Singapore reports 464 new Covid-19 cases; 187 Omicron cases detected

Singapore reported 464 new Covid-19 cases as at noon on Monday (Jan 3), including 285 imported infections, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Monday's case count was up from the 429 infections reported on Sunday.

Cases have risen over the past week since Dec 30, when 311 cases were reported.

Among the new cases, 179 were locally transmitted, comprising 177 in the community and two in migrant worker dormitories.

In its update, MOH said there were 187 confirmed Omicron cases detected in Singapore. Of these, 183 are imported cases and four are local cases.

It added that more Omicron cases are being picked up because of the rapid spread of the variant across many countries and regions.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung wrote that Omicron cases have been increasing, making up around 17 per cent of local cases currently.

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"This means an Omicron wave is imminent and we need to be prepared for it," he wrote.

Singapore's first suspected Omicron cluster was linked to Anytime Fitness gym in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, and was reported on Dec 21 last year.

No deaths were reported, and the death toll from coronavirus complications remains at 829, according to the latest infection statistics on MOH's website.

The weekly infection growth rate on Monday was 0.95, up from Sunday's 0.92. This refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before.

This is the 10th consecutive day of increasing weekly infection growth rate. Still, the rate has remained below one since Nov 13, indicating that weekly Covid-19 infection is dwindling.

The authorities have described the weekly infection growth rate as a key indicator that could be used to assess risk levels in the calibrating of Covid-19 measures.

As at Monday, Singapore has recorded 280,754 Covid-19 cases in total.

The intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation rate was 44 per cent, up from the 41.9 per cent reported on Sunday.

There were 183 patients in hospital, with 21 requiring oxygen supplementation.

In the ICU, four patients required close monitoring while 13 patients were critically ill.

As of Sunday, 91 per cent of Singapore's eligible population have completed their full vaccination regimen under the national vaccination programme.

About 42 per cent of the total population have received their vaccine booster shots.

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