Estimated 60pc of Singapore population infected by Covid-19 to date, latest wave subsiding says health minister

SINGAPORE , Aug 1— The wave of Covid-19 infections driven by the Omicron BA.5 variant has been subsiding, with the week-on-week infection ratio dipping below 0.9 over the last week and set to fall further this week, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in Parliament today.

Despite the high infection rate, Ong said that this does not mean Singapore has “herd immunity” and that even if the infection rate hits 100 per cent, the country will not have achieved this status. “This is what enables the healthcare system to weather through an infection wave even with high case numbers because the translation of case numbers into severe illnesses is very low,” he said.Despite the push for vaccinations among the elderly, Ong said that 40,000 seniors aged 60 and above still have not received their booster shots, even though they are eligible, while another 40,000 seniors have not completed two doses yet.

“That is why as of now, our recommendation is for those who are 80 and above to receive their second booster or fourth shot to better protect against severe disease.”On the incidence of re-infections, Ong said that the Ministry of Health has been “watching the re-infection numbers very closely, because it will inform us of the likely timing of future waves”.

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