Singapore reports 18,094 new COVID-19 cases, 7 deaths

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 18,094 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Friday (Feb 18), comprising 17,886 local and 208 imported infections.

There were also seven fatalities. This takes the death toll from coronavirus complications to 937.

There are 1,458 patients in hospital, according to the latest infection statistics on the MOH website. A total of 182 require oxygen supplementation, up from Thursday's figure of 164.

Thirty-nine patients are in the intensive care unit compared to 32 on Thursday.

Most of Singapore's new COVID-19 infections are Protocol 2 cases, which are those who are well or assessed to have a mild condition.

Among the cases reported on Friday, 15,015 are classified under Protocol 2, comprising 14,952 local cases and 63 imported ones.

Another 3,079 cases were confirmed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with 145 of them being imported infections. 

The weekly infection growth rate is 1.46, up from Thursday's 1.28.

Singapore has recorded 551,519 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

As of Thursday, 94 per cent of Singapore's eligible population have completed their full vaccination regimen under the national vaccination programme.

About 65 per cent of the total population have received their vaccine booster shots.