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1,165 new COVID cases in Singapore, infection growth rate rises to 1.6

Workers put up decorative gold coins on a giant lantern display featuring the God of Fortune next to a tiger as Singapore prepares to usher in the Year of the Tiger amid the rise in the Omicron variant cases during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Supertree Grove, Gardens by the Bay on January 16, 2022 in Singapore. On February 1, people around the world will welcome the Year of the Tiger, one of the most anticipated holidays on the Chinese calendar. Also known as the Spring festival or the Lunar New Year, the celebrations last for about 15 days. 
 (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Workers put up decorative gold coins on a giant lantern display during the coronavirus pandemic in Singapore on 16 January, 2022. (PHOTO: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (17 January) confirmed 1,165 new COVID cases, the first time since 2 December that the city-state reported over 1,000 new daily infections.

Of them, 631 are local while 534 are imported. This brings the country's total case count to 293,014.

The weekly infection growth rate – or ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before – rose to 1.6 on Monday, from 1.49 the day before.

Of the additional 609 Omicron cases confirmed among past reported infections, 380 were local while 229 were imported.

There was no COVID-19 related death reported on Monday. The total number of people who have succumbed to the disease here remains at 843.

A total of 699 cases were discharged, while 217 remain warded. Of those still hospitalised, 13 require oxygen supplementation, while 13 are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The MOH did not provide Monday's overall ICU utilisation rate. Over the last 28 days, of the 8,570 infected individuals, 99.2 per cent had no or mild symptoms.

As of Sunday, the total number of individuals who have completed their full regimen or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines is 91 per cent of the eligible population.

Among the total population, 88 per cent have done so, while 90 per cent have received at least one dose, and 52 per cent have received their booster shots.

As of Saturday, more than 100,000 children aged five to 11 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Singapore's vaccination drive for children aged five to 11 began on 27 December. The programme will be open to over 300,000 children here, who are Singaporeans, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders.

Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine approved for the age group.

From Monday, Singapore authorities will progressively administer second vaccine doses to children.

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