Singapore reports 1,103 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths; ICU utilisation rate drops to 51.2%

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 1,103 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths linked to the coronavirus as of noon on Monday (Nov 29).

The fatalities were aged between 58 and 91. All of them, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions. The Ministry of Health (MOH) did not specify what these conditions were.

This brings Singapore's death toll from the coronavirus to 710. 

The overall intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation rate on Monday is 51.2 per cent, down from 57.4 per cent on Sunday.

WEEKLY INFECTION GROWTH RATE

The weekly infection growth rate stayed the same as Sunday's rate of 0.69. This refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before.

The growth rate has remained below 1 for 17 consecutive days. A figure below 1 means that the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases is falling.

The daily case count on Monday was up from the 747 infections reported on Sunday. 

Among the new cases, 1,095 were locally transmitted, comprising 1,070 infections in the community and 25 cases in migrant workers' dormitories.

The remaining eight were imported cases, MOH said in its daily update released to the media at about 11.45pm.

As of Monday, Singapore has reported 263,486 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

HOSPITALISATIONS AND VACCINATIONS

There were 1,158 COVID-19 cases currently warded in hospital. Of these, 221 needed oxygen supplementation in general wards, 17 were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU, and 62 were critically ill and intubated in the ICU.

A total of 1,812 cases were discharged over the past day, of whom 274 were seniors aged 60 and above.

Of the 62,442 cases over the last 28 days, 98.7 per cent had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic, while 0.9 per cent required oxygen supplementation in the general ward, 0.2 per cent were in the ICU and 0.2 per cent died.

As of Sunday, 94 per cent of the eligible population in Singapore - those aged 12 and above - have completed their full regimen or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. About 26 per cent have received their booster shots. 

CLUSTERS

MOH said on Monday that it was closely monitoring a large cluster. The cluster at Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village grew to 126 infections, comprising two staff members and 124 residents. 

TWO TRAVELLERS WHO TRANSITED IN SINGAPORE TEST POSITIVE FOR NEW VARIANT

Two travellers from South Africa who transited in Singapore have tested positive for the new Omicron COVID-19 variant in Sydney.

The passengers arrived in Sydney on Singapore Airlines SQ211, which departed Singapore at 10.30am on Sunday and landed in Sydney at 9.20pm the same day.

MOH said that the travellers had departed Johannesburg, South Africa on Nov 27 via SQ481 and arrived at Changi Airport on the same day for their transit flight.

From 11.59pm on Nov 27, all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with travel history within the last 14 days to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have not been allowed to enter or transit in Singapore.

MOH said the travellers' pre-departure tests in South Africa on Nov 26 were negative for COVID-19 and most of the travellers had remained in the transit area at Changi Airport until their departure for Sydney on Nov 28.

They did not enter Singapore or visit other areas in Changi Airport, added MOH. Seven people disembarked, of whom six are currently serving a 10-day stay-home notice at a dedicated facility and will be tested using polymerase chain reaction tests.

"One was a close contact of an infected individual on the flight, and has been quarantined. Contact tracing is ongoing for airport staff who may have come into transient contact with the cases," said MOH.