Government has imposed Code Red measures without calling the situation Code Red

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

COVID: NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road to close for 2 weeks​

SINGAPORE — NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road is closed from Sunday for two weeks and will reopen on 13 June as investigations by the Ministry of Health (MOH) show there is likely ongoing transmission of COVID-19 at the coffee shop.

“To break any potential chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road has been closed to all members of the public starting from 30 May 2021 and will re-open 14 days later, on 13 June 2021,” the MOH said on Sunday in its daily COVID-19 report.

To pre-emptively mitigate any potential risk of wider, undetected community transmission, the authorities will offer free COVID-19 testing for members of the public who had visited the coffee shop from 13 May to 30 May.

All visitors to the location over the period are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit. They are encouraged to visit a Regional Screening Centre or “Swab and Send Home” Public Health Preparedness Clinic for a free COVID-19 testing.

MOH also confirmed a 95-year-old Singaporean died on Sunday from COVID-19 infection – the 33rd such fatality in Singapore.

On Sunday, MOH reported 25 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,028.

There are 19 cases of locally transmitted infection, of which 13 are linked to past cases.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

COVID: NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road to close for 2 weeks​

View attachment 112426

SINGAPORE — NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road is closed from Sunday for two weeks and will reopen on 13 June as investigations by the Ministry of Health (MOH) show there is likely ongoing transmission of COVID-19 at the coffee shop.

“To break any potential chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, NTUC Foodfare at 308 Anchorvale Road has been closed to all members of the public starting from 30 May 2021 and will re-open 14 days later, on 13 June 2021,” the MOH said on Sunday in its daily COVID-19 report.

To pre-emptively mitigate any potential risk of wider, undetected community transmission, the authorities will offer free COVID-19 testing for members of the public who had visited the coffee shop from 13 May to 30 May.

All visitors to the location over the period are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit. They are encouraged to visit a Regional Screening Centre or “Swab and Send Home” Public Health Preparedness Clinic for a free COVID-19 testing.

MOH also confirmed a 95-year-old Singaporean died on Sunday from COVID-19 infection – the 33rd such fatality in Singapore.

On Sunday, MOH reported 25 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,028.

There are 19 cases of locally transmitted infection, of which 13 are linked to past cases.

from MOH report 30 May 2021:

Case 63382, a 95 year-old female Singaporean, has passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection on 30 May 2021. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 May when she was warded at Changi General Hospital for an unrelated medical condition. She had not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and had a history of cancer, hypertension and hypothyroidism. Changi General Hospital has reached out to her family and is extending assistance to them.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Possible easing of COVID restrictions after 13 June if community cases fall further: Lee Hsien Loong​

SINGAPORE — The government should be able to ease COVID-19 safe management restrictions after 13 June if the pandemic situation continues to improve and the number of community cases falls further, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (31 May).

In a national televised address, Lee was giving an update on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore.

He noted that there had been new clusters of COVID-19 infections and unlinked cases, implying a community spread. Consequently, Singapore had to step back from Phase 3 and implement Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) to reduce social interaction and new infections, Lee said.

The restrictions under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), which took effect on 16 May and will last until 13 June, include no dining-in at all food and beverage establishments, and social gathering size capped at two persons per group.

Because of the support and cooperation of everyone, the number of daily cases has come down, Lee said.

“Barring another super-spreader or big cluster, we should be on track to bring this outbreak under control. We will know for sure in another week or so,” he added.

In the meantime, Lee said he is counting on everyone to maintain efforts and stay vigilant in the pandemic.

 

[Revenger]

HA HA HA !

HO HO HO !

MORE DEAD SINKIES !

GOOD NEWS TO CELEBRATE !

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Possible easing of COVID restrictions after 13 June if community cases fall further: Lee Hsien Loong​

SINGAPORE — The government should be able to ease COVID-19 safe management restrictions after 13 June if the pandemic situation continues to improve and the number of community cases falls further, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (31 May).

In a national televised address, Lee was giving an update on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore.

He noted that there had been new clusters of COVID-19 infections and unlinked cases, implying a community spread. Consequently, Singapore had to step back from Phase 3 and implement Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) to reduce social interaction and new infections, Lee said.

The restrictions under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), which took effect on 16 May and will last until 13 June, include no dining-in at all food and beverage establishments, and social gathering size capped at two persons per group.

Because of the support and cooperation of everyone, the number of daily cases has come down, Lee said.

“Barring another super-spreader or big cluster, we should be on track to bring this outbreak under control. We will know for sure in another week or so,” he added.

In the meantime, Lee said he is counting on everyone to maintain efforts and stay vigilant in the pandemic.

PM Lee is the equivalent of Donald Trump, he is very eager to open up the economy.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore provides up to $700 one-off payout for employees on no-pay leave​

Singapore has launched a new COVID-19 Recovery Grant (Temporary) (CRG-T) support package for lower to middle income earners who are currently not receiving any CRG support with a one-off payout.

The Ministry of Finance said that the livelihoods of some workers have also been affected, such as those in F&B, hawkers, retail, arts as well as sports and fitness sectors.

"The Government will introduce the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (Temporary) scheme to provide one-off support for lower- to middle-income employees and self-employed persons who are financially impacted as a result of the tightened measures," MOF said in a statement

Under the new CRG-T package, employees who are placed in an involuntary no-pay leave for at least one month may receive up to $700 whilst employees and self-employed persons facing income loss of at least 50% for at least 1 month may receive up to $500.

Application for the grant will be from 3 June to 2 July.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore to allow alternative COVID-19 vaccines for use by private sector​

SINGAPORE – To enhance Singapore's overall vaccine coverage and offer more flexibility, the government will allow private healthcare providers here to import and administer alternative COVID-19 vaccines via Special Access Routes (SARs).

In a press release on Monday (31 May), the Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that there has been interest in accessing alternate vaccines used in other countries, largely due to medical reasons that prevent individuals here from taking the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines currently authorised for use in Singapore.

Under the SAR, private healthcare providers in Singapore can import unregistered medicines to address unmet medical needs. The MOH noted that the alternative COVID-19 vaccines to be brought in under the SAR have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are in the WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

The use of the SAR for unregistered pandemic vaccines will be limited to the duration of the pandemic.

Doctors looking to use vaccines that are not registered or authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) should discuss the risks and benefits with their patients and reach a joint, informed decision, said MOH. Patients taking up such vaccines will also need to sign a consent form to acknowledge their acceptance of such risks.

Additionally, vaccines imported under the SAR will not be subsidised and those taking them will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for COVID-19 Vaccination.

As more data becomes available, the MOH will be able to determine if persons vaccinated under the SAR may be eligible for the same exemptions on testing, or public health restrictions, which may be accorded to individuals vaccinated under the national programme.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore to allow alternative COVID-19 vaccines for use by private sector​

SINGAPORE – To enhance Singapore's overall vaccine coverage and offer more flexibility, the government will allow private healthcare providers here to import and administer alternative COVID-19 vaccines via Special Access Routes (SARs).

In a press release on Monday (31 May), the Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that there has been interest in accessing alternate vaccines used in other countries, largely due to medical reasons that prevent individuals here from taking the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines currently authorised for use in Singapore.

Under the SAR, private healthcare providers in Singapore can import unregistered medicines to address unmet medical needs. The MOH noted that the alternative COVID-19 vaccines to be brought in under the SAR have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are in the WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

The use of the SAR for unregistered pandemic vaccines will be limited to the duration of the pandemic.

Doctors looking to use vaccines that are not registered or authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) should discuss the risks and benefits with their patients and reach a joint, informed decision, said MOH. Patients taking up such vaccines will also need to sign a consent form to acknowledge their acceptance of such risks.

Additionally, vaccines imported under the SAR will not be subsidised and those taking them will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for COVID-19 Vaccination.

As more data becomes available, the MOH will be able to determine if persons vaccinated under the SAR may be eligible for the same exemptions on testing, or public health restrictions, which may be accorded to individuals vaccinated under the national programme.

Looks like PAP are trying to make SG become a vaccine hub.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore to allow alternative COVID-19 vaccines for use by private sector​

SINGAPORE – To enhance Singapore's overall vaccine coverage and offer more flexibility, the government will allow private healthcare providers here to import and administer alternative COVID-19 vaccines via Special Access Routes (SARs).

In a press release on Monday (31 May), the Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that there has been interest in accessing alternate vaccines used in other countries, largely due to medical reasons that prevent individuals here from taking the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines currently authorised for use in Singapore.

Under the SAR, private healthcare providers in Singapore can import unregistered medicines to address unmet medical needs. The MOH noted that the alternative COVID-19 vaccines to be brought in under the SAR have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are in the WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

The use of the SAR for unregistered pandemic vaccines will be limited to the duration of the pandemic.

Doctors looking to use vaccines that are not registered or authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) should discuss the risks and benefits with their patients and reach a joint, informed decision, said MOH. Patients taking up such vaccines will also need to sign a consent form to acknowledge their acceptance of such risks.

Additionally, vaccines imported under the SAR will not be subsidised and those taking them will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for COVID-19 Vaccination.

As more data becomes available, the MOH will be able to determine if persons vaccinated under the SAR may be eligible for the same exemptions on testing, or public health restrictions, which may be accorded to individuals vaccinated under the national programme.

This is good news for the pharma companies.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Household members of close contact of COVID-19 case to be isolated immediately: PM Lee​

SINGAPORE — Household members of any person identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case will have to isolate themselves immediately, even if the person has not tested positive for COVID-19 yet.

These are part of more aggressive contact tracing measures announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was giving an update on the pandemic on Monday (31 May).

While contact tracers have been working faster and better due to their increased experience, skills and better tools, such as TraceTogether and SafeEntry, contact tracing can be further improved by casting the net wider, he said.

“Our experience has shown that if a close contact is infected, he is quite likely to infect others who stay with him in the same household.

“Therefore, in future, when we identify a close contact of an infected case. We will not only isolate him, himself – the first-degree contact – and test him for COVID-19. We will also notify his household members to isolate themselves immediately, without waiting to see whether the first degree contact tests positive.”

If the first degree contact were to test negative, his or her household members will be released from isolation, said Lee.

If the first-degree contact tests positive for the virus, precious time would have been saved by isolating his or her household members earlier, added Lee.

The “more aggressive approach” would help the authorities shut down clusters more quickly, he said.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

400,000 students in Singapore can register for COVID vaccine from 1 June​

SINGAPORE — From Tuesday (1 June), some 400,000 students from schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) can register for the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the national vaccination exercise.

Those from the graduating cohorts taking their N, O or A-level exams or the equivalent in the second-half of 2021, numbering about 56,000, will be prioritised. "These students will be the first to receive their invitations to be vaccinated so that they can have greater flexibility in scheduling their vaccination appointments in view of their upcoming national examinations," said the Ministry of Education

Over the next two weeks, similar invitations will be progressively extended to other groups of full-time students, including the privately-funded Schools, madrasahs and Special Education (SPED) schools. International schools will not be included in this vaccination exercise.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered to those aged 12 to 15, while older students can choose between the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The interval between doses will be six to eight weeks.

The first shots for students are expected to be given on 3 June. Once they are vaccinated, the vaccination exercise will be opened to young adults aged 39 and below.

Last month, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 authorised the use of vaccines in those aged 12-15. Studies and data have shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective and safe for individuals aged 12 and above, and aged 18 and above respectively.

Parental consent​

INFOGRAPHIC: Ministry of Education
Students or parents/guardians of those under 18 will receive SMSes with a unique link for them to book appointments at any of the vaccination centres.

Those below 18 years will only be offered appointment slots at sites with the Pfizer vaccine.

Parental or guardian consent will be required for these students as part of the booking process via the National Appointment System (NAS). Consent will be collected once, and apply for both doses. Parent or guardian accompaniment at the vaccination site is only required for children aged 12 and children in SPED schools.

The main vaccination exercise for most students will be through the NAS as this will give maximum flexibility in choice of dates and venues, and for students to get vaccinated early.

Vaccination centres​

Vaccinations for students will take place at community vaccination centres. From 7 June, there will also be four dedicated MOE vaccination centres, of which three will be at ITE College campuses, jointly set up by MOE and the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and one at Raffles City Convention Centre.

As all three ITE campuses will have MOE vaccination centres, ITE students will take their shots on-campus, to make use of this dedicated capacity.

To facilitate access for students in SPED schools who may find it challenging to visit a vaccination site, MOH will deploy mobile vaccination teams to the schools to carry out vaccinations for all SPED students aged 12 and above.

"While the COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory, we would like to encourage all medically eligible students to be vaccinated when the vaccine is made available to them. This is our way of protecting not just our students and education institutions, but also their families and the wider community," said MOE.

More information on the vaccination exercise for students can be found here.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Household members of close contact of COVID-19 case to be isolated immediately: PM Lee​

SINGAPORE — Household members of any person identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case will have to isolate themselves immediately, even if the person has not tested positive for COVID-19 yet.

These are part of more aggressive contact tracing measures announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was giving an update on the pandemic on Monday (31 May).

While contact tracers have been working faster and better due to their increased experience, skills and better tools, such as TraceTogether and SafeEntry, contact tracing can be further improved by casting the net wider, he said.

“Our experience has shown that if a close contact is infected, he is quite likely to infect others who stay with him in the same household.

“Therefore, in future, when we identify a close contact of an infected case. We will not only isolate him, himself – the first-degree contact – and test him for COVID-19. We will also notify his household members to isolate themselves immediately, without waiting to see whether the first degree contact tests positive.”

If the first degree contact were to test negative, his or her household members will be released from isolation, said Lee.

If the first-degree contact tests positive for the virus, precious time would have been saved by isolating his or her household members earlier, added Lee.

The “more aggressive approach” would help the authorities shut down clusters more quickly, he said.

This should have been done for more than one year already.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

400,000 students in Singapore can register for COVID vaccine from 1 June​

SINGAPORE — From Tuesday (1 June), some 400,000 students from schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) can register for the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the national vaccination exercise.

Those from the graduating cohorts taking their N, O or A-level exams or the equivalent in the second-half of 2021, numbering about 56,000, will be prioritised. "These students will be the first to receive their invitations to be vaccinated so that they can have greater flexibility in scheduling their vaccination appointments in view of their upcoming national examinations," said the Ministry of Education

Over the next two weeks, similar invitations will be progressively extended to other groups of full-time students, including the privately-funded Schools, madrasahs and Special Education (SPED) schools. International schools will not be included in this vaccination exercise.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered to those aged 12 to 15, while older students can choose between the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The interval between doses will be six to eight weeks.

The first shots for students are expected to be given on 3 June. Once they are vaccinated, the vaccination exercise will be opened to young adults aged 39 and below.

Last month, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 authorised the use of vaccines in those aged 12-15. Studies and data have shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are effective and safe for individuals aged 12 and above, and aged 18 and above respectively.

Parental consent​

INFOGRAPHIC: Ministry of Education
Students or parents/guardians of those under 18 will receive SMSes with a unique link for them to book appointments at any of the vaccination centres.

Those below 18 years will only be offered appointment slots at sites with the Pfizer vaccine.

Parental or guardian consent will be required for these students as part of the booking process via the National Appointment System (NAS). Consent will be collected once, and apply for both doses. Parent or guardian accompaniment at the vaccination site is only required for children aged 12 and children in SPED schools.

The main vaccination exercise for most students will be through the NAS as this will give maximum flexibility in choice of dates and venues, and for students to get vaccinated early.

Vaccination centres​

Vaccinations for students will take place at community vaccination centres. From 7 June, there will also be four dedicated MOE vaccination centres, of which three will be at ITE College campuses, jointly set up by MOE and the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and one at Raffles City Convention Centre.

As all three ITE campuses will have MOE vaccination centres, ITE students will take their shots on-campus, to make use of this dedicated capacity.

To facilitate access for students in SPED schools who may find it challenging to visit a vaccination site, MOH will deploy mobile vaccination teams to the schools to carry out vaccinations for all SPED students aged 12 and above.

"While the COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory, we would like to encourage all medically eligible students to be vaccinated when the vaccine is made available to them. This is our way of protecting not just our students and education institutions, but also their families and the wider community," said MOE.

More information on the vaccination exercise for students can be found here.

Students can get jabbed during school holidays.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

COVID vaccination guidelines eased for pregnant, breastfeeding women, cancer patients​

SINGAPORE — COVID-19 vaccination guidelines in Singapore have been eased for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, cancer patients currently receiving treatment, and persons who have previously suffered severe skin allergy reactions to medications.

The Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V) has been monitoring evidence and developments around the world and has revised its guidelines accordingly, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on the pandemic said at a virtual press briefing on Monday (31 May).

There was no evidence to suggest that the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may cause harm to pregnant women or their babies, the MTF stated.

However, the committee noted that the amount of data collected on the population segment was still much smaller compared to data on the general population.

It advised pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors to make an informed decision on the vaccination. Pregnant women will be able to register and book a vaccination appointment from 4 June, if they are part of the population group eligible for vaccination.

Similarly, the two vaccines have been deemed to be safe for breastfeeding women and there is no need to stop breastfeeding while receiving the jabs, the EC19V said.

Cancer patients on active cancer treatment remain at an increased risk of complications from COVID-19 but there was no evidence of any safety signals or increased rates of adverse events from mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, noted the authorities.

Director of medical services Kenneth Mak noted that MOH had previously exercised "considerable caution" and advised that these patients complete their treatment before getting vaccinated. "At this time, we prefer for these patients to be vaccinated in a hospital setting where they can be better monitored for their health status. And we will review later whether these conditions can be revised."

Persons with Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (SCAR), or sever skin allergy reactions to medications, can also receive both vaccines, even though they were previously not recommended to do so. SCAR includes Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms, and Drug-induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome.

"These are very severe reactions that occur as a result of taking various types of medications," explained Prof Mak. "And if you have previously had such a severe allergic reaction to medications like antibiotics, you will now be eligible to receive your COVID-19 vaccination."

The EC19V is also reviewing safety data on persons with a history of anaphylaxis, to allow more to be safely vaccinated, it added. The committee said it intends to complete the review in the next two weeks, and will set out guidelines allowing certain persons who have had previous history of anaphylaxis to be vaccinated using mRNA vaccines safely.

Prof Mak said, "We hope that these adjustments to our guidance will offer vaccination opportunities for more people and allow them to benefit from the enhanced immune protection that vaccination offers."

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

COVID vaccination guidelines eased for pregnant, breastfeeding women, cancer patients​

SINGAPORE — COVID-19 vaccination guidelines in Singapore have been eased for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, cancer patients currently receiving treatment, and persons who have previously suffered severe skin allergy reactions to medications.

The Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V) has been monitoring evidence and developments around the world and has revised its guidelines accordingly, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on the pandemic said at a virtual press briefing on Monday (31 May).

There was no evidence to suggest that the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may cause harm to pregnant women or their babies, the MTF stated.

However, the committee noted that the amount of data collected on the population segment was still much smaller compared to data on the general population.

It advised pregnant women to discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors to make an informed decision on the vaccination. Pregnant women will be able to register and book a vaccination appointment from 4 June, if they are part of the population group eligible for vaccination.

Similarly, the two vaccines have been deemed to be safe for breastfeeding women and there is no need to stop breastfeeding while receiving the jabs, the EC19V said.

Cancer patients on active cancer treatment remain at an increased risk of complications from COVID-19 but there was no evidence of any safety signals or increased rates of adverse events from mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, noted the authorities.

Director of medical services Kenneth Mak noted that MOH had previously exercised "considerable caution" and advised that these patients complete their treatment before getting vaccinated. "At this time, we prefer for these patients to be vaccinated in a hospital setting where they can be better monitored for their health status. And we will review later whether these conditions can be revised."

Persons with Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (SCAR), or sever skin allergy reactions to medications, can also receive both vaccines, even though they were previously not recommended to do so. SCAR includes Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms, and Drug-induced Hypersensitivity Syndrome.

"These are very severe reactions that occur as a result of taking various types of medications," explained Prof Mak. "And if you have previously had such a severe allergic reaction to medications like antibiotics, you will now be eligible to receive your COVID-19 vaccination."

The EC19V is also reviewing safety data on persons with a history of anaphylaxis, to allow more to be safely vaccinated, it added. The committee said it intends to complete the review in the next two weeks, and will set out guidelines allowing certain persons who have had previous history of anaphylaxis to be vaccinated using mRNA vaccines safely.

Prof Mak said, "We hope that these adjustments to our guidance will offer vaccination opportunities for more people and allow them to benefit from the enhanced immune protection that vaccination offers."

Looks like there is opportunity for more people to be vaccinated.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

All 26 Hua Zai outlets closed from 1-14 June amid linked COVID cases​

SINGAPORE — All 26 Hua Zai Eating House outlets will be closed from 1 June for two weeks and re-open on 15 June following the detection of COVID-19 cases linked to an outlet at Anchorvale, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (1 June).

In its daily COVID-19 report, MOH said that it is investigating cases of infection amongst individuals who work at Hua Zai outlets. “Our epidemiological investigations have found that there is likely ongoing transmission among individuals who work at some of the Hua Zai outlets.”

The Hua Zai outlet in NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) has been closed since 30 May, after a number of cases linked to the coffee shop were detected.

As of Tuesday, the NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) cluster has a total of nine cases, with the two most recent cases added to the cluster on 30 May. The source of the cluster is a 33-year-old Malaysian man who works as a kitchen assistant at Hua Zai. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 29 May.

On Tuesday, the MOH reported 18 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,069.

Of them, 15 are local cases in the community with eight linked to previous infections. The three remaining new cases are imported.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

All 26 Hua Zai outlets closed from 1-14 June amid linked COVID cases​

SINGAPORE — All 26 Hua Zai Eating House outlets will be closed from 1 June for two weeks and re-open on 15 June following the detection of COVID-19 cases linked to an outlet at Anchorvale, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (1 June).

In its daily COVID-19 report, MOH said that it is investigating cases of infection amongst individuals who work at Hua Zai outlets. “Our epidemiological investigations have found that there is likely ongoing transmission among individuals who work at some of the Hua Zai outlets.”

The Hua Zai outlet in NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) has been closed since 30 May, after a number of cases linked to the coffee shop were detected.

As of Tuesday, the NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) cluster has a total of nine cases, with the two most recent cases added to the cluster on 30 May. The source of the cluster is a 33-year-old Malaysian man who works as a kitchen assistant at Hua Zai. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 29 May.

On Tuesday, the MOH reported 18 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,069.

Of them, 15 are local cases in the community with eight linked to previous infections. The three remaining new cases are imported.

This is very unfortunate for the Hua Zai franchise.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Fully vaccinated people who catch Covid variants may pass virus on, study finds​

Fully vaccinated people infected with Covid variants may be likely to pass the virus on, researchers have said.

No vaccine is 100 per cent effective, and while the number of people who contract Covid after vaccination – known as post-vaccine breakthrough cases – is tiny, a growing number of studies show that these cases are more likely to be infected with variants that have emerged in recent months.

Researchers at the University of Washington in the United States sequenced samples from 20 health workers who went on to contract Covid after receiving both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

The study showed that all 20 were infected with variants of concern that have been driving second waves of Covid in many parts of the world – eight had the UK variant, one the South African variant, 10 had one of the two California variants and one had the Brazilian variant.

The researchers then compared the samples collected from this group with samples collected from 5,174 non-vaccinated individuals who had Covid.

While everyone in the vaccinated group had a variant of concern, only 67 per cent of non-vaccinated individuals did. The study also showed that the vaccinated individuals infected with Covid had high viral loads.

Dr Pavitra Roychoudhury, the lead author of the study, said the "prevailing understanding" was that while vaccine breakthrough cases would occur, they would be mild.

"But in contrast to that, what we saw among our 20 samples was that a number of them actually had quite robust viral loads. That was concerning in the sense that there was definitely enough virus to sequence, and potentially there might be enough virus to transmit," she said.

None of the 20 patients studied were hospitalised and it is not known whether they passed the disease to others, said Dr Roychoudhury.

A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also showed that vaccinated individuals who contracted the disease were also likely to be infected with variants.

Data released earlier this week showed that, as of April 30, there were 10,262 cases of post-vaccination infection among the 101 million people that had been fully vaccinated.

Some 555 of these 10,000 samples were sequenced and researchers found that 356 were identified as variants of concern. Of these, more than half were the UK variant, 33 per cent were one of the two California variants, eight per cent were the Brazilian variant and four per cent were the South African variant.

Dr Roychoudhury said the finding of high viral loads showed that it was important to monitor breakthrough cases and highlighted the importance of continuing self-isolation.

She added that monitoring breakthrough cases would help vaccine manufacturers who are currently looking at booster shots, saying: "It can help us identify a potential redesign of the booster shots and improve them."

However, Dr Roychoudhury said the findings of her study did not indicate that the current vaccines were not effective.

"A lot of the antibody responses are pretty broad. The vaccines are not designed to be super specific so they will be able to target the variants," she said. She added that, as more people are vaccinated, the number of vaccination breakthrough cases is likely to come down as infection levels reduce in the wider population.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Fully vaccinated people who catch Covid variants may pass virus on, study finds​

Fully vaccinated people infected with Covid variants may be likely to pass the virus on, researchers have said.

No vaccine is 100 per cent effective, and while the number of people who contract Covid after vaccination – known as post-vaccine breakthrough cases – is tiny, a growing number of studies show that these cases are more likely to be infected with variants that have emerged in recent months.

Researchers at the University of Washington in the United States sequenced samples from 20 health workers who went on to contract Covid after receiving both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

The study showed that all 20 were infected with variants of concern that have been driving second waves of Covid in many parts of the world – eight had the UK variant, one the South African variant, 10 had one of the two California variants and one had the Brazilian variant.

The researchers then compared the samples collected from this group with samples collected from 5,174 non-vaccinated individuals who had Covid.

While everyone in the vaccinated group had a variant of concern, only 67 per cent of non-vaccinated individuals did. The study also showed that the vaccinated individuals infected with Covid had high viral loads.

Dr Pavitra Roychoudhury, the lead author of the study, said the "prevailing understanding" was that while vaccine breakthrough cases would occur, they would be mild.

"But in contrast to that, what we saw among our 20 samples was that a number of them actually had quite robust viral loads. That was concerning in the sense that there was definitely enough virus to sequence, and potentially there might be enough virus to transmit," she said.

None of the 20 patients studied were hospitalised and it is not known whether they passed the disease to others, said Dr Roychoudhury.

A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also showed that vaccinated individuals who contracted the disease were also likely to be infected with variants.

Data released earlier this week showed that, as of April 30, there were 10,262 cases of post-vaccination infection among the 101 million people that had been fully vaccinated.

Some 555 of these 10,000 samples were sequenced and researchers found that 356 were identified as variants of concern. Of these, more than half were the UK variant, 33 per cent were one of the two California variants, eight per cent were the Brazilian variant and four per cent were the South African variant.

Dr Roychoudhury said the finding of high viral loads showed that it was important to monitor breakthrough cases and highlighted the importance of continuing self-isolation.

She added that monitoring breakthrough cases would help vaccine manufacturers who are currently looking at booster shots, saying: "It can help us identify a potential redesign of the booster shots and improve them."

However, Dr Roychoudhury said the findings of her study did not indicate that the current vaccines were not effective.

"A lot of the antibody responses are pretty broad. The vaccines are not designed to be super specific so they will be able to target the variants," she said. She added that, as more people are vaccinated, the number of vaccination breakthrough cases is likely to come down as infection levels reduce in the wider population.

Looks like vaccinated people can still be infectious.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore to make over-the-counter DIY COVID-19 tests available to residents​

SINGAPORE — Singapore residents will soon be able to purchase "do-it-yourself" COVID-19 tests over the counter at pharmacies, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (31 May).

"They are simple to use, and not so uncomfortable. And you can administer these on your own," he said in a publicly broadcast speech, during which he addressed Singapore's plans for managing its COVID-19 situation.

Lee noted that the tests are aimed at those who might be worried that they have COVID-19 or those working frontline jobs who wish to test themselves frequently.

Pointing to the different types of COVID-19 tests now available in Singapore – including antigen rapid tests (ART), saliva tests, breathalysers, wastewater surveillance and sniffer dogs – he said that such alternatives to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests would "help us detect and isolate persons quickly when they are most infectious".

ART can produce results within 30 minutes and are currently used to indicate whether a person is likely to be infected with COVID-19, after which the diagnosis can be confirmed with a PCR test.

Wider testing

With the availability of faster and cheaper tests, Singapore is also looking to widen its approach to COVID-19 testing, said Lee.

Going forward, the government will conduct routine testing at more workplaces, such as offices, restaurants and shopping malls. Those working jobs that involve close contact with many people – such as taxi drivers, masseurs, stage performers, and fitness instructors – can be also tested regularly, said Lee.

"Henceforth, we will not only test to identify infections when a new case pops up. We will also routinely and regularly test people who appear well, in normal work or social or community settings, to make them and these places safe," he added.

Lee noted that such extensive testing would help with the resumption of larger scale events or gatherings, citing the example of using fast and easy tests before events such as religious services, weddings or concerts.

"Therefore, you should expect routine, large-scale, fast and simple testing to be part of our new normal," said Lee.