Covid-19 rules 'streamlined' to prepare S'pore for easing when Omicron wave subsides: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE — Over the past week, Singapore’s daily Covid-19 case numbers have remained high, at an average of around 11,000, but a large majority continue to have mild or no symptoms, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Feb 16).

These numbers are within its expectations, given the high transmissibility of the Omicron coronavirus strain, it added.

“Our high vaccination and booster rates, along with vaccination-differentiated safe management measures, have been effective in keeping the number of severe cases low, and our healthcare capacity available to treat the severely ill currently remains sufficient."

Speaking during a press conference by the national Covid-19 task force, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung noted, however, that there are still pressures on the healthcare system, particularly among general practitioners and polyclinics.

The authorities are thus moving to streamline Covid-19 regulations in a way that preserves healthcare capacity while preparing Singapore for an eventual downturn in case numbers, he said.

"Given that we are still climbing the epidemic curve, today is not the time to announce any easing of restrictions," he added. "It is, however, an important juncture to review in depth our current rules, and we have done so."

In a few weeks, he noted, case numbers will likely come down, perhaps quite dramatically, if Singapore follows the trajectory of other countries that have faced their own Omicron infection waves.

"And then we'll be in a position to ease travel rules as well as our domestic safe management measures." 

The latest streamlining of the rules will enable Singapore to move quickly when that happens, he said. 

"These rules have accumulated over the past two years and have become quite unwieldy. And by streamlining them, we can adopt a posture that will better enable us to open up when the timing is right."

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, a co-chair of the task force, stressed that the latest changes to the rules represent a "streamlining or rationalisation", not easing.

He noted that Singapore is in a new phase of the pandemic and because the rules have become complex over the years, it has become harder for people to understand and follow them. 

"The reset of the safe management measures will help set the stage for further easing down the road. This is not the time for easing... because we are still seeing a rise in our infections and, in fact, we are seeing very high infection numbers now," Mr Wong added.

"But we are quietly confident in facing this Omicron wave, because everyone in Singapore is well-protected with vaccinations and boosters and... the vast majority of people who get infected are not so ill, so the numbers needing oxygen or intensive care remain manageable, and things are generally well under control."

Mr Ong also noted that "almost everything" about the Omicron variant is faster than all previous variants.

For instance, Omicron patients recover faster, which is why the authorities have shortened the discharge period. Omicron also has a shorter incubation duration and an earlier infectious window.

“So our health protocols need to adapt to this distinct characteristic of Omicron.”

The task force has decided to simplify Covid-19 regulations to help people not just understand the letter, but also the spirit of the rules, he added.

“They will then be able to exercise individual responsibility and do their part to help manage the pandemic… and bring us to a position where we are more nimble and ready… so we can ease safe management measures more readily when the Omicron wave subsides.”

Writing on Facebook on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the healthcare system is "coping well" despite the rising number of infections.

"Hopefully, after a few weeks, new cases will peak and start falling. Then we can ease up on safe management measures significantly. But we will ease up in several steps, to keep good control of the situation," he added.

At the same time, Mr Lee cautioned that people should be mentally prepared that if a new, dangerous variant emerges, the Government may have "to take another pause or tighten up further".

He thanked everyone for their trust and support, and urged everyone to continue to do their part in complying with the rules and to "make individual sacrifices for our greater good".

"There is light at the end of the tunnel!" he added.

UPDATE ON COVID-19 SITUATION

MOH said that the number of patients who are in hospital stands at around 1,400, of which 30 per cent are described as “incidental cases”.

This means that they were hospitalised due to other illnesses, but later tested positive for Covid-19.

The hospitals are also increasing bed capacity to care for severe Covid-19 cases, while ensuring that care for non-Covid-19 patients are not compromised, MOH added.

There are about 70 children under the age of 12 who are hospitalised because of Covid-19.

The infection rates are high for children aged zero to four at about 243 per 100,000 population, and for those aged five to 11, it is 258 per 100,000 population.

Teenagers aged 12 to 19 have the highest infection rate of about 269 per 100,000 population.

Aside from standing up more beds for children in public and private hospitals, MOH said that it is also “actively converting beds” in Covid-19 treatment facilities, such as those at the Singapore Expo, for children and their caregivers.

As for the proportion of severe infections and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with Covid-19 (or MIS-C cases), this is around one out of 1,000 paediatric infection cases.

“Vaccination of children will help lower the risk of such episodes,” the ministry advised.

Overall, though, the situation in Singapore’s healthcare system “remains stable”, it added.

There are 23 patients in intensive care units, while another 140 patients require oxygen aid.

In the past 28 days, 0.04 per cent and 0.3 per cent of local cases required intensive care or oxygen support respectively, MOH said.