No new curbs in the most recent wave, but they cannot be ruled out if a new nasty storm occurs. Covid-19 variant hits: Ong Ye Kung
Almost all precautionary management measures have been lifted, and Singapore has returned to its pre-pandemic status.
SINGAPORE – On Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that Singapore has successfully navigated the recent Covid-19 wave without reimposing safe management measures. However, restrictions such as indoor masking requirements cannot be ruled out in the event of a virulent new strain.
He noted that the infection wave caused by the XBB sub-variant is clearly waning and that Singapore was able to deal with the wave with almost no restrictions, as indoor masking requirements and vaccination-differentiated safe management measures were lifted.
While the Covid-19 task force had been “extremely prepared” to reimpose such measures if the situation deteriorated, these plans were shelved as infection rates peaked and declined significantly earlier than anticipated.
“We no longer consider it until the next wave arrives.
He noted that Singapore has essentially returned to its pre-pandemic normalcy, with many people traveling and the country once again hosting a number of international conferences and events.
Mr. Ong, co-chair of the multi-ministry task force combating the Covid-19 pandemic, stated that this makes the country vulnerable, as it could be one of the first places to encounter a new and dangerous strain.
He noted that Singapore had dealt with numerous Omicron sub-variants, and that in such situations, recombinants – or variants that combine genetic material from two different variants – of existing sub-variants can be anticipated, such as XBB, which was responsible for the most recent wave of Covid-19 infections in Singapore.
Mr. Ong stated that there is no reason for such recombinants to always be more transmissible but less severe.
Singapore’s vaccine strategy is a key response to future infection waves, the minister said, emphasizing the need for older individuals to maintain their vaccinations, as they are more likely to develop a severe case of Covid-19.
Even in the last month, two out of every one hundred infected individuals aged 70 or older who were not fully immunized died or required intensive care, he said.
Mr. Ong stated that approximately 53,000 people aged 50 and older have already received the bivalent vaccine from Moderna, and that the vaccine will be rolled out to younger age groups in the coming weeks.
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Mr. Ong spoke at the 20th anniversary celebration of HMI Institute, a private healthcare training provider.
In his speech, he stated that healthcare professionals have been extremely busy, especially since the beginning of this year due to the Omicron waves. He added that emergency department (ED) personnel had to deal with a very high patient volume.
He stated that Singapore’s healthcare clusters are collaborating with the Ministry of Health to reduce the workload at emergency departments. The measures include encouraging non-emergency cases to go to general practitioner clinics or urgent care centres rather than EDs and discharging patients who do not require hospital care to a step-down care facility.
At the HMI Institute’s 20th anniversary celebration were Health Minister Ong Ye Kung (front row, center) and HMI Group CEO Chin Wei Jia (front row, fourth from right).
Mr. Ong also stated, “Within the next one to three years, we will need to strengthen the pipeline of care support staff in order for them to play a crucial role in our healthcare institutions.” He added that this must include new local entrants, foreign recruitment, and mid-career conversions.
During the pandemic, many service-sector employees, such as airline cabin crew and retail sales associates, assumed roles in healthcare support, which was of great assistance to hospitals, he said. However, they have since returned to their previous positions.
This entire incident demonstrates that it is possible to recruit mid-career professionals who can make significant contributions to the healthcare industry.
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