Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations on the rise in Singapore: MOH

SINGAPORE — Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations are increasing, putting a strain on hospitals here.

The Health Ministry, which raised the alert, has also reassured people that the numbers are not as high as during the pandemic, and that the circulating variants are not known to cause more severe illness.

In the week ending Dec 2, 32,035 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 — the highest number of infections recorded this year. The previous high was 28,410 infections a week in March.

The latest number is almost 10,000 more than the 22,094 diagnosed the previous week. The number of weekly infections has been hovering around 15,000 infections over the past two to three months.

The number of people being hospitalised and needing intensive care treatment has also gone up.

An MOH statement on Dec 8 said that the average daily Covid-19 hospitalisations rose to 225 from 136 the week before, and the average daily Intensive Care Unit (ICU) cases increased to four cases compared to one case in the previous week.

It said: "This has added workload to our hospitals, which are already busy."

Nine people severely ill with Covid-19 were admitted to a hospital ICU In the week of Nov 26 to Dec 2, up from four the previous week. But as hospitalisation and need for intensive care treatment usually lags behind infections, the numbers could go up in the coming weeks.

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This was what happened in the Covid-19 wave in March and April this year (2023), with ICU weekly admission for this infection hitting a high of 16, about three weeks after infections peaked.

That wave resulted in 54 Covid-19 deaths in April and 53 in March.

The ministry said the rise in cases "could be due to a number of factors, including waning population immunity and increased travel and community interactions during the year end travel and festive season."

It urged people to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccinations, especially seniors and those who are medically vulnerable. They should exercise social responsibility and stay home if unwell. They should also wear masks in crowded, not well-ventilated places.

It also asks people "to seek medical treatment at a hospital’s Emergency Department only for serious or life-threatening emergencies."

This is to "preserve our hospital capacity for patients who truly need acute hospital care and allow those with severe illness to receive timely treatment."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.