Is Covid back? Singapore advises wearing masks amid sharp rise in cases, recommends jabs for vulnerable

The Singapore's health ministry has implemented a mask mandate again amid a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the past few days. The health authorities have recorded more than 25,900 cases of Covid from May 5 to 11. 

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Saturday said that the nation is at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising. "So, I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end of June," the Straits Times newspaper quoted the minister as saying. 

The number of Covid cases in the week of May 5 to 11 rose to 25,900, as compared to 13,700 cases in the previous week, the health ministry said. 

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Amid a rise in cases, the average daily hospitalisations owing to Covid rose to about 250 from 181 the week before. However, the average daily intensive care unit (ICU) cases remained low at three cases, marginally up from two in the previous week. 

The health minister also urged vulnerable individuals to receive an additional vaccine jab if they didn't take it last year. 

Ong said, "If the number of COVID-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its healthcare system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and 'that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system'." 

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The minister further added, "One thousand beds is equivalent to one regional hospital. So, I think the healthcare system has to brace ourselves for what is to come." 

Notably, the predominant Covid variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2 globally. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 account for over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. 

(With inputs from agencies)