As of 5 August 2021, 78 per cent of Singapore’s population have been administered at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while two-thirds of the nation have completed two doses.
By National Day, Singapore will be one of the world’s most highly vaccinated countries, with 70 per cent of the population having received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, says Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at a multi-ministerial task force press conference. This will put Singapore in a stronger position in its transition to becoming a COVID-19 resilient nation.
Full vaccination perks extended to Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), those who opt for other COVID-19 vaccines under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) emergency use list, such as Sinovac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca as fully vaccinated.
Those who have received both doses of the other COVID-19 vaccines beyond Pfizer/Cominarty and Moderna will also be eligible for dining-in at F&B outlets in groups of 5 and travel concessions in Singapore.
Shorter isolation period for fully vaccinated Covid-19 patients
Other incentives for the vaccinated population include faster discharge for COVID-19 patients. The latest medical management protocols review allows eligible COVID-19 patients to be discharged after 10 days of isolation if their swab test results are negative or if their viral loads are considered “very low”.
The Ministry of Health reported evidence that vaccinated individuals can recover within 10 days of the onset of COVID-19.
COVID-19 patients who do not meet the vaccination criteria will continue to be discharged after 14 days of isolation without any further testing, with seven days’ leave of absence on top of that.
In the last 28 days, 80 of Singapore’s community cases infected with COVID-19 fell seriously ill. Of the 80 serious cases, only 8 were fully vaccinated.
Concern over unvaccinated seniors remains
MOH raises concerns over the high probability of unvaccinated seniors suffering from severe illness if they become infected with COVID-19.
As of 6 August, only 76 per cent of the population aged 70 and above have completed two deses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 82 per cent have received at least one dose.
MOH reiterates the importance of continuing efforts to help the remaining 80,000 of seniors in this age group get their vaccinations, citing the group’s higher risk of getting infected and falling severely ill if infected.
Singapore will be one of the world’s most highly vaccinated countries.
Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health
Despite Singapore’s high vaccination rate, MOH cautions that the nation may still see vaccine break-throughs by new COVID-19 variants and a high number of daily cases in the community.
The ministry is confident that hospitalisation and ICU cases can still be kept low, with the majority of Singapore’s population protected through vaccination. With continuous monitoring of the situation, especially incidences of severe illness from COVID-19, Singapore can continue with its plans for reopening.
Featured Image Credit: Rogan Yeoh/Unsplash
See also: Fully vaccinated people can dine-in at F&B outlets in groups of 5 from Aug 10
