Singapore advises unvaccinated people to stay home as cases rise

SINGAPORE, July 19 (Reuters) – Singapore’s health ministry “strongly” advised unvaccinated people, especially the elderly, on Sunday to stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks, citing increased concerns regarding the risk of community spread of COVID-19.

The country reported 88 new cases of the locally transmitted coronavirus on Sunday, the highest daily toll since August last year, due to growing clusters of infections linked to karaoke bars and a fishing port. Read more

Although Singapore’s daily cases are only a fraction of the number reported among its Southeast Asian neighbors, the rise in infections is a setback for the Asian business hub, which has managed to contain its first outbreaks. . As of July 10, he had not reported any new cases.

As a precaution, authorities closed fresh fish and seafood stalls in city-state markets on Sunday as they tested fishmongers for COVID-19.

“We are concerned that there are cryptic chains of transmission left that could continue to spread within our community. The porous nature of wet markets makes contact tracing and isolation less straightforward,” the ministry said. Health in a statement Sunday evening.

About 73% of Singapore’s 5.7 million people received the first dose of a COVID-10 vaccine, but the government is pushing for more elderly people to be vaccinated as people over 70 have the lowest vaccination rates at around 71%.

The rise in cases prompted the city-state to tighten some restrictions on social gatherings from Monday just a week after easing them. However, he has milder rules for those who have been vaccinated.

As Singapore’s vaccination rates rise and it prepares to live with the virus, the government has said it will look beyond the number of cases and the severity of the diseases to decide on new measures against the virus. .

Of the 243 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, five were suffering from a serious illness requiring supplementation with oxygen, and one was in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore Editing by Ed Davies

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