Measures under Singapore’s Covid-19 “Stabilisation Phase” will continue for another month from Oct 25 till Nov 21.
This phase which kicked in on Sep 27 was originally scheduled to last until Oct 24 to curb the strain on the nation’s healthcare system brought on by rising Covid-19 cases.
Key measures include a cap on social gatherings to two, while work-from-home will remain the default arrangement.
This will be reviewed at the two-week mark and adjusted based on the prevailing community situation, the Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce revealed on Oct 20.
The move comes as the daily Covid-19 case numbers continues to rise, while many vulnerable patients require Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care.
Currently, 1,738 cases – or around 10% of patients with Covid-19 – are admitted either into hospitals or Covid-19 Treatment Facilities (CTFs) because of more severe symptoms or co-morbidities that require close observation.
See: Singapore eases restrictions from July 12; further easing will come as more people get vaccinated
Seniors – defined as persons aged 60 years old and above – who are not fully vaccinated comprise about two-thirds of the ICU cases and deaths.
For now, 1,650 isolation beds and 200 ICU beds have been set up in public hospitals. So far, 89% of isolation beds have been filled, while the occupancy rates for ICU beds – which consist of existing Covid cases requiring ICU care as well as Covid-19 patients admitted for monitoring – stands at about 67%.
Meanwhile, 207 ICU beds have been occupied by patients with Covid-19, while 71 of these are incubated.
The average stay of these patients tends to be between 15 days to a month.
"Even as the public hospitals continue to set aside more beds for Covid-19 patients, we have observed longer admission waiting time for these patients," the health ministry notes.
“There is no sign of the cases going down – this will take time,” Health minister Ong Ye Kung stressed at a virtual press conference.
“The hospitals are no doubt bracing themselves for a sustained heavy patient load. MOH is doing whatever we can to support and bolster the hospitals,” he added.
The good news is that the Covid-19 infection rate amongst seniors has gone down to 279 cases in Oct 19, from an average of 1,000 a day in early October.
Possible reasons for this is that many seniors have been cutting back on their social activities, while several have also taken their booster shots.
Speaking at the same conference, Finance minister Lawrence Wong quipped that the Singapore’s healthcare system continues to be overwhelmed.
“We are trying to add capacity [to our healthcare system], but it’s not simply about adding people or equipment,” he added.
For now, treatments for non-urgent and non-life-threatening care treatments have been reduced to alleviate the pressure on public hospital capacity and manpower. Private hospitals have also been mobilised.
Against this backdrop, the multi-ministry taskforce expressed reservations over the Restaurant Association of Singapore's request to allow members of the same household to sit together in a table of five.
“For now, we think it’s still too risky to make such a move because of the pressure on the healthcare system,” said Wong, adding this "is indeed something we are looking into.”
Help is here
Businesses and individuals who will take a hit from the extension of the stabilisation measures, can tap on $640 million in extended support measures.
For one, the Jobs Support Scheme, will provide a 25% co-payment for the salaries of Singaporean employees from sectors such as F&B, retail, cinemas, museums, art galleries, historical sites, family entertainment, tourism, fitness studios and performing arts.
Qualifying tenants of government-owned commercial properties as well as tenant-occupiers and owner-occupiers of privately-owned commercial properties will receive a 0.5 month rental waiver as part of the Rental Support Scheme.
Similarly, a 0.5 month rental waiver will be given to stallholders in centers managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Meanwhile, taxi and private hire car drivers can tap on a Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund daily payout at $10 (in November) and $5 (in December).
Funding for the support measures will come from higher-than-expected revenues collected to-date, and there will be no further draw on past reserves.
Going forward, Wong and Ong encouraged Singaporeans to practice social responsibility and abide by the safe management measures.
“In many ways, I would say this is probably the most difficult phase in our journey through Covid-19 so far,” mulled Wong.
As difficult a time as this is for everyone, he noted that the measures “will not last indefinitely”.
“At some point, the wave will peak. We will also have better immunity against the virus as more people get exposed to it, and we will have more people having boosters in the coming weeks," stressed Wong.
Cover image: MCI
