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Serious Many Pappys don't like OngYK..not Team player.
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- Start date
OYK introduces a few scientists and researchers. 
People may not realise that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every key decision we made was based on scientific evidence and data. But who provides the evidence and data?
They are the scientists and researchers working hard throughout the healthcare ecosystem. They have diverse expertise - like a superhero team.
Here are some of them:
Prof Wang Linfa is a world-renowned coronavirus expert who has studied viruses in bats for 20 years. He is actually fondly known as the “bat-man”. He and his team isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus within days of the first local confirmed COVID-19 case, which laid the foundation for subsequent COVID-19 research.
Prof Lim Keng Hui, Prof Loh Xian Jun, Dr Kang Chang Wei and Dr Ivan Tan modelled the flight trajectories of droplets spread. This in turn shaped our SMMs in locations such as theatres , conference halls, flights and public transport.
Associate Prof Barnaby Young and Prof Lisa Ng showed that the viral load dropped to relatively low levels a few days after the onset of symptoms, indicating non-infectiousness. This enabled us to move to a duration-based instead of test result-based discharge policy.
Prof Alex Cook provided projections of the COVID-19 disease trajectory, which turned out to be quite close to actual observed rates. Through his projections, we have a sense of the adequacy of our healthcare capacity, and whether it will come under pressure.
Prof David Lye put Singapore on the map of global COVID-19 clinical trial sites which gave us early access to therapeutic drugs.
We have pulled all these research expertise together, to establish the PREPARE programme. (Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response). With this consolidation we will build up our scientific expertise further, and Singapore will be better prepared for future pandemics.
Ong Ye Kung
22 h ·People may not realise that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every key decision we made was based on scientific evidence and data. But who provides the evidence and data?
They are the scientists and researchers working hard throughout the healthcare ecosystem. They have diverse expertise - like a superhero team.
Here are some of them:
We have pulled all these research expertise together, to establish the PREPARE programme. (Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response). With this consolidation we will build up our scientific expertise further, and Singapore will be better prepared for future pandemics.
Ong Ye Kung
1 d ·Clockwise from left: Prof Wang Linfa, Prof Alex Cook, Prof David Lye.
Photo credit: Duke-NUS Medical School, Alex Cook, National Centre for Infectious Diseases
Ong Ye Kung
1 d ·Clockwise from top left: Prof Lim Keng Hui, Prof Loh Xian Jun, Dr Kang Chang Wei, Dr Ivan Tan
Photo credit: A*STAR
Ong Ye Kung
1 d ·L to R: Prof Lisa Ng, Dr Chia Wan Ni, Dr Barnaby Young and Prof David Lye
Photo credit: National Centre for Infectious Diseases
OYK met Dr Leo Varadkar T.D., Tánaiste (pronounced taw-nish-teh) of Ireland.
Met Dr Leo Varadkar T.D., Tánaiste (pronounced taw-nish-teh) of Ireland.
Tánaiste is the Gaelic title for Deputy Prime Minister. He is a doctor, a former health minister, and we had a very good exchange on healthcare reforms. We also exchanged views about how countries should prepare themselves for the next pandemic.
By the way, the Prime Minister of Ireland is called the Taoiseach (pronounced tee-shuhk).
Ong Ye Kung
2 d ·Met Dr Leo Varadkar T.D., Tánaiste (pronounced taw-nish-teh) of Ireland.
Tánaiste is the Gaelic title for Deputy Prime Minister. He is a doctor, a former health minister, and we had a very good exchange on healthcare reforms. We also exchanged views about how countries should prepare themselves for the next pandemic.
By the way, the Prime Minister of Ireland is called the Taoiseach (pronounced tee-shuhk).
OYK explains an MTF announcement. 
As an international hub, whenever a very transmissible subvariant emerges, we may be one of the first cities in the world to experience it. Therefore, we cannot be complacent.
Today, the MTF announced:
From 7 Nov, we will progressively invite eligible individuals aged 18 to 49 years to receive an additional dose of the bivalent vaccine. This is an extension of eligibility from the group aged 50 and above.
All adults aged 18 years and above should ensure that they keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination. After achieving minimum protection (3 doses of mRNA/Nuvaxovid or 4 doses Sinovac-CoronaVac), they should receive an additional bivalent dose between five months to one year from their last dose.
From 21 Nov, each household will receive 12 ART kits to facilitate self-testing. This will enable early detection, particularly when one is unwell, coming back from overseas, or before interacting with vulnerable groups.
Let us continue to keep up to date with our vaccinations, self-test regularly and practise personal and social responsibility.
Ong Ye Kung
3 d ·As an international hub, whenever a very transmissible subvariant emerges, we may be one of the first cities in the world to experience it. Therefore, we cannot be complacent.
Today, the MTF announced:
All adults aged 18 years and above should ensure that they keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination. After achieving minimum protection (3 doses of mRNA/Nuvaxovid or 4 doses Sinovac-CoronaVac), they should receive an additional bivalent dose between five months to one year from their last dose.
Let us continue to keep up to date with our vaccinations, self-test regularly and practise personal and social responsibility.
OYK engaged youths in a discussion. 
In a #ForwardSG Care Pillar engagement yesterday afternoon, 70 youths shared their views on the topics of health, family and social mobility with me and Ministers Masagos and Indranee. They are always so full of energy, and bursting with questions. Many thanks to National Youth Council for organising this.
Ong Ye Kung
12 h ·In a #ForwardSG Care Pillar engagement yesterday afternoon, 70 youths shared their views on the topics of health, family and social mobility with me and Ministers Masagos and Indranee. They are always so full of energy, and bursting with questions. Many thanks to National Youth Council for organising this.
OYK wants to alleviate "crowdedness". 
See my reply in Parliament on alleviating crowdedness at the Emergency Departments (EDs).
Ong Ye Kung
1 h ·See my reply in Parliament on alleviating crowdedness at the Emergency Departments (EDs).
from straitstimes.com:
The bivalent version of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine was rolled out here on Oct 14. PHOTO: ST FILE
Zhaki Abdullah
PUBLISHED
20 OCT 2022, 3:25 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - The bivalent Covid-19 vaccination boosters will be offered later in 2022 to those aged between 18 and 49.
They are currently available to those aged 50 and above.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said this will come as Singapore secures more supplies.
Those above 50 were initially prioritised for the bivalent vaccine due to their higher risk of severe disease from infection, he added.
The bivalent version of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine, which targets the original Sars-CoV-2 strain of the virus and the Omicron variants, was rolled out here on Oct 14.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Comirnaty vaccine is expected to be available by the end of 2022.
The Health Minister was responding to a question by Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), who had asked about the timeline for the roll-out of the bivalent vaccine for those under 50.
“Bivalent vaccines provide better protection against newer Covid-19 variants compared to the original vaccines,” Mr Ong said, adding that those who are eligible are recommended to take the newer vaccine.
They include those who have recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, Mr Ong said, adding that it is recommended for them to get the bivalent vaccine three months after the infection.
Those who have been infected by Covid-19 multiple times should also take their booster shots once eligible, he said, responding to a question by Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang).
This is because having both infections and vaccinations has resulted in hybrid immunity for many who, as a result, have few symptoms after getting Covid-19.
Hence, it is best not to count infections, but to instead “diligently” take the booster shots, said Mr Ong.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC) asked whether vaccination centres at community clubs and community centres in areas with higher numbers of older residents would be reopened, so as to facilitate vaccinations.
In response, Mr Ong noted there are currently 10 joint testing and vaccination centres, as well as one vaccination centre for adults who wish to get a vaccine shot.
This is in addition to 221 participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics and 20 polyclinics, he said, noting that these together provide sufficient convenience and access to vaccinations.
Vaccination centres, as well as facilities offering both testing and jabs, are chosen based on factors such as their proximity to high-population density areas, accessibility and the availability of the venue to support vaccination operations over a sustained period of time, Mr Ong said.
Those aged 18-49 to be offered bivalent booster later in 2022: Ong Ye Kung
The bivalent version of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine was rolled out here on Oct 14. PHOTO: ST FILE
Zhaki Abdullah
PUBLISHED
20 OCT 2022, 3:25 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - The bivalent Covid-19 vaccination boosters will be offered later in 2022 to those aged between 18 and 49.
They are currently available to those aged 50 and above.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said this will come as Singapore secures more supplies.
Those above 50 were initially prioritised for the bivalent vaccine due to their higher risk of severe disease from infection, he added.
The bivalent version of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine, which targets the original Sars-CoV-2 strain of the virus and the Omicron variants, was rolled out here on Oct 14.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Comirnaty vaccine is expected to be available by the end of 2022.
The Health Minister was responding to a question by Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), who had asked about the timeline for the roll-out of the bivalent vaccine for those under 50.
“Bivalent vaccines provide better protection against newer Covid-19 variants compared to the original vaccines,” Mr Ong said, adding that those who are eligible are recommended to take the newer vaccine.
They include those who have recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, Mr Ong said, adding that it is recommended for them to get the bivalent vaccine three months after the infection.
Those who have been infected by Covid-19 multiple times should also take their booster shots once eligible, he said, responding to a question by Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang).
This is because having both infections and vaccinations has resulted in hybrid immunity for many who, as a result, have few symptoms after getting Covid-19.
Hence, it is best not to count infections, but to instead “diligently” take the booster shots, said Mr Ong.
Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC) asked whether vaccination centres at community clubs and community centres in areas with higher numbers of older residents would be reopened, so as to facilitate vaccinations.
In response, Mr Ong noted there are currently 10 joint testing and vaccination centres, as well as one vaccination centre for adults who wish to get a vaccine shot.
This is in addition to 221 participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics and 20 polyclinics, he said, noting that these together provide sufficient convenience and access to vaccinations.
Vaccination centres, as well as facilities offering both testing and jabs, are chosen based on factors such as their proximity to high-population density areas, accessibility and the availability of the venue to support vaccination operations over a sustained period of time, Mr Ong said.
Ong Ye Kung
13 m ·I took TheSmartLocal.com around the newly opened Bukit Canberra!
P/S: ignore the puns
#MakeSembawangSpecial
TheSmartLocal.com and Sayang Sembawang
2 h ·I am just punny like that, take it or leaf it Minister Ong Ye Kung .
Follow Sayang Sembawang for more updates on the new openings and activities at Bukit Canberra!
from straitstimes.com:
Singapore started offering the Moderna bivalent vaccine to people aged 50 and older as a second booster shot on Friday. PHOTO: ST FILE
Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
15 OCT 2022, 4:31 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - While the XBB strain of Covid-19 which is fuelling the current wave of infections here might be milder, it is still important for people at higher risk to get their second booster shot, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Saturday.
Singapore has just started offering the Moderna bivalent vaccine to people aged 50 and older as a second booster shot on Friday. Their previous jab must be at least five months ago.
This Moderna vaccine protects against the original wildtype virus as well as the BA.1/2 strains. And the XBB is an offshoot of the BA.2 strain.
Director of medical services Kenneth Mak said that protection against infection "is a little bit stronger after the bivalent vaccine compared to the monovalent vaccine".
Elaborating on this, he said the bivalent vaccine also expands the range of antibodies against all variants, giving better protection.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) had said earlier that the bivalent vaccine gives an antibody response against Omicron that is 75 per cent better than the original mRNA vaccine.
Mr Ong, speaking at a press conference on Saturday on the surge in Covid-19 cases here, said Singapore is seeing a new wave that is expected to peak in mid-November with as many as 15,000 daily cases.
He said protection against infection is strongest within the first three to four months after vaccination or infection, and there is some protection for up to 10 months - but it does not last forever. However, protection against severe illness remains.
He added: "If you get your minimum protection, meaning three mRNA doses, our data shows that your protection against severe illness, if you're a young person, is still very strong."
This is why priority for the bivalent vaccine is for people at higher risk, generally those aged 50 and older who already suffer from some medical problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Pointing to the usefulness of vaccines and boosters, Associate Professor Mak said that among people aged 60 and older with severe Covid-19 - which means they require oxygen, are in intensive care or have died - the proportion is:
- 7.4 per cent among those not fully vaccinated;
- 5 per cent for those fully vaccinated but have not had a booster shot; and
- 1 per cent for those who have had booster shots.
"So you can clearly see that even if you had a minimum of protection through completing your primary vaccination series, there's still a protection advantage against severe infection if you proceed and continue on with your boosting," he said.
The bivalent vaccine is available at the nine Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres. Mr Ong said if the demand for the vaccine is strong, these centres may open on weekends.
Bivalent vaccine gives stronger and broader protection against all Covid-19 strains
Singapore started offering the Moderna bivalent vaccine to people aged 50 and older as a second booster shot on Friday. PHOTO: ST FILE
Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
15 OCT 2022, 4:31 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - While the XBB strain of Covid-19 which is fuelling the current wave of infections here might be milder, it is still important for people at higher risk to get their second booster shot, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Saturday.
Singapore has just started offering the Moderna bivalent vaccine to people aged 50 and older as a second booster shot on Friday. Their previous jab must be at least five months ago.
This Moderna vaccine protects against the original wildtype virus as well as the BA.1/2 strains. And the XBB is an offshoot of the BA.2 strain.
Director of medical services Kenneth Mak said that protection against infection "is a little bit stronger after the bivalent vaccine compared to the monovalent vaccine".
Elaborating on this, he said the bivalent vaccine also expands the range of antibodies against all variants, giving better protection.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) had said earlier that the bivalent vaccine gives an antibody response against Omicron that is 75 per cent better than the original mRNA vaccine.
Mr Ong, speaking at a press conference on Saturday on the surge in Covid-19 cases here, said Singapore is seeing a new wave that is expected to peak in mid-November with as many as 15,000 daily cases.
He said protection against infection is strongest within the first three to four months after vaccination or infection, and there is some protection for up to 10 months - but it does not last forever. However, protection against severe illness remains.
He added: "If you get your minimum protection, meaning three mRNA doses, our data shows that your protection against severe illness, if you're a young person, is still very strong."
This is why priority for the bivalent vaccine is for people at higher risk, generally those aged 50 and older who already suffer from some medical problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Pointing to the usefulness of vaccines and boosters, Associate Professor Mak said that among people aged 60 and older with severe Covid-19 - which means they require oxygen, are in intensive care or have died - the proportion is:
- 7.4 per cent among those not fully vaccinated;
- 5 per cent for those fully vaccinated but have not had a booster shot; and
- 1 per cent for those who have had booster shots.
"So you can clearly see that even if you had a minimum of protection through completing your primary vaccination series, there's still a protection advantage against severe infection if you proceed and continue on with your boosting," he said.
The bivalent vaccine is available at the nine Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres. Mr Ong said if the demand for the vaccine is strong, these centres may open on weekends.
from straitstimes.com:
Individuals should still take their vaccinations as protection in case another wave hits Singapore, said Mr Ong Ye Kung. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Tay Hong Yi
PUBLISHED
23 OCT 2022, 3:16 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE – The ongoing wave of Covid-19 infections driven by the XBB sub-variant may peak earlier than mid-November, as previously expected.
“It’s quite clear from the last week the cases have actually started to come down,” Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung told reporters on Sunday at a community event in Sembawang GRC, where he is an MP.
“If it continues to come down from here, that means our modelling actually was a bit more pessimistic,” he said.
Mr Ong added that if this downtrend persists, it means the XBB wave has peaked earlier than expected.
The XBB Omicron sub-variant, otherwise known as BA.2.10, is currently the dominant cause of Covid-19 infections in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement on Oct 15. The ministry added that it expected the XBB infection wave to peak by around mid-November.
Mr Ong was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the indoor sports hall at the Bukit Canberra integrated sports and community hub.
Responding to another question on high patient volumes at public health emergency departments, with the wait for a bed going up to 50 hours, Mr Ong said these departments have been busy since the beginning of the year.
The situation gets worse during a Covid-19 wave, such as during the two Omicron variant waves, as well as the ongoing XBB wave, he said.
But he added that patient volumes are not driven by those with Covid-19. “They (emergency departments) are not seeing a lot of Covid-19 patients but normal patients... or business-as-usual patients.”
However, more ward space is being taken up by Covid-19 patients during a wave, which makes it harder for a bed to be allocated to non-Covid-19 patients, he said.
Mr Ong added that the bed crunch is why the ministry is working with hospitals to activate measures to mitigate the crunch at emergency departments and ensure there are enough resources and manpower to care for patients.
He also said that individuals should still take their vaccinations as protection, even if the current wave subsides, in case another wave hits Singapore.
Responding to another question on why seniors should take bivalent vaccines, Mr Ong said the bivalent vaccines have an updated formulation that is more effective against the current Covid-19 sub-variant driving infections. Around 20,000 have already taken those vaccines.
The first bivalent vaccine to be rolled out was the Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine, which was made available at nine joint testing and vaccination centres islandwide three days ahead of schedule on Oct 14.
Meanwhile, Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Comirnaty vaccine, which is still under evaluation, is expected to be available by the end of 2022.
First detected in August, the XBB sub-variant has been found in more than 17 countries, including Australia, Denmark, India and Japan.
While XBB is at least as transmissible as the other strains currently circulating, including BA.5 and BA.2.75, MOH said in the Oct 15 statement there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness.
XBB Covid-19 wave may peak in S’pore earlier than mid-November: Ong Ye Kung
Individuals should still take their vaccinations as protection in case another wave hits Singapore, said Mr Ong Ye Kung. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Tay Hong Yi
PUBLISHED
23 OCT 2022, 3:16 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE – The ongoing wave of Covid-19 infections driven by the XBB sub-variant may peak earlier than mid-November, as previously expected.
“It’s quite clear from the last week the cases have actually started to come down,” Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung told reporters on Sunday at a community event in Sembawang GRC, where he is an MP.
“If it continues to come down from here, that means our modelling actually was a bit more pessimistic,” he said.
Mr Ong added that if this downtrend persists, it means the XBB wave has peaked earlier than expected.
The XBB Omicron sub-variant, otherwise known as BA.2.10, is currently the dominant cause of Covid-19 infections in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement on Oct 15. The ministry added that it expected the XBB infection wave to peak by around mid-November.
Mr Ong was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the indoor sports hall at the Bukit Canberra integrated sports and community hub.
Responding to another question on high patient volumes at public health emergency departments, with the wait for a bed going up to 50 hours, Mr Ong said these departments have been busy since the beginning of the year.
The situation gets worse during a Covid-19 wave, such as during the two Omicron variant waves, as well as the ongoing XBB wave, he said.
But he added that patient volumes are not driven by those with Covid-19. “They (emergency departments) are not seeing a lot of Covid-19 patients but normal patients... or business-as-usual patients.”
However, more ward space is being taken up by Covid-19 patients during a wave, which makes it harder for a bed to be allocated to non-Covid-19 patients, he said.
Mr Ong added that the bed crunch is why the ministry is working with hospitals to activate measures to mitigate the crunch at emergency departments and ensure there are enough resources and manpower to care for patients.
He also said that individuals should still take their vaccinations as protection, even if the current wave subsides, in case another wave hits Singapore.
Responding to another question on why seniors should take bivalent vaccines, Mr Ong said the bivalent vaccines have an updated formulation that is more effective against the current Covid-19 sub-variant driving infections. Around 20,000 have already taken those vaccines.
The first bivalent vaccine to be rolled out was the Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine, which was made available at nine joint testing and vaccination centres islandwide three days ahead of schedule on Oct 14.
Meanwhile, Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Comirnaty vaccine, which is still under evaluation, is expected to be available by the end of 2022.
First detected in August, the XBB sub-variant has been found in more than 17 countries, including Australia, Denmark, India and Japan.
While XBB is at least as transmissible as the other strains currently circulating, including BA.5 and BA.2.75, MOH said in the Oct 15 statement there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness.
from straitstimes.com:
MOH said these patients should continue to monitor themselves closely for signs and symptoms of concern. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Chin Hui Shan
UPDATED
16 OCT 2022, 5:43 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - Infants and pregnant women who test positive for Covid-19 will be able to self-isolate and recover at home under Protocol 2 from Oct 25.
This is because the risk of Covid-19 being severe in these two groups - women less than 36 weeks pregnant and infants aged three months to one year - is low, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday.
The assessment is based on trends from Omicron subvariants here, it added.
Currently, infants and pregnant women follow Protocol 1, where they will be placed on the Home Recovery Programme and MOH will check on their recovery.
If the home environment is not suitable, patients can recover at appropriate care facilities.
Under Protocol 2, they can recover by themselves at home or under the care of their own primary doctors.
They should self-isolate for at least 72 hours and take an antigen rapid test (ART).
Protocol 3 is for those who have been identified as a close contact of an infected person. They should exercise social responsibility by performing an ART.
The change in health protocols for the two groups is part of MOH's regular review of the increased risk of severe infections among vulnerable people, said Singapore’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak at a press conference held by the ministry on Saturday.
He added that paediatricians and gynaecologists had looked into the cases of infants and pregnant women who have been admitted to hospital and assessed that the patients could be safely monitored at home.
The change is beneficial as it reduces the number of hospital admissions and people needing to stay in hospitals, he said.
"Surely it's more pleasant to keep children in homes with their parents rather than being in the hospital in a very strange environment which they are very frightened of," he added.
The ministry said these patients should continue to monitor themselves closely for signs and symptoms of concern such as shortness of breath, chest pain or persistent fever above 38 deg C while recovering at home.
If signs and symptoms worsen, they should see a doctor, it added.
Meanwhile, about 3,000 patients with a high level of needs but not required to be hospitalised have safely recovered at home with the support of hospitals' outreach programmes, said Associate Professor Mak.
"Infectious diseases doctors now have greater confidence that more patients with risk factors for severe infection may be safely monitored out of the hospital, whether at home or in the Covid-19 treatment facilities," he added.
"And therefore, we continue to tweak our admission criteria based on our continuing-to-evolve experience so that more patients may recover and be monitored safely at home."
For Covid-19 patients recovering at home, telehealth services will be expanded to provide greater support, he said.
Oral antiviral medications made available earlier this year for vulnerable patients and for those recovering at home will also help to further reduce risk of deterioration, he added.
Infants, pregnant women with Covid-19 can recover at home by themselves or under primary doctor's care
MOH said these patients should continue to monitor themselves closely for signs and symptoms of concern. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Chin Hui Shan
UPDATED
16 OCT 2022, 5:43 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Infants and pregnant women who test positive for Covid-19 will be able to self-isolate and recover at home under Protocol 2 from Oct 25.
This is because the risk of Covid-19 being severe in these two groups - women less than 36 weeks pregnant and infants aged three months to one year - is low, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday.
The assessment is based on trends from Omicron subvariants here, it added.
Currently, infants and pregnant women follow Protocol 1, where they will be placed on the Home Recovery Programme and MOH will check on their recovery.
If the home environment is not suitable, patients can recover at appropriate care facilities.
Under Protocol 2, they can recover by themselves at home or under the care of their own primary doctors.
They should self-isolate for at least 72 hours and take an antigen rapid test (ART).
Protocol 3 is for those who have been identified as a close contact of an infected person. They should exercise social responsibility by performing an ART.
The change in health protocols for the two groups is part of MOH's regular review of the increased risk of severe infections among vulnerable people, said Singapore’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak at a press conference held by the ministry on Saturday.
He added that paediatricians and gynaecologists had looked into the cases of infants and pregnant women who have been admitted to hospital and assessed that the patients could be safely monitored at home.
The change is beneficial as it reduces the number of hospital admissions and people needing to stay in hospitals, he said.
"Surely it's more pleasant to keep children in homes with their parents rather than being in the hospital in a very strange environment which they are very frightened of," he added.
The ministry said these patients should continue to monitor themselves closely for signs and symptoms of concern such as shortness of breath, chest pain or persistent fever above 38 deg C while recovering at home.
If signs and symptoms worsen, they should see a doctor, it added.
Meanwhile, about 3,000 patients with a high level of needs but not required to be hospitalised have safely recovered at home with the support of hospitals' outreach programmes, said Associate Professor Mak.
"Infectious diseases doctors now have greater confidence that more patients with risk factors for severe infection may be safely monitored out of the hospital, whether at home or in the Covid-19 treatment facilities," he added.
"And therefore, we continue to tweak our admission criteria based on our continuing-to-evolve experience so that more patients may recover and be monitored safely at home."
For Covid-19 patients recovering at home, telehealth services will be expanded to provide greater support, he said.
Oral antiviral medications made available earlier this year for vulnerable patients and for those recovering at home will also help to further reduce risk of deterioration, he added.
OYK advises vaccination against pneumonia.
Today is World Pneumonia Day, which is a timely reminder for us to get vaccinated against pneumonia and other serious infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Book your appointment at https://book.health.gov.sg/. To learn more, watch this short video.
Ong Ye Kung
3 h ·Today is World Pneumonia Day, which is a timely reminder for us to get vaccinated against pneumonia and other serious infections caused by pneumococcal bacteria. Book your appointment at https://book.health.gov.sg/. To learn more, watch this short video.
from straitstimes.com:
With virtually all safe management measures lifted, Singapore is now practically back to pre-pandemic normalcy. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Zhaki Abdullah and Joyce Teo
PUBLISHED
31 OCT 2022, 5:13 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - Singapore has ridden the recent Covid-19 wave without having to reimpose safe management measures, but curbs such as indoor masking requirements cannot be ruled out in the event of a nasty new variant, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday.
He noted the infection wave driven by the XBB sub-variant is clearly waning, and that Singapore had managed to deal with the wave with practically no restrictions, with indoor masking requirements and vaccination-differentiated safe management measures having been lifted.
While the Covid-19 task force had been “very ready” to reimpose such measures should the situation worsen, these plans were stood down as infection numbers peaked and declined much earlier than expected.
“We’re no longer thinking about it until the next wave comes... I think it’s important to always be very open to the public (about) what we are thinking of, what we might have to do, but only when absolutely necessary,” said Mr Ong.
With virtually all safe management measures lifted, Singapore is now practically back to pre-pandemic normality, with many travelling and the country again hosting numerous international conferences and events, he noted.
This, however, makes the country vulnerable, as it could be one of the first places to encounter a new and dangerous variant, said Mr Ong, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We need to be prepared, in case there’s a nasty infection wave. We need to have our contingency plans in place,” he added.
He noted that Singapore had faced numerous Omicron sub-variants, and that in such situations it can be expected that there are recombinants – or variants which combine genetic material from two different variants – of existing sub-variants, such as XBB, which drove the most recent wave of Covid-19 infections here.
There is no reason for such recombinants to always be more transmissible but less severe, Mr Ong said.
“It is a random process of nature, and a new recombinant variant could always take on characteristics of a parent variant that lead to more severe illnesses,” he added.
A key response to future infection waves is Singapore’s vaccine strategy, the minister said, stressing that it is important for older people to keep their vaccinations up to date as they are more likely to develop a severe case of Covid-19.
Even in the last month, two out of every 100 infected people aged 70 and above who were not fully vaccinated either died or ended up in intensive care, he said.
About 53,000 people aged 50 and above have already taken Moderna’s bivalent vaccine, Mr Ong said, noting the vaccine is expected to be rolled out to younger age groups in the coming weeks.
Mr Ong was speaking at the 20th anniversary event of private healthcare training provider HMI Institute.
In his speech, he said healthcare workers have been very busy, particularly since the start of this year amid the Omicron waves. Those staffing the emergency departments (EDs) have had to handle a very large volume of patients, he added.
Singapore’s healthcare clusters are working closely with the Ministry of Health to reduce the workload at the EDs, he said. The measures include encouraging non-emergency cases to go to general practitioner clinics or urgent care centres instead of EDs and discharging those who do not need hospital care to a stepped-down care facility.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung (front row, centre) and HMI Group CEO Chin Wei Jia (front row, fourth from right) at HMI Institute’s 20th anniversary event. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Mr Ong also said that “in the next one to three years, we will need to further build up healthcare manpower and this will include strengthening the pipeline of care support staff to play a very critical role in our healthcare institutions”. This will have to include new local entrants, foreign recruitment, and also mid-career conversions, he added.
During the pandemic, many workers in the service sector, such as airline cabin crew and retail sales assistants, took up roles in healthcare support, which was a big help to the hospitals, he said. However, they have since gone back to their old jobs.
“That whole episode demonstrates that it is possible for us to bring in mid-career entrants who can play a big part in contributing to the healthcare sector.”
No new curbs in recent wave, but they cannot be ruled out if new nasty Covid-19 variant hits: Ong Ye Kung
With virtually all safe management measures lifted, Singapore is now practically back to pre-pandemic normalcy. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Zhaki Abdullah and Joyce Teo
PUBLISHED
31 OCT 2022, 5:13 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - Singapore has ridden the recent Covid-19 wave without having to reimpose safe management measures, but curbs such as indoor masking requirements cannot be ruled out in the event of a nasty new variant, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday.
He noted the infection wave driven by the XBB sub-variant is clearly waning, and that Singapore had managed to deal with the wave with practically no restrictions, with indoor masking requirements and vaccination-differentiated safe management measures having been lifted.
While the Covid-19 task force had been “very ready” to reimpose such measures should the situation worsen, these plans were stood down as infection numbers peaked and declined much earlier than expected.
“We’re no longer thinking about it until the next wave comes... I think it’s important to always be very open to the public (about) what we are thinking of, what we might have to do, but only when absolutely necessary,” said Mr Ong.
With virtually all safe management measures lifted, Singapore is now practically back to pre-pandemic normality, with many travelling and the country again hosting numerous international conferences and events, he noted.
This, however, makes the country vulnerable, as it could be one of the first places to encounter a new and dangerous variant, said Mr Ong, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We need to be prepared, in case there’s a nasty infection wave. We need to have our contingency plans in place,” he added.
He noted that Singapore had faced numerous Omicron sub-variants, and that in such situations it can be expected that there are recombinants – or variants which combine genetic material from two different variants – of existing sub-variants, such as XBB, which drove the most recent wave of Covid-19 infections here.
There is no reason for such recombinants to always be more transmissible but less severe, Mr Ong said.
“It is a random process of nature, and a new recombinant variant could always take on characteristics of a parent variant that lead to more severe illnesses,” he added.
A key response to future infection waves is Singapore’s vaccine strategy, the minister said, stressing that it is important for older people to keep their vaccinations up to date as they are more likely to develop a severe case of Covid-19.
Even in the last month, two out of every 100 infected people aged 70 and above who were not fully vaccinated either died or ended up in intensive care, he said.
About 53,000 people aged 50 and above have already taken Moderna’s bivalent vaccine, Mr Ong said, noting the vaccine is expected to be rolled out to younger age groups in the coming weeks.
Mr Ong was speaking at the 20th anniversary event of private healthcare training provider HMI Institute.
In his speech, he said healthcare workers have been very busy, particularly since the start of this year amid the Omicron waves. Those staffing the emergency departments (EDs) have had to handle a very large volume of patients, he added.
Singapore’s healthcare clusters are working closely with the Ministry of Health to reduce the workload at the EDs, he said. The measures include encouraging non-emergency cases to go to general practitioner clinics or urgent care centres instead of EDs and discharging those who do not need hospital care to a stepped-down care facility.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung (front row, centre) and HMI Group CEO Chin Wei Jia (front row, fourth from right) at HMI Institute’s 20th anniversary event. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Mr Ong also said that “in the next one to three years, we will need to further build up healthcare manpower and this will include strengthening the pipeline of care support staff to play a very critical role in our healthcare institutions”. This will have to include new local entrants, foreign recruitment, and also mid-career conversions, he added.
During the pandemic, many workers in the service sector, such as airline cabin crew and retail sales assistants, took up roles in healthcare support, which was a big help to the hospitals, he said. However, they have since gone back to their old jobs.
“That whole episode demonstrates that it is possible for us to bring in mid-career entrants who can play a big part in contributing to the healthcare sector.”
OYK hopped on the Thomson-East Coast line (TEL).
I hopped on the Thomson-East Coast line (TEL) and travelled from Woodlands to Maxwell Hawker Centre for lunch with some Sembawang residents.
11 new TEL Phase 3 stations opened today, enabling almost 200k households to walk to their nearest TEL station within 10 minutes travel to the city.
Woodlands is I think the only region in Singapore connected by two MRT lines (NS and TEL) to the CBD.
Commuters can enjoy greater convenience to places of interest such as Botanic Gardens, Great World City, Orchard, Chinatown, SGH and Gardens by The Bay.
More stations will be opening in the coming years to continue enhancing connectivity from the North to other parts of Singapore.
Thank you for the hard work TEL team!
Ong Ye Kung
3 h ·I hopped on the Thomson-East Coast line (TEL) and travelled from Woodlands to Maxwell Hawker Centre for lunch with some Sembawang residents.
11 new TEL Phase 3 stations opened today, enabling almost 200k households to walk to their nearest TEL station within 10 minutes travel to the city.
Woodlands is I think the only region in Singapore connected by two MRT lines (NS and TEL) to the CBD.
Commuters can enjoy greater convenience to places of interest such as Botanic Gardens, Great World City, Orchard, Chinatown, SGH and Gardens by The Bay.
More stations will be opening in the coming years to continue enhancing connectivity from the North to other parts of Singapore.
Thank you for the hard work TEL team!
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