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1,448 new COVID cases in Singapore, infection growth rate rises to 1.76

People walked along a marked neighbourhood street on January 4, 2022 in Singapore.  (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
People walked along a marked neighbourhood street on 4 Januar, 2022 in Singapore. (PHOTO: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (18 January) confirmed 1,448 new COVID cases, an increase from 1,165 a day before.

Of them, over 68% – or 990 – are local while 458 are imported. This brings the country's total case count to 294,462.

The weekly infection growth rate – or ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before – rose to 1.76 on Tuesday, from 1.6 the day before.

Of the additional 589 Omicron cases confirmed among past reported infections, some 86 per cent – or 504 – were local while 85 were imported.

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

A total of 772 cases were discharged, while 247 remain warded. Of those still hospitalised, 16 require oxygen supplementation, while 13 are in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The MOH did not provide Tuesday's overall ICU utilisation rate. Over the last 28 days, of the 9,334 infected individuals, 99.2 per cent had no or mild symptoms.

As of Monday, 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 53 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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