SINGAPORE — In what is the highest number of Covid-19 cases seen since the coronavirus outbreak began early last year, Singapore recorded 1,457 new infections on Wednesday (Sept 22).

The number surpassed the total infections recorded in April 20 last year, when there were 1,426 cases, most of them involving migrant workers staying in dormitories.

On Wednesday, 1,453 of the 1,457 new cases were locally transmitted cases. The other four were imported.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 1,277 were community cases and 176 cases were migrant workers staying at dormitories. There were 389 people aged above 60 among the new infections.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily update on the coronavirus situation here that a migrant workers’ dormitory in Woodlands was added to a list of 12 large clusters under close monitoring.

The dormitory has 54 cases after eight were added.

There is no evidence of disease spread beyond the dormitory, MOH said, adding that the infected cases were identified through testing operations. 

The four imported cases for the day were already placed on stay-home notices or isolated upon arrival. Three were detected upon arrival in Singapore and one developed the illness while in isolation.

Three more patients have died due to complications from Covid-19, with the death toll now at 68 since the outbreak began last year. 

In all, Singapore has recorded 81,356 coronavirus cases since the pandemic struck.

SERIOUSLY ILL

There are 1,083 Covid-19 cases who are in hospital as of Wednesday, 26 more than the day before. 

“Most are well and under observation,” MOH said. 

There are now 145 seriously ill patients requiring oxygen support to help them breathe, two fewer than the day before. 

Nineteen patients are under intensive care, two more than the day before. 

Of those who have fallen very ill, 134 are above 60 years old. 

Over the last 28 days, the percentage of local cases who had no or mild symptoms is 97.9 per cent, MOH said. 

• In all, 260 cases required oxygen support while 25 were under intensive care.

• Of these, 54 per cent were fully vaccinated and 46 per cent were not.

• Eleven people have died, of whom three were fully vaccinated and eight were partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Earlier on Wednesday, MOH said that it was not allowing visitors to all hospitals here from Sept 24 to Oct 23 to curb the disease spread and reduce the strain on hospital bed capacity, owing to more cases of infection found among hospital workers, patients and visitors.

VACCINATIONS

As of Sept 21, 82 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, and 84 per cent has received at least one dose.

A total of 8,990,844 doses of Covid-19 vaccines under the national vaccination programme (Pfizer-BioNTech or Comirnaty and Moderna) have been administered, covering 4,582,020 individuals, with 4,459,445 people having completed the full vaccination regimen.

In addition, 186,019 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing have been administered, covering 87,177 individuals.