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3,483 new COVID cases in Singapore, 3 more deaths

A drinking fountain is taped off as part of precautions amid the the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Singapore October 6, 2021. REUTERS/Edgar Su
A drinking fountain is taped off as part of precautions amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Singapore on 6 October, 2021. (PHOTO: Reuters)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (7 October) confirmed 3,483 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing the country's total case count to 116,864, as well as three more deaths due to the disease.

Thursday marks the third day in a row Singapore reported over 3,000 new daily cases. It is also the 18th day in a row with fatalities from the virus reported.

Singapore's 134th through 136th COVID-19 fatalities are all Singaporean: two men and one woman aged between 57 and 90. A total of 35 people here have succumbed to the disease this month.

One had been unvaccinated against COVID-19 and two had been vaccinated. All of them had various underlying medical conditions.

Of the new cases, 3,475 are local infections: 2,783 are in the community, while 692 are dormitory residents. Among the local cases are 607 people above the age of 60, said the MOH.

The remaining eight cases are imported, of whom one was detected upon their arrival in Singapore, while seven developed the illness during their stay-home notice or isolation period.

Five active COVID-19 clusters in Singapore, including three dorms, are being closely monitored. All three dorm clusters have been classified as intra-dormitory transmissions among residents, with no evidence of spread beyond the premises.

Of the list of monitored clusters, the highest number of 35 new cases – all quarantined – was added to the cluster at Tampines Dormitory. The cluster now has 216 cases.

Fifteen new cases were added to a cluster at nursing home United Medicare Care's Toa Payoh branch, bringing the total to 50. Of them, 39 are residents, 10 are staff members, and one is a household contact.

Eleven new cases – all quarantined – were also added to the cluster at the Woodlands dorm, now totalling 406 infections.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament on Monday while the government is ramping up healthcare capacity to handle up to 5,000 cases, it is already planning how to handle 10,000 infections.

Co-chair of the multi-ministry COVID-19 taskforce Lawrence Wong last Saturday said many people in Singapore will end up catching COVID-19, and there is no need to be fearful or embarrassed about it.

But the Finance Minister also said the current rise in COVID cases may not be "the last wave" in Singapore.

297 require oxygen supplementation; 40 in ICU

As of Thursday, 1,534 cases are currently warded in hospital, most of whom are well and under observation.

There are currently 297 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation and 40 in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Of those who have fallen very ill, 281 are patients above the age of 60, said the MOH.

Apart from the 136 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, the percentage of local cases who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms is 98.4 per cent. Over the same period, 628 cases required oxygen supplementation, 61 had been in the ICU, and 72 died.

As of Wednesday, about 9.36 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme. Some 4.6 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with some 4.53 million having completed the full vaccination regimen.

To date, about 600,000 eligible seniors have been invited to receive their booster doses – 357,247 of them have received their booster shots while another 95,000 have booked their appointments.

Separately, 207,145 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered as of Wednesday, covering 109,015 individuals.

This means that 83 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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