OMICRON VARIANT

1. In response to the emergence of a potentially more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus, which has since been termed the Omicron variant, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced on 26 November 2021 travel restrictions for affected countries/regions[1]. On 28 November 2021, we further deferred the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with countries that serve as transport nodes to the affected countries/regions[2]. These measures will help to reduce the risk of importation of the Omicron variant.

2. Thus far, no cases of the Omicron variant have been detected locally. However, more countries have reported cases over the past few days, suggesting that the variant has spread globally. As a highly vaccinated population with a strong booster programme currently in progress, our community would have some protection against this new variant. We are monitoring the situation closely, and checking with health authorities worldwide to determine the variant’s characteristics. We will also take precautionary steps to reduce the probability of spread into Singapore, so that we can accumulate further knowledge about the variant, and how best to tackle it.

Update on Assessment of Omicron Variant

3. There has been a rapid increase in the proportion of cases that are infected by the Omicron variant in South Africa. As of 29 November 2021, the variant has been detected in at least 13 other countries, mainly from persons with recent travel history. More cases are expected globally as countries continue to enhance their surveillance for the variant. The overall COVID-19 incidence rate in South Africa remains low, but is increasing.

4. The MTF is monitoring the situation closely. In particular, we are looking out for more information on the Omicron variant – its transmissibility, incubation period and infectious duration, severity of illness, and the efficacy of existing vaccines. Some of the mutations found in the variant’s genome were previously known to enhance transmissibility and reduce vaccine efficacy in other variants with these mutations. In terms of vaccine efficacy, early data suggests that current vaccines should remain effective against severe disease and death. However, more studies are needed to understand the actual impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines and treatments.

On-arrival PCR Test for All Travellers and Additional Antigen Rapid Tests for Travellers on Vaccinated Travel Lanes

5. To step up detection and containment of the Omicron variant until more information is available, we will enhance our testing protocols for travellers arriving in Singapore after 2 December 2021, 2359 hours (Singapore time) (details in Annex A). These enhanced measures will apply for four weeks in the first instance, and will be reviewed and extended if necessary.

6. All travellers entering or transferring/transiting through Singapore, after 2 December, 2359 hours (Singapore time), including travellers from Category I countries/regions, must undergo a Pre-Departure Test (PDT)[3] within 2 days of their departure for Singapore and obtain a negative result. All travellers entering Singapore, including travellers from Category II (non-Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL)), III and IV countries, must undergo a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on-arrival[4].

7. With effect from 2 December, 2359 hours (Singapore time), air travellers on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL-Air) [5] who arrived after the cut-off date and time, will also have to undergo additional supervised self-administered Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) at a Quick Test Centre on Days 3 and 7 of their arrival. These measures will enable us to minimise importation and allow prompt detection and isolation of Omicron cases.

One-off Surveillance Testing Exercise for Travellers who Arrived from Affected Countries/Regions in Past Two Weeks

8. We are also conducting a one-time surveillance PCR testing exercise for travellers who arrived between 12 and 27 November 2021 and had travelled to the countries/regions affected by Omicron[1] in the 14 days before their arrival in Singapore. These travellers have been notified of their scheduled test time and venue. We seek the understanding and cooperation of affected travellers for the testing exercise.

PCR RRT for Affected Border Frontline Workers

9. Our borders are the first line of defence against importation of the Omicron variant. Hence, as a precautionary measure, from 2 December 2021 we will revert to a weekly PCR Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) for airport and other border frontline workers who may come into contact with travellers from countries/regions affected by the Omicron variant. A PCR-based test will facilitate the detection of the Omicron variant.

10. For aircrew serving flights from these countries, they will be subjected to an on-arrival PCR test, and post-arrival PCR tests on Days 3 and 7 following each flight duty. Other airport and border frontline workers will continue with ART-based RRT. As an added precaution, such individuals presenting a positive ART will have to go for a confirmatory PCR test. All border frontline workers, including recovered persons, will need to undergo the RRT. This will allow us to better detect potential cases infected with the Omicron variant at our border in a timely manner.

Enhanced Management of Confirmed and Suspected Omicron cases

11. Cases confirmed or suspected to be infected with the Omicron variant will not be allowed to undergo home recovery, and instead be conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases for isolation and management. We will also conduct full contact tracing for these cases to identify their close contacts, place them on a 10-day quarantine at designated facilities instead of allowing self-isolation at home, and conduct PCR testing at the start and at the end of their quarantine.

Update on Travel Advisory

12. All residents of Singapore are advised to defer all travel to higher risk countries/regions, that include Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe until further notice. In addition, we encourage travellers who visit countries/regions with reported cases of the Omicron variant or countries with high traffic volume to these higher risk countries/regions to take extra precaution, including wearing masks, and observing good personal hygiene and SMMs even if these requirements are not required there. This will protect you during this period of uncertainty.

Maintaining Vigilance Against New Variant

13. We are introducing a set of measures that serves as a strong yet reasonable response to the new variant to protect our local community. We will continue to monitor and evaluate data on the Omicron variant as it emerges and adjust our border and domestic measures accordingly. We seek Singaporeans’ understanding and support in the coming weeks as calibration to our measures may need to be introduced quickly given the fluidity of the situation.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

30 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Please refer to the Press Release on 26 November 2021.
[2] Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Please refer to the Press Release on 28 November 2021.
[3] Either a Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test or a professionally administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result will be accepted as a valid PDT for countries/regions in Category I – III. Only RT-PCR test results will be accepted as a valid PDT for Category IV countries/regions.
[4] To expedite on-arrival testing, travellers should register and make payment for their on-arrival PCR tests prior to departing for Singapore at: (a) https://safetravel.changiairport.com/arrivalswabtest/#/ if arriving by air; or (b) at https://t.2c2p.com/express/parkwayshentonoat if arriving by sea and land. The requirement for an on-arrival PCR test does not apply to VTL travellers arriving through land links with Malaysia.
[5] Separate measures will apply to VTL travellers via land links with Malaysia, who will be subject to a PDT as well as on-arrival ART only. The risk of importation via the VTL-Land arrangement is mitigated by the travel restrictions Malaysia has imposed on countries/regions affected by Omicron, and the restriction of eligibility to citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders of both countries in the initial phase.

jw5 · Dec 1, 2021

from MOH report 30 November 2021:

OPENING REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR HEALTH MR ONG YE KUNG AT COVID-19 MULTI-MINISTRY TASKFORCE PRESS CONFERENCE ON 30 NOVEMBER 2021

1. Good afternoon. Today, Director of Medical Services (DMS) Associate Professor Kenneth Mak and I will focus our presentation on how we are handling the Omicron variant.

Emergence of Omicron

2. South Africa, which has strong capabilities and know-how to sequence and detect the virus, is detecting rapid spread of the Omicron variant in some parts of the country, particularly in the Gauteng province. But it is also likely to be spreading elsewhere in Africa, just not detected. So the medical community here is very grateful to South Africa for their continued surveillance of COVID-19 and for alerting the world to this emerging variant called Omicron.

3. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as a Variant of Concern (VOC). This is mostly because of the relatively large number of mutations – 32 out of about 5,000, just on the spike protein. There is therefore reason to believe that Omicron may have fairly different characteristics from the previous COVID-19 variants that we know about.

4. For example, is it really more or less infectious compared to Delta? Is it more or less harmful? Do existing vaccines work well against it or less well against it? There are no clear answers to these questions now. Scientists around the world are working hard to provide some answers in the coming weeks.

The Situation we are Facing

5. So the situation we are facing is this: We have our known enemy, called the Delta variant, which we have developed a set of counter measures and honed them over time, and we are making good progress in living with the Delta variant.

6. And then we have an unknown enemy. If this unknown enemy is indeed a lot more transmissible than what Delta is currently, Omicron could spread much more widely than Delta. Whether it would dominate the other variants just like how Delta had done previously, it is a possibility that we need to be alert to and watch out for. It is not definitive. Remember in South Africa, the Delta variant is actually on the wane with fairly few cases, and then Omicron emerges. Nowhere in the world have we noticed a clash between these two variants. We also do not yet know if Omicron infection causes more severe illnesses.

7. In terms of potential timeframes, if indeed Omicron is more transmissible and begins to dominate over Delta, what kind of timeframe are we looking at? We can draw a reference to the Delta variant. Delta took about three to four months to become the predominant variant globally. If Omicron is very infectious, it may be faster than three to four months.

8. However, the spread of Omicron can also be slowed down because countries this time are a lot quicker in introducing border measures. We are seeing US, UK, EU member states, Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Japan, Australia, Israel, all took swift actions to suspend entries of travellers from affected countries. This did not happen as quickly for Delta.

9. On balance, even if Omicron establishes itself and causes large epidemics around the world, we hope it will take a couple of months. This period of a couple of months will give us valuable time to understand this variant, find out more about it and put in place the appropriate counter measures.

10. During this time, we may see sporadic cases slipping through into our borders, and we want to be able to detect, isolate and contain these cases. What we want to prevent and need to prevent during this discovery period is to prevent Omicron from establishing itself in our community, when we do not know enough about it.

11. When we learn more about it, I am confident we will learn to live with Omicron, just like how we learnt to live with Delta.

Our Responses

12. Given that, our response now will be based on the following two principles:

First, we will run parallel healthcare protocols– one for the known Delta, and the other for the unknown Omicron. The first to co-exist, the second to contain; and
Second, buy us time, at least for several weeks, to learn about Omicron.

13. There are a few things we are doing.

14. First, to quickly establish our starting point. So far, indications are that we do not have any Omicron infections in Singapore yet. We are testing travellers and aircrew who arrived in Singapore over the past 10 days who have recent travel histories to the affected regions. There are over 200 of them. We have done 174 tests so far and all are negative.

15. Second, we will freeze all new VTLs and relaxations on social measures. This is a prudent thing to do for now when we are faced with a major uncertainty.

16. Third, we have implemented a new set of healthcare protocols for Omicron. We will continue the current healthcare protocols for Delta. As for the Omicron measures, the healthcare protocols will be a lot stricter and quite similar to the initial protocols we implemented when we first encountered COVID-19. And everyone will be quite familiar with those protocols.

17. But first, we need to differentiate the two kinds of infection – Delta vs Omicron. PCR tests continue to be able to pick up COVID-19 infections of all variants. But there is a particular PCR test supplied by Thermo Fisher, which goes beyond identifying a person as being infected by COVID-19, it can also indicate if the person is likely to be infected by the Omicron variant because this is a particular difference in the S-gene drop out.

18. So we will prioritise this particular PCR test on travellers. It is not fool proof, but the indicative result allows us to act faster and differentiate the healthcare protocols between the two kinds of infections.

19. So if an individual is suspected of being infected by Omicron, he will be admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and if confirmed, will be managed there until we are confident that the person is non-infectious, through repeat testing. There is no option of Home Recovery Programme (HRP).

20. We are also standing up dedicated isolation facilities for Omicron as a further option, if we feel that public health considerations justify this.

21. The swab samples from all these individuals will also be simultaneously sent and prioritised for viral genetic sequencing, so we can ascertain if it is indeed an Omicron variant infection.

22. With every Omicron positive case, we will do what is familiar to everyone, we will conduct full contact tracing. Contacts will then be placed under quarantine and tested with PCR for exit.

23. Fourth, we will continue to push ahead with vaccination. This is absolutely the wrong time to argue that because there are new variants, let’s not vaccinate and wait for a new vaccine. People die because of such arguments and decisions.

24. Remember when we are faced with the unknown, we buy insurance. The insurance is now the existing vaccines. It is not a case where there are mutations and hence existing vaccines will not work, because the human body is much more capable than that, once vaccinated. There is a good chance that existing vaccines will work against Omicron.

25. Doctors from South Africa have observed that amongst Omicron cases with severe symptoms, 65% are unvaccinated and the remaining 35% partially vaccinated. These are very brief early data but it suggests that the vaccine could still be effective and underscores the importance of vaccines. If anything, it is a much more valuable insurance against a big unknown confronting the world now.

26. So please continue to get your vaccination and booster shots. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will also continue to administer vaccines proactively and leveraging our mobile and home vaccination teams to reach out to seniors. We are also making good progress in preparing for paediatric vaccination for those aged five to 11. We will announce details when ready.

27. Fifth, is to learn about Omicron quickly. There are many aspects, but let me list five key aspects:

a) How infectious is it compared to previous variants?
b) What’s the incubation and infectious period?
c) Can ART and other tests detect Omicron at the same level as the other variants?
d) Is it more or less harmful than Delta?
e) How well do existing vaccines work against it?

28. Sixth, border measures. For domestic healthcare protocols, we can use the Thermo Fisher PCR test to preliminarily identify Omicron infections and differentiate the follow-up actions. But for border policies, there is no basis for us to do so. So this is where we need to judge very carefully, and be prepared to adjust our border measures along the way. Minister Lawrence Wong will explain this.

Snakes and Ladders

29. In conclusion, the situation we are facing is like the game of Snakes and Ladders. We don’t know what is the next throw of the dice and which square we will land on.

30. If Omicron is more infectious, more harmful and vaccines do not work well against it, then we have stepped on the snake square, and we will go down, which will set us back a long way.

31. If Omicron is more infectious, but turn out milder, then in time a less harmful virus may dominate over Delta. That is actually a positive development. Then, we would have landed on the ladder square and maybe even take a leap forward in our transition to living with COVID-19. Many scientists believe this is actually one possible natural evolutionary direction of viruses.

32. Or it may be just another variant that makes no great impact, and we continue our current path to transit to living with COVID-19 as a resilient nation.

33. We can only know the answer in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we should take a prudent approach and implement appropriate measures to contain Omicron, not let it establish itself in our community, while we find out more about it.

34. I will now hand the floor to DMS. Thank you.

jw5 · Dec 1, 2021

from MOH report 30 November 2021:

Summary of local situation

• 1,113 cases remain warded in hospital. 216 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 13 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 65 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 58.5%.

• Over the last 28 days, of the 60,166 infected individuals, 98.7% had no or mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.

• MOH has completed a periodic update of our population numbers. Our population has decreased slightly, as individuals who have passed on or returned to their home countries outnumbered new-borns and inflows. We have therefore adjusted our vaccinated coverage accordingly. As of 29 November 2021, the total number of individuals who have completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines is 96% (adjusted from 94%) of the eligible population, and 86% (adjusted from 85%) of the total population. As a percentage of total population, 87% has received at least one dose, and 26% has received their booster shots.

• Over the past day, 1,399 cases were discharged, of whom 276 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,239 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,193 in the community, 24 in the migrant worker dormitories and 22 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.66.

SITUATION AT HOSPITALS

1. As of 30 November 2021, 216 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 13 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 65 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 58.5%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients
2. Over the last 28 days, 98.7% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.
Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition[1]

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:
Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died[2], by Age Groups

Vaccination
4. MOH has completed a periodic update of our population numbers. Our population has decreased slightly, as individuals who have passed on or returned to their home countries outnumbered new-borns and inflows. We have therefore adjusted our vaccinated coverage accordingly. As of 29 November 2021, the total number of individuals who have completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines is 96% (adjusted from 94%) of the eligible population, and 86% (adjusted from 85%) of the total population. As a percentage of total population, 87% has received at least one dose, and 26% has received their booster shots.

5. MOH has also been paying special attention to the number of unvaccinated seniors aged 60 years and above, who are the most vulnerable if infected with COVID-19. With the adjustment of our population base, the number of unvaccinated seniors aged 60 years and above has dropped from 57,769 to 43,611. This is because the estimated total number of persons in that age group has been reduced. After subtracting the number who has been fully vaccinated, the remainder is a significantly smaller number than the previous estimate.

6. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.3 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.1 and 0.4 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.8 and 39.5 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 4.5 respectively.
Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status [3]

Inflow and Outflow of Cases
7. Over the past day, 1,399 cases were discharged, of whom 276 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

8. As of 30 November 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,239 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,193 community cases, 24 dormitory resident cases and 22 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 179 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.66.

9. 8 more cases, aged between 47 and 87 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.
Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio[4]

10. We are closely monitoring the cluster listed below, which has already been ringfenced through tracing, testing and isolation.
Figure 7: Large Clusters with New Cases

Cluster	New Cases	Total[5]	Remarks
LC Nursing Home (Siglap)	1	16	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 16 cases, 1 is a staff and 15 are residents.
ECON Healthcare Nursing Home (Chai Chee)	1	42	Transmission amongst staff and residents. Of the 42 cases, 2 are staff and 40 are residents.

11. Please refer to MOH’s daily Situation Report (www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
30 NOVEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases’ worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under ‘Deceased’ and not under ‘Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU’.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner’s cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.
[5] Includes new cases added today.

jw5 · Dec 2, 2021

from MOH report 1 December 2021:

Summary of local situation

1,054 cases remain warded in hospital. 206 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 16 are unstable and under close monitoring in the intensive care unit (ICU), and 61 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 59.7%.
Over the last 28 days, of the 57,844 infected individuals, 98.6% had no or mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2% were in the ICU, and 0.2% has died.
As of 30 November 2021, the total number of individuals who have completed their full regimen/received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines constitutes 96% of the eligible population, and 87% of the total population. As a percentage of total population, 87% has received at least one dose, and 27% has received their booster shots.
Over the past day, 1,535 cases were discharged, of whom 289 are seniors aged 60 years and above. 1,324 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected, with 1,266 in the community, 45 in the migrant worker dormitories and 13 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.67.

Situation at Hospitals

1. As of 1 December 2021, 206 cases require oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 16 are unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 61 are critically ill and intubated in the ICU. The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 59.7%.

Figure 1: Daily Adult ICU Bed Utilisation

Status of Patients

2. Over the last 28 days, 98.6% of local infected cases were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, 0.9% required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.1% were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU to prevent further deterioration, and 0.1% had been critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

Figure 2: Local Cases in the Last 28 Days by Severity of Condition1

3. Seniors 60 years old and above, especially if unvaccinated, continue to be more adversely affected by COVID-19:

Figure 3: Patients Needing Oxygen Supplementation, ICU Care or Died2, by Age Groups

Vaccination

4. As of 30 November 2021, the total number of individuals who have completed their full regimen/ received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines constitutes 96% of the eligible population, and 87% of the total population. As a percentage of total population, 87% has received at least one dose, and 27% has received their booster shots.

5. Over the past 7 days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.3 per 100,000 population respectively. Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.1 and 0.5 per 100,000 population respectively. Among seniors aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.9 and 38.5 respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.3 and 4.9 respectively.

Figure 4: 7-Day Moving Average of Number of Deaths and Active Cases in ICU, per 100,000 Population by Vaccination Status3

Inflow and Outflow of Cases

6. Over the past day, 1,535 cases were discharged, of whom 289 are seniors aged 60 years and above.

7. As of 1 December 2021, 12pm, the Ministry of Health has detected a total of 1,324 new cases of COVID-19 infection, comprising 1,266 community cases, 45 dormitory resident cases and 13 imported cases. Amongst the community cases today are 200 seniors who are aged 60 years and above. The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before is 0.67.

8. 8 more cases, aged between 59 and 86 years, have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Figure 5: Number of Community Cases by Age

Figure 6: Week-on-week Infection Ratio4

9. Please refer to MOH's daily Situation Report (http://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/situation-report) for details.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
1 DECEMBER 2021

[1] Includes only new cases reported in the past 28 days. Based on cases' worst-ever condition; deceased cases previously in ICU are counted under 'Deceased' and not under 'Ever Critically ill and Intubated in ICU'.
[2] May differ from the deaths reported for the day as the latter includes those who have passed on earlier, but whose cause of death was investigated and confirmed only later, e.g. Coroner's cases.
[3] Non-fully vaccinated comprises persons who are partially vaccinated and completely unvaccinated.
[4] Ratio of community cases in the past week over the week before.

jw5 · Dec 3, 2021

from MOH report 2 December 2021:

REMINDER TO COMPLETE PRIMARY SERIES OF SINOVAC-CORONAVAC AND SINOPHARM VACCINES

From 1 December 2021, the Ministry of Health has been progressively sending out SMS notifications to about 70,000 persons [1] who have taken two doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines and aredue for the remaining dose of their three-dose regime. These persons are eligible for their third dose from three months after their second dose.

2. To maintain their fully vaccinated status from 1 January 2022 onwards,they are strongly encouraged to take their third dose before 31 December 2021, as long as their second dose had been administered three months ago. Beyond this time interval, the individual’s vaccination status will revert to ‘vaccination in progress’ and will be subject to the current Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) [2],as well as the Workforce Vaccination Measures, both of which will take effect on 1 January 2022. Individuals should bear in mind the following:

a) Individuals who have already received two doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines are strongly recommended to receive a PSAR-authorised mRNA vaccine for their third dose unless they are medically ineligible to do so. They can walk into any vaccination centre offering the mRNA vaccines to receive their third dose. The list of vaccination centre offering mRNA vaccines can be found on www.vaccine.gov.sg/locations-vcs.

b) Otherwise, they should complete their primary series with a third dose of the Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines, whichever was received for the first two doses. The Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine can be taken at any of the PSAR-authorised private clinics. The list of PSAR-authorised private clinics can be found on www.vaccine.gov.sg/locations.

3. Persons who developed an allergic reaction to the first dose of the mRNA vaccine and received the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine for their second dose should also complete a third dose of Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, 28 days after their second dose, to maintain their vaccination status.

4. The three-dose requirement applies to individuals who have had one dose of the Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines, as part of a two-dose combination of different World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO-EUL) vaccine brands [3]. Further details on the requirements for persons who have received a mixed vaccine combination incorporating Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines, as well as recovered persons who took these vaccines, can be found on https://go.gov.sg/sinovac-mixed-vac-combi.

Grace Period for Children Turning 13 in 2022 to Get Fully Vaccinated

5. As announced on 20 November 2021, the concession for unvaccinated individuals to perform a pre-event test (PET) in lieu of being fully vaccinated will be removed with effect on 1 January 2022. Hence, only fully vaccinated, recovered, or medically ineligible individuals, or children aged 12 years and below (i.e. those born in 2010 or after), will be allowed to enter settings and participate in activities where VDS are implemented [4].

6. A grace period will be extended to children born in December 2009 to allow them sufficient time to get fully vaccinated. Children born in 2009 who will turn 13 in 2022 will need to be fully vaccinated to enter venues and participate in activities with VDS from 1 March 2022 (instead of 1 January 2022).

Workforce Vaccination Measures

7. With the implementation of the Workforce Vaccination Measures from 1 January 2022, we will also phase out the “Vaccinate or Regular Test” regime for all sectors that were onboard the regime as of the same date.

8. We continue to strongly recommend persons who can take the PSAR-authorised mRNA vaccines to do so given its higher vaccine effectiveness against infection and severe disease.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
2 DECEMBER 2021

[1] As of 30 November 2021.
[2] https://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/pre...lementation-of-workforce-vaccination-measures
[3] Excluding the Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
[4] Subject to venue and/or event-specific capacities.

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