[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: A community case was discovered among new COVID-19 infections reported in Singapore at noon on Monday (December 21), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its preliminary daily update.
This is the first reported community case in Singapore since December 5.
Nine imported cases were also reported on Monday, and all were placed on a stay-at-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore, the Health Ministry said.
Details of the new cases will be released Monday night, the ministry said.
COVID-19 VACCINATION MUST BE COMPREHENSIVE: EXPERT
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced last week that the first shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech, should arrive in Singapore by the end of the year.
The Health Sciences Authority has recommended that the vaccine be administered to people over 16 years of age, except pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, pending safety and efficacy data in these groups of people.
Also, people with a history of anaphylaxis or the rapid onset of severe allergic reactions should not receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a precaution.
Singapore should vaccinate as many people as possible when the COVID-19 vaccine arrives, says Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, who is part of the Expert Committee for COVID-19 Vaccination.
READ: Don’t focus on herd immunity, vaccination should be comprehensive: COVID-19 panel expert
READ: Data on Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Rigorously and Thoroughly Reviewed,’ HSA Says
Professor Poh added that it is a “mistake to focus on the percentages” to achieve herd immunity when it comes to vaccination.
“I think the optimal outcome is that we vaccinate everyone in Singapore who can safely vaccinate and who are willing to be vaccinated,” he said.
READ: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Sinovac: A look at three key COVID-19 vaccines
READ: Moderna confirms an agreement with the Ministry of Health to supply Singapore with the COVID-19 vaccine
Achieving herd immunity means there will be no outbreaks in the community, but it does not mean there are no cases or small groups, said Assoc Prof Lim, senior consultant and director of the Tan Tock Travel Health and Vaccination Clinic. Seng Hospital.
“Even if we get 70 percent or 80 percent of the population vaccinated, four people you see may be fine but that fifth person is not well. That person would get hurt, get sick, and end up in ICU with a ventilator, “he said.
Singapore has reported a total of 58,432 COVID-19 cases as of Monday.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
