Singapore Urges People to Mask Up as COVID-19 Cases Surge

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Singapore government issued guidelines for tourists and citizens in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. According to the latest report, the number of cases reached 56,000 as of Dec. 9, a significant increase from the previous week's 32,035 cases.

Travelers are urged to take precautions, including wearing masks at airports, buying travel insurance, and avoiding poorly ventilated and crowded places.

The government also advised people who are feeling unwell and have symptoms of acute respiratory infection to stay at home and avoid contact with others until the symptoms disappear.

“If they have to come into contact while unwell, they must exercise social responsibility by wearing a mask, minimizing their social interactions, and avoiding crowded places,” the government said.

The government thus emphasized the importance of vaccination, which could reduce hospitalization rates. Most of the new cases were reportedly caused by JN.1, a sublineage of the BA.2.86 variant. Authorities, however, stated that there is no compelling evidence that BA.2.86 or JN.1 are inherently more transmissible and cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

The Health Ministry also partnered with public hospitals to develop safety plans, including ensuring adequate availability of health workers and postponing non-urgent elective procedures to create additional bed capacity, especially for urgent cases.

Additionally, Singapore planned to inaugurate a new COVID-19 Treatment Facility (CTF) at Singapore EXPO Hall 10, which can provide care for more than 80 COVID-19 patients who do not require intensive hospital care.

TIMES OF INDIA | BUSINESS TODAY

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