The Ministry of Health (MOH) has made early confirmation of 40 new Covid-19 cases on Friday (20 Aug).
36 are new local cases, including:
The remaining 14 local cases are currently unlinked.
There are also 4 imported cases, of which 3 were detected upon arrival in Singapore and 1 case who tested positive during Stay-Home Notice.
MOH will share more information about the new cases later tonight.
Yesterday (19 Aug), Singapore reported 29 locally transmitted cases, the lowest number since 13 Jul.
Despite the relatively low number, 13, or almost half of the local cases were unlinked.
11 tested positive while undergoing quarantine and had a lower risk of infecting others. The remaining 5 local cases were detected through surveillance.
2 new clusters also emerged — 1 linked to an individual case and the other linked to a Giant supermarket outlet at Hougang.
The former cluster is particularly worrisome, with 32 new cases linked to it in a single day.
With 5 earlier clusters closing, Singapore has 84 active ones as of Thursday (19 Aug).
As of 18 Aug, Singapore has administered 8,507,687 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 4,453,578 individuals under the national vaccination programme.
4,186,252 of these individuals have finished their vaccination regimen.
Separately, 153,913 doses of vaccines approved by WHO has been administered to 84,219 people.
Consolidating both figures, 77% of Singapore’s population has been fully vaccinated while 82% has received their first dose of the vaccine.
Yesterday, the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) also unveiled the easing of travel restrictions to selected countries.
From 8 Sep, fully vaccinated Singaporeans will be able to travel to and from Germany and Brunei without having to serve SHN.
They must, however, take a series of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to ensure they’re Covid-free.
The authorities will also be doing away with SHN requirements for travellers from Macau and Hong Kong starting 26 Aug.
This applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers from both cities. They must, however, take Covid-19 tests and have insurance coverage.
During the MTF press conference, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung also said there’s a high likelihood of a booster exercise in Singapore.
This will help to ensure that Singapore residents are well protected against emerging variants.
Though nothing has been confirmed yet, Mr Ong said booster shots would be necessary for those whose immune systems have been compromised.
With SHN-free leisure travel a possibility in the near future, we hope this gives more incentives for unvaccinated folks to get their jabs.
Meanwhile, let’s all adhere to the prevailing Covid-19 measures and protect those who’ve yet to receive their vaccine jabs from the coronavirus.
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Featured image by MS News.
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