Wow, 53 Of 65 Cases Of Confirmed Imports Of Omicron Variants Entering Singapore Via The Travel Route Are Vaccinated

Illustration of Singapore Changi Airport. (Wikimedia Commons/ProjectManhattan)

JAKARTA - Fifty-three of the 65 confirmed imported cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus arrived in Singapore via the vaccinated travel route (VTL), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said Thursday.

Of the 53 cases that entered via VTL, 41 infections were detected upon arrival in Singapore via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Meanwhile, the remaining 12 infections were detected later through an enhanced testing regime for VTL travelers, the ministry continued to CNA as quoted December 23.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health said that more than 90 percent of the cases of the Omicron variant that entered through the VTL were Singaporean returnees, permanent residents and long-term residents.

Monday this week, MOH reported that 71 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Singapore, including 65 imported infections and six local infections.

In addition, the ministry said it is securing cases of the Omicron variant through active contact tracing to reduce further transmission.

"Close contacts of suspected and confirmed cases of the Omicron variant will be placed on a 10-day quarantine in a special facility to minimize transmission," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Singapore has frozen all new ticket sales for VTL flights and buses from Thursday to January 20, 2022, amid the "rapid spread" of the Omicron infection in many countries.

This will help limit Singapore's exposure to imported Omicron cases, the Health Ministry said. In addition, the VTL quota and ticket sales for travel will also be temporarily reduced after 20 January 2022.

Please note, Under the VTL scheme, travelers who are vaccinated on designated flights and buses can enter Singapore without undergoing quarantine.

They must take a PCR test before departure or an antigen rapid test (ART) within two days before departure to Singapore. Upon arrival in Singapore, air travelers must undergo a PCR test while those arriving across the Causeway from Malaysia need to take ART.

VTL travelers must then be on daily ART until day 7 of their stay. On days 2, 4, 5, and 6, they are required to submit their ART results online using a link that will be sent to them.

On days 3 and 7, ART should be carried out under supervision at a combined test center or rapid test center.

Singapore announced its first alleged Omicron cluster on Tuesday, involving a case at the Anytime Fitness outlet in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. On Wednesday, Singapore reported 76 new imported cases of COVID-19 - its highest daily number of imported infections since the start of the pandemic.