Singapore Expects Omicron Wave To Be “Several Times Larger” Than Delta: Minister
Singapore Singapore can anticipate an infection surge due to Omicron “ several times larger” than the one caused by Delta, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament on Monday as he cited the rearmost variant’s advanced transmissibility Responding to a query from a Member of Parliament, the minister said that cases are likely to double every two to three days.
Singapore can anticipate an infection surge “ several times larger” than the one caused by Delta, said Ong, citing the Omicron variant’s advanced transmissibility However, cases a day, Omicron could maybe reach 10, “ If Delta infections reached a sustained prevalence of about 3 So formerly cases start to rise acutely, within a couple of weeks, we may see Omicron cases a day,” the minister said.
Ong also refocused to global studies that have shown that the Omicron variant causes less severe illness than Delta, with smaller cases being admitted to sanitarium or taking exigency care This has also been borne out by our own experience. In Singapore, we’ve recorded Omicron infections so far, including 308 seniors progressed 60 and over.”
“ Eight demanded oxygen supplementation and all of them have been taken off oxygen after a short many days. None needed ICU care as yet,” he said Still, authorities would anticipate 50 to 60 cases demanding oxygen supplementation, ICU care or to die, If these infections had rather been caused by Delta.
But Ong advised that Singapore must be careful in interpreting these compliances, as “ it is early days and the circumstances of each country are different” Meanwhile, the current COVID-19 safe measures will only be tensed as a” last resort”when Singapore’s healthcare system is under heavy strain, Ong said It’s the (multi-ministry task force’s) hope that we can ride through the Omicron surge with the current safe operation measures Still, it’ll be as a last resort when our healthcare system is under severe pressure,”he said,”If we’ve to strain the restrictions.
Citing Singapore’s experience with the Delta surge last time, Ong said that indeed after it subsided, authorities had abstain from” being too triumphant”andover-relaxing restrictions “That would have been a mistake,”he said Meanwhile, Singapore reported 845 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 587 imported infections There was one casualty, taking the country’s death risk from coronavirus complications to 838 The MOH independently reported 327 new Omicron infections, comprising 218 imported cases and 109 original cases. As of Sunday, Singapore has recorded COVID-19 cases since the launch of the epidemic.