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16 more COVID deaths, 3,439 new cases in Singapore

Women wearing protective mask exercise at a park on October 17, 2021 in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Women wearing protective masks exercise at a park on 17 October, 2021 in Singapore. (PHOTO: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (21 October) confirmed 3,439 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore – bringing the country's total case count to 162,026 – as well as 16 deaths due to the disease.

Thursday marks the 32nd day in a row with fatalities from COVID-19 reported in Singapore, with a total of 179 people here having succumbed to it thus far this month. It is also the third straight day with over 3,000 cases reported.

The 265th to 280th COVID-19 deaths in Singapore were 11 Singaporean men or permanent residents, four Singaporean women, and one Malaysian man who holds a work permit aged between 61 and 93.

Among them, eight had been unvaccinated against COVID-19, one had been partially vaccinated and seven had been fully vaccinated. Fifteen of them had various underlying medical conditions, while a vaccinated case had no known medical conditions.

Of the new cases, 3,437 are local infections: 2,937 are in the community and 500 reside in the migrant worker dormitories. The remaining two are imported.

Among the local cases are 492 people aged above 60, said the MOH.

Eight active COVID-19 clusters are being closely monitored in Singapore, including seven at senior residential or welfare homes.

Of the list of monitored clusters, the highest number of 17 new cases was added to the cluster at the Bukit Batok Home for the Aged. The cluster now has 109 cases, of whom all but two – both staff members – are residents.

Three new cases were each added to clusters at PCF Sparkletots @ Zhenghua at 632A Senja Road and MWS Christalite Methodist Home, totalling 17 and 118 infections, respectively.

Of the cases at the preschool, 11 are students, five are staff members and one is a household contact. Of the cases at the nursing home, 105 are residents while 13 are staff members.

Two new cases were also each added to clusters at Banyan Home @ Pelangi Village and Apex Harmony Lodge, totalling 42 and 15 infections, respectively.

Of the cases at the welfare home, all but one – a staff member – are residents. Of the cases at the nursing home, 11 are residents while four are staff members.

346 require oxygen supplementation; 61 in ICU

As of Thursday, 1,613 cases – or 6.6 per cent – are currently warded in hospital, most of whom are well and under observation. A total of 17,617 cases – or 72.4 per cent – are undergoing home recovery, while 4,223 cases are in community care facilities, and 880 are in COVID-19 treatment facilities.

There are currently 346 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation and 61 in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Apart from the 280 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease.

Over the last 28 days, of the 78,985 infected cases, 98.6 per cent had no or mild symptoms, 1.0 per cent required oxygen supplementation, 0.1 per cent required ICU care, and 0.2 per cent has died.

Among those who required oxygen supplementation and ICU over the last 28 days, 47.1 per cent were fully vaccinated and 52.9 per cent were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Among those who have died over the same period, 31.4 per cent were fully vaccinated and 68.6 per cent were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, about 9.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme. Some 4.63 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with some 4.57 million having completed the full vaccination regimen.

To date, about 850,000 eligible individuals have been invited to receive their booster doses – 637,326 of them have received their booster shots while another 98,000 have booked their appointments.

Separately, 230,651 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered as of Wednesday, covering 119,711 individuals.

This means that 84 per cent of the population have completed their full regimen or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 85 per cent have received at least one dose.

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