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SINGAPORE: New cases of COVID-19 in the community remained in single digits for the third consecutive day on Tuesday (May 12), the first time since Singapore entered its “circuit breaker” period.
Four community cases were reported on Tuesday, comprising three Singaporeans and a holder of a work pass.
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There were three community cases in Monday and four on Sunday.
Singapore implemented a series of breaker measures since April 7 to curb the spread of COVID-19, including closing most non-essential workplaces and moving schools to full home learning.
Additional social distancing measures were also established for services that were allowed to remain open, including food and beverage outlets and supermarkets.
The breaker period was originally scheduled to end on May 4, but has since been extended through June 1.
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Authorities also made it mandatory on April 14 that residents wear masks outside their homes.
Several people have been fined for violating safe distance rules and for not wearing a mask in public.
READ: Singapore reports 884 new cases of COVID-19, new daily maximum of 626 discharged patients
REDUCTION OF COMMUNITY INFECTIONS
Restrictions on Singapore circuit breakers have “shown promise” for reducing COVID-19 infections in the community, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference by the multi-ministry working group on Tuesday.
The average number of daily community cases has dropped from 30 cases in late April to eight last week, Gan said.
However, he also warned that the number could increase again as the restrictions are gradually lifted.
READ: COVID-19: Customers Go to Beauty Salons After Circuit Breaker Measures Ease
“As we gradually lift the circuit breaker measurements, there is a risk that community cases may increase again. This has been the experience of many countries that have seen a second wave of infections after relaxing their measures of social distancing, “he said.
On May 5, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were allowed to resume acupuncture treatments for pain management, and medical salons linked to MTC establishments were also able to sell retail products.
On Tuesday, home food companies, beauty salons and select food outlets and food manufacturing companies were able to resume operations.
READ: Queues as Singapore eases its COVID-19 circuit breaker measurements for the first time: In pictures
Mr. Gan added that Singapore must be “very careful, remain vigilant and minimize the risk of any sharp increase in cases, or large groups in the community.”
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said in a Facebook post after the press conference that there have been requests for relaxation of some measures, especially the restriction on family visits.
However, this must be “considered with great care” to ensure the safety of older people, who are particularly vulnerable if they contract COVID-19, he said.
READ: COVID-19: Singapore in discussion with other countries about lifting travel restrictions with established safeguards
Singapore had a total of 24,671 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, most of them foreign workers.
Another 626 patients were discharged on Tuesday, a new daily high.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 33 cases of “false positives” after one of the laboratories experienced a “device calibration problem” with one of its test kits.
Two other cases, which initially had equivocal results, were also confirmed as negative by retesting.
Of these, three were from the community.
These “false positives” cases were discovered as a result of a quality assurance program implemented to verify test results, Health Ministry director of medical services Kenneth Mak said at the press conference on Tuesday.
Authorities are giving the laboratory time to properly recalibrate and revalidate its test kits, as well as to work through its “quality assurance processes,” he said.
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