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1,734 new COVID cases, 16 deaths in S'pore as infection growth rate dips to 0.77

People gather to view the
People gather to view the 'KAWS:HOLIDAY' art installation, created by artist Brian Donnelly also known as KAWS, at Marina Bay on 19 November, 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic in Singapore. (PHOTO NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (19 November) confirmed 1,734 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore – bringing the country's total case count to 248,587 – as well as 16 deaths due to the disease.

Friday marks the 61st day in a row with fatalities from COVID-19 reported in Singapore, with 225 people having succumbed to it so far this month.

The 626th to 641st fatalities here were aged between 52 and 93. All, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Of the new cases, 1,730 are local – 1,633 are in the community and 97 are residents of migrant worker dormitories. The remaining four are imported. In the community are 269 cases who are aged 60 years and above, said the MOH.

The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before – or the weekly infection growth rate – is reported to be 0.77, down from Thursday's 0.9. This is the seventh day in a row where the figure is lower than 1.

The rate was 1.04 last Friday, breaking a nine-day streak of recording a figure lower than 1.

Five active COVID-19 clusters are being closely monitored in Singapore, consisting of three nursing or welfare homes and two preschools.

Of the listed clusters, the highest number of four new cases was added to a cluster at PCF Sparkletots @ Chong Pang Block 115B. The cluster has 23 cases – 10 students, four staff members, and nine household contacts.

Two new cases were each added to clusters at Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village and Jamiyah Nursing Home, totalling 72 and 28 resident infections, respectively.

All but two cases – both staff members – at Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village are residents. The cluster is the largest of the five listed on Friday.

One new case was also each added to clusters at Skool4kidz Preschool @ Yishun Orchid Spring and ECON Medicare Centre & Nursing Home's Choa Chu Kang branch, totalling 17 and 11 infections, respectively.

202 require oxygen supplementation; 110 in ICU

A total of 2,874 cases were discharged on Friday, of whom 456 are patients aged 60 and above, said the MOH.

Currently, 1,346 cases are warded in hospital. Over the last 28 days, of the 82,752 infected individuals, 98.7 per cent had no or mild symptoms.

There are currently 202 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation.

A total of 110 cases are in the intensive care unit (ICU) – 46 are unstable and under close monitoring to prevent further deterioration, while 64 are critically ill and intubated.

The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 57 per cent, down from Thursday's 58.8 per cent.

The MOH noted that over the past seven days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.6 and 4.9 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.1 and 0.9 per 100,000 population, respectively, it added.

Among those aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 2 and 43.2, respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 9.6, respectively, said the MOH.

Apart from the 641 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.

As of Thursday, 94 per cent of Singapore's eligible population – aged 12 and above – have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines or completed their full regimen.

Among the total population, 85 per cent have received two doses, 86 per cent have received at least one dose, and 22 per cent have received their booster shots.

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