Three Days Of COVID-19 Infections Record, Singapore Tightens Activities Of Its Citizens Until August

JAKARTA - Singapore recorded a record high of 182 new cases of locally transmitted coronavirus on Tuesday 20 July, including 142 cases connected to a growing cluster linked to Jurong Fishing Port, as well as markets and food centers.

This brings the total cases in the Jurong Fishing Port cluster to 321 cases. There are also 14 new cases related to the KTV cluster. This cluster has a total of 207 cases.

Previously, a record high was recorded on Monday 19 July, where there were 163 locally transmitted cases. Of the 182 locally transmitted cases, 81 are linked to previous cases and have been quarantined.

Data from the Ministry of Health stated that 75 other related cases were detected through surveillance, as well as 26 new unrelated cases. There were also 13 imported cases that had been placed on notice (SHN) or isolated on arrival in Singapore.

"There are now 28 markets and food centers where infections have been detected," Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a press conference held by the multi-ministerial task force on COVID-19 yesterday, citing CNA Wednesday, July 21.

Measures to deal with COVID-19 will be tightened again from Thursday 22 July to 18 August, in line with the phase two warning (highest warning), to stem the spike in infection cases among the community.

Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said restaurants should not serve dine-in and could only offer takeaway and delivery options during this period.

Meanwhile, the number of people allowed to hold meetings was reduced from five to two. Likewise, the number of guests in the house reduced from five was limited to two.

This is the third day in a row Singapore has set a new record high in the number of community cases. While this is not good news Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung at a press conference held virtually, said this figure had slowed.

In addition, the Ministry of Health is concerned about the large number of cluster findings associated with the Jurong Fishing Port, especially in wet markets and street food centers.

"This is very concerning, as it could affect many people in our community across the island," he explained.

Even though returning to restrictive measures is considered a setback, the Lion Country authorities continue to plan a roadmap for living with the COVID-19 endemic.

The latest tightening aims to buy time to reach the target of two-thirds of the population already receiving full COVID-19 vaccinations by National Day on August 9, said Ong, who heads the task force.

When that is achieved, Minister Ong is confident that Singapore will remain safe even though there will be around 100-200 new infections every day.

"Therefore, after thinking long and hard, we decided we should return to phase two (high alert). This is most troubling for the industry and the companies affected, but we are very close, a few weeks away, to the stage where we have two thirds or more of our population is fully vaccinated around National Day, and then (we will) be able to more convincingly shift to a COVID-19 resistant posture."

"Now is really not the time to risk everything. So we need to bite this bullet, roll back social activities, and use this time to push through vaccination efforts."

For information, launching Worldometers on Wednesday, July 21, Singapore now recorded a total of 63,440 cases of infection, with 62 cases of death and as many as 62,532 patients declared cured.