COVID-19: Local cases hold steady as dormitory-linked cases spike

The number of new daily local cases has held steady over the past two weeks, with an average of 37 a day in the last week.

Vice Dean (Research), Associate Professor Alex Cook said that the ‘circuit breaker’ measures are targeted at reducing such local cases, and there have been “quite reassuring signs” that it is working so far.

“Sufficient time has passed for the majority of household transmissions, if any, to have occurred, as a result of people staying at home,” added Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying.

Still, residents should not be complacent.

It is still too early to say whether the ‘circuit breaker’ measures should be extended or not, said Assoc Prof Cook.

He added that “it might make sense to stop the ‘circuit breaker’” if the number of new daily local cases is around 10 or less by the end of the period, at a level where effective contact tracing can be maintained.

“[The number of cases] may rise again thereafter, but I think it’s unrealistic to expect that we’ll get down to zero cases by the end of the ‘circuit breaker’ and that everything will be fine,” he said.

Singapore saw a record increase of over 700 new cases yesterday, with 89 per cent linked to foreign workers in dormitories.

Assoc Prof Cook said the sharp spike in new cases among work permit holders could be attributed partly to more active testing of the workers.

“Although we are seeing 600-over cases (in dorms) today, it is quite likely that we are going to see substantially more tomorrow and over the weekend… If you just extrapolate from the growth in numbers we have seen over the last two weeks, it will not be at all surprising if by the end of April, we hit 10,000 to 20,000 cases at least,” said Assoc Prof Cook.

He added that to bring the situation under control, dormitories should be less densely populated, more workers should be tested and those with symptoms should be isolated.

Efforts to this end are already under way as dormitories with cases are being locked down and steps are being taken to prevent clusters forming in dormitories where no infections have been reported.

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