Singapore reports 8,478 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 8,478 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Thursday (Mar 24), comprising 8,304 local infections and 174 imported ones. 

There were six fatalities, taking the death toll from coronavirus complications to 1,226.

There are 873 patients in hospital, according to the latest infection statistics on the Ministry of Health's (MOH) website. A total of 114 patients require oxygen supplementation.

Twenty-four patients are in the intensive care unit, compared to 26 on Wednesday.

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 new cases reported on Thursday, 7,125 are classified under Protocol 2, comprising 6,975 local cases and 150 imported infections.

Another 1,353 cases were confirmed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with 24 of them being imported infections.

The weekly infection growth rate is 0.79, higher than the 0.76 on Wednesday. A number below 1 indicates that the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases is falling.

As of Wednesday, 95 per cent of Singapore's eligible population have completed their full vaccination regimen under the national vaccination programme.

About 71 per cent of the total population have received their vaccine booster shots.

INCREASE IN DEATH RATE IN 2021 "NOT UNEXPECTED"

In a separate press release on Thursday, MOH reported that the age-standardised death rate was 557 per 100,000 people last year - up from 518 per 100,000 people in 2020.

This was comparable to that in 2017, which was 560 per 100,000 people.

"The increase is not unexpected, given that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a health crisis which has killed many millions of people in the world," said MOH.

"Singapore, however, has recorded one of the lowest rates of excess deaths in the COVID-19 pandemic from international comparisons so far," it added. 

The total excess deaths due to COVID-19 will require further analysis and breakdown of the numbers, said the ministry, adding that it plans to consolidate the data and provide a full report when the Omicron wave subsides. 

RELAXATION OF SOME COVID-19 RULES

Singapore will increase the size of group gatherings from five to 10 people and make mask-wearing outdoors optional from Mar 29, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in an address to the nation on Thursday morning.

Concurrently, Singapore will ease cross-border travel with a new vaccinated travel framework as the Omicron wave is “well under control”, said Mr Lee.

In a joint statement with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Mr Lee also announced that fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel via all modes of transport between the land borders of the two countries. 

Singapore has recorded 1,053,139 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.