Report in August 2021

Noel Xu Qingxing, Ph.D.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore
(26 August 2021)

As of Aug. 26, 2021:

• a) Total confirmed cases: 66,928
• b) Newly confirmed cases on that day: 116
• c) Active cases on that date: 967
• d) Cases in ICU: 7 (Cases needing oxygen ventilation: 17)
• e) Total death cases: 52
• f) New death cases on that day: 0

In view of the improved vaccination rates, the Singapore’s Multi−Ministry Taskforce announced updated measures as part of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) which took effect from 10 August 2021 (1). These measures include:

• Increase of social gathering sizes from a maximum of 2 persons to 5 persons.
• Dine−in at hawker centres and coffee shops allowed in groups of 2, for both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, while groups of up to 5 persons allowed for all Food & Beverage (F&B) establishments if all diners are vaccinated (2).
• Fully vaccinated individuals, recovered patients, and/or those who possess a valid negative COVID−19 test result may participate in higher−risk activities (e.g., indoor mask−off sports, F&B dine−in) and large events (e.g., solemnizations, congregational and other worship services) in groups of up to 5 persons.

The number of local cases, both linked and unlinked, over the past one month is shown in Figure 1. The number of cases in ICU or requiring oxygen supplementation over the past one month is shown in Figure 2.

Vaccination programme in Singapore

As of 24 August 2021 (3), 8,619,767 doses of COVID−19 vaccines under the national vaccination programme (Pfizer−BioNTech Comirnaty and Moderna) have been administered, covering 4,486,367 individuals, with 4,261,137 individuals having completed the full vaccination regimen. In addition, 161,563 doses of other vaccines recognized in the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered, covering 85,242 individuals. In total, 78% of the population has completed the full regimen/received two doses of COVID−19 vaccines, and 82% has received at least one dose (Figure 3).

With the highly transmissible Delta variant present, there needs to be at least 80% of the population vaccinated for herd immunity to kick in. This remains a challenge (4) especially since there is currently no vaccine for children below the age of 12 (about 500,000 of them) that makes up almost 10% of the population. Moreover, among those aged 70 years and above, more than one in four have yet to get vaccinated. To increase vaccination rates, the government has intensified outreach to encourage the rest of the seniors to be vaccinated by bringing the mobile vaccination teams to the heartlands for them (5).

As part of the “vaccinate or regular test” regime announced by the Multi−Ministry Taskforce, from 1 October 2021, front−line workers across the following sectors would need to be vaccinated (6):

• Individuals working in the healthcare sector, eldercare sector and settings with children 12 years and below.
• All persons working in sectors that interact with members of the public in higher−risk mask−off setting (e.g., F&B establishments, gyms, fitness studios and personal care services).
• The Public Service.

Unvaccinated persons from the above sectors will have to be tested with an antigen rapid test (ART) kit twice a week. The government will subsidize these tests for those who remain medically ineligible for the vaccines.

Enhanced measures for testing

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test is considered the gold standard for COVID−19 testing. However, the drawback is that the results for the PCR test can take more than a day. Newer tests, such as ARTs, complement existing testing regimes as they are cheaper, faster, and more convenient to administer, thus making them very effective surveillance tests (7). ARTs have been deployed for regular surveillance testing for workers in dorms, construction sites, airport and selected marine shipyards. ARTs are also made available for purchase at over−the−counter sales.

Besides the ARTs, breathalyser tests have been developed to deliver results within minutes. These breathalyser tests work in the same way as standard alcohol breathalyser tests, and are used alongside the current compulsory ART. Developed by Breathonix, a spin−off from the National University of Singapore, the new BreFence Go Covid−19 Breath Test System uses a mass spectrometer to analyze the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the exhaled breath (8). The duration from breath sampling to results takes less than a minute. Its tests have a sensitivity of 85.3% and a specificity of 97% (9). Breathonix has since conducted tests over at Tuas Checkpoint. The second breathalyser, TracieX, developed by the local medical technology firm Silver Factory Technology employs Raman spectroscopy to identify the molecular fingerprint of VOCs present in the exhaled breath (9). The breath test can accurately detect COVID−19 in two minutes. Its tests have a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 97.8% (9).

Support measures for employment, workers and businesses

The government has set aside more than $2 billion to support workers and businesses affected by the tighter COVID−19 restrictions imposed during the two periods of heightened alerts (10). Many businesses, including the domestic, consumer−facing sectors such as retail, and F&B had been working very hard to adapt to the changing regulations and will continue to face challenges. The support measures include:

• Rental relief for hawkers, and eligible SMEs and non−profit organizations.
• Enhanced Jobs Support Scheme for affected sectors.
• COVID−19 Driver Relief Fund for eligible taxi and private−hire car drivers.
• Support for hawkers.
• COVID−19 Recovery Grant – Temporary.

To expand employment and up−skilling opportunities, schemes such as SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package were created (11). This package allows traineeships through SGUnited Traineeships Programme for recent and new graduates, and SGUnited Mid−Career Pathways Programme for mid−career individuals. In particular, under the SGUnited Traineeships Programme, 80% of the qualifying training allowance for the trainees is co−funded by the government while the remaining is funded by the host organization (12).

Enhance resilience and support communities during pandemic.

Temasek Foundation, a Singapore−based non−profit organization under the philanthropic arm of the state’s sovereign fund Temasek Holdings, shouldered to fight the pandemic and support the communities affected by the pandemic. Under the “Stay Prepared” initiatives, over 30 million reusable antimicrobial masks have been distributed to residents in Singapore (13). The masks were made available for convenient collection from vending machines located all over the island. Moreover, reusable masks have been distributed to 400,000 migrant workers and 250,000 domestic helpers in Singapore (14).

References