Singapore experiencing another COVID-19 wave

Pic/AP

Singapore is experiencing another COVID-19 wave, with more people expected to fall sick and be hospitalised in the coming weeks, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung warned on Friday.

Ong said that the estimated daily cases have risen from about 1,000 three weeks ago to 2,000 over the past two weeks. However, the government will treat this as an "endemic disease", he said.

The spate of these recent cases is driven by mostly two variants - the EG.5 and its sub-lineage HK.3 - both of which are descendants of the XBB Omicron variant.

"Together, they now account for over 75 per cent of our daily cases," Ong told Channel News Asia here. However, he added that there are no plans to impose any social restrictions, as with the last wave which occurred from March to April. During the peak in April, the number of infections rose to about 4,000 cases a day.

"We will treat this as an endemic disease, which is in line with our strategy, and we will live with it," he said.

Keep masks on!

The Singapore government has advised senior citizens or those who are medically vulnerable due to underlying illness to take the necessary precautions, such as wearing a mask in crowded areas.

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