271 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, including 2 imported Omicron infections

SINGAPORE: Singapore logged 271 new COVID-19 infections as of noon on Saturday (Dec 18), including two imported cases of the Omicron variant.

One fatality was reported, taking the country's death toll from coronavirus complications to 810.

Saturday's case count is down from the 412 infections reported on Friday. It is also the lowest in more than three months, since Sep 6.

Among the 271 new cases, 227 are locally transmitted, comprising 221 in the community and six in migrant workers' dormitories.

The remaining 44 cases are imported, according to the latest infection statistics on the Ministry of Health's (MOH) website.

This is the highest number of imported infections since Jan 30, when 55 imported cases were reported.

The weekly infection growth rate is 0.58, falling from Friday's 0.63. This refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before.

The growth rate has remained below 1 since Nov 13. A figure below 1 means that the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases is falling.

As of Saturday, Singapore has recorded 275,655 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

HOSPITALISATIONS AND VACCINATIONS

The intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation rate is at 47.6 per cent, up from the 46.4 per cent reported on Friday. 

There are 466 patients in hospital, with 60 requiring oxygen supplementation.

In the ICU, five patients require close monitoring while 30 patients are critically ill.

As of Friday, 96 per cent of Singapore's eligible population - those aged 12 and above - have completed their full vaccination regimen.

About 33 per cent of the total population have received their vaccine booster shots.