New outbreak a reality check

‘Rise in community cases shows nobody can relax for a moment’

The country is experiencing its worst spate of Covid-19 community infections in close to a year, in a painful reminder of how the virus situation can flare up without warning.

But if contact tracing, testing and quarantine protocols are as effective as before, and people do not let their guard down, the current situation could come under control within the next week or so, experts said.

The Tan Tock Seng hospital (TTSh) cluster, with 27 people infected, is the nation’s first hospital cluster and comprises staff and patients. One patient, an 88-yearold woman, has died.

The recent cases show that nobody can relax, not even for a moment, stressed Prof Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of

Singapore’s Saw Swee hock School of Public health.

“We have seen time and again how countries have had to ramp up restrictions or even reimpose another lockdown after they have opened up, and this scenario could become a reality if we become complacent,” he warned.

The TTSh cluster is the largest of nine open clusters currently.

Nonetheless, Prof Teo said the clusters could peter out soon if all steps are followed assiduously.

“If our contact tracing, testing and quarantine protocols are as effective as before, we should see the current blip come under control within the next couple of weeks or so,” he predicted.

Singapore has already moved to contain the spread of the virus, acting swiftly to ring-fence the cases, testing aggressively and even enforcing lockdowns in four TTSh wards, for instance.

“What’s critical is cooperation from the public: If you are requested to go for a swab test, please go for it.

“If you are given a leave of absence, please stick to it,” said Prof Teo.

The numbers, while alarming, are not large enough to be called a new wave of community infections, noted Assoc Prof Alex Cook, vicedean of research at the Saw Swee hock School of Public health.

The number of community cases now is nowhere near the peak in early April last year, where more than 40 new locally transmitted infections were reported daily, he said.

“everyone has been quite relaxed with the rules lately and this will be a good reality check for us,” Prof Cook said.

“It is also a reminder to those who have been putting off their vaccinations to get vaccinated as we cannot expect the community to remain virus-free forever.”