PM Lee Says Hidden Covid-19 Cases May Keep Outbreak Going Despite Early Signs Of CB Working
4 May is a little more than 2 weeks away, and we’re all desperate to know whether ‘Circuit Breaker’ has been effective.
People are casually speculating it could be extended. But it still doesn’t hurt to know whether the time we’ve spent being cooped up at home has had any impact.
Here’s some relatively positive news from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: There are a few early signs that ‘Circuit Breaker’ is bringing cases down.
However, we still need to be cautious and keep our guard up. Here’s why.
PM Lee says hidden Covid-19 cases still a worry despite CB
On Saturday (18 Apr) AKA Day 12 of ‘Circuit Breaker’, PM Lee took to Facebook to share an update on the situation.
Looking at the “broader community” in Singapore, he acknowledged that there are a few early signs that CB is bringing cases down.
Check out the latest situation report from the Ministry of Health (MOH) as of 17 Apr, the figures highlighted in yellow.
But, hidden cases are what the government is worried about, as they may be responsible for prolonging the outbreak.
It also doesn’t help that those who are infected may actually be asymptomatic.
Asymptomatic Covid-19 Patients Just As Contagious, Caution Needed Even When Healthy
They may end up infecting others without knowing they are carriers of the virus. Caution must be exercised at all times even when you think you’re healthy.
Most migrant workers’ cases are mild
On the migrant workers’ front, PM Lee said numbers in their dormitories are still going up, and this is evident from the drastic spike in Covid-19 cases the past week.
There’s some light at the end of the tunnel. Most of the cases have mild symptoms due to their younger age.
PM Lee assured that they’re getting the medical treatment needed, and that healthcare teams will continue monitoring their conditions.
Control measures in dorms will take time to show results
As Singapore works to break the chain of transmissions in workers’ dormitories, the effect won’t be immediate.
PM Lee said,
It will take some time to show results, so we must expect to see more dorm cases for a while longer.
To cope with this anticipation, the government is already beefing up their healthcare and isolation facilities to handle the load.
CB measures show “marginally encouraging” sign
PM Lee accompanied his post with an article from TODAY Online, titled “Singapore’s circuit breaker: Experts take stock on Day 11 — when hoped-for positive effects were to show”.
The article tells readers that despite a surge in migrant workers’ infections, it does not mean that ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures are unsuccessful.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday night (17 Apr), the number of new community cases has dropped, from an average of 40 cases a day in the week before, to an average of 32 a day in the past week.
Infectious disease expert Dr Leong Hoe Nam told TODAY Online that this is a “marginally encouraging sign”. Though, it’s still too soon to say whether the measures are sustainable.
He was quoted as saying,
Judging from the behaviour of most people, I think it is a mark for early success. But we should not rest on the laurels, as we could lose what we have achieved in a few days.
You can read the article here in full.
Next few days are critical
In ending, PM Lee sent a sobering reminder to all, saying that “the next few days will be critical.”
For ‘Circuit Breaker’ to be truly effective, everyone has to play their part. Only then, we can truly triumph over Covid-19. Let’s hunker down and endure this for just a while longer.
It will all be worth it once we are free to roam Singapore streets again.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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