Singapore had been taking the steps to make sure that the Covid virus is not spreading more in the meantime because of the delta variant. They have recently announced on Tuesday that they are going to impose even more restrictions and tighten them since the Covid cases are on the rise.
Given the current rate of transmission, cases are expected to rise sharply as more people will likely get infected. For more information about the Singapore Tightens Restrictions As Covid Cases Rises. continue reading below our article.
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Singapore Tightens Restrictions As Covid Cases Rises
“This is very concerning, as it can affect many people in our community all over the island,” Singapore’s Ministry of Health said in a statement.
“As we continue to conduct extensive testing for individuals exposed to the risk of infection, we can expect case numbers to increase in the coming days,” it added.
Between July 12 and July 18, there was an average of 46 community cases detected per day — the highest number of cases detected since April 2020, the health ministry said Tuesday.
Some restrictions that are going to be re-imposed are –
- The number of people allowed to gather would be taken down from 5 to 2.
- Households would only be allowed to accept only 2 visitors per day.
- Dining out will be banned.
- Indoor sports and activities that require the removal of masks are also banned.
- Work from home is the default option for all companies.
- Large-scale events like live performances are also banned.
Singapore banned nightclubs, bars, and KTV lounges from operating since last year because activities on the premises are seen as high risk. Some of those establishments, however, continued operating as food and beverage outlets. A number of them are suspected to have breached Covid-19 rules by providing hostess services.
Conclusion
Public health specialists told that despite the recent uptick in viral infections, it is doubtful that Singapore will tighten Covid-19 guidelines across the board.
Any reversal will have a major effect on the economy and society, especially now that the country is prepared for the next wave.
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Dale Fisher, a specialist on infectious diseases, remarked, “We would need excellent justification.” “It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which reinstituting blanket restrictions wouldn’t have negative social and economic consequences. You should check that it really is essential.”
Professor Fisher, a senior specialist at the National University Hospital, echoed this sentiment, noting that additional precautions would be warranted only in the event of the emergence of a new virus or a new strain of the virus that individuals have no antibodies against.
The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday (June 21) that this week these variants increased from 17% to 30% of all viral cases.
There was a 23% increase in local infections from the previous week, as 7,109 new cases were reported that day. On Thursday, there were 6,606 fresh cases.
There has been an increase in local transmissions of these variants in both North America and Europe over the past two months, as noted by Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.3
