A passenger from Johor, Malaysia, via the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) leaves after getting negative test results for the antigen rapid test (ART) at Singapore's Queen Street bus terminal in November 2021. (Photo:Xinhua/VNA)International evidence indicates that the Omicron variant islikely to be more transmissible but less severe than the Delta variant, andthat vaccines, especially boosters, retain substantial protection against hospitalisationscaused by Omicron, the ministry said in the latest statement.
Accordingly, Singapore allows Omicron cases to follow medicalrules applicable for other COVID-19 cases from December 27. Omicron cases willbe placed on the Home Recovery Programme or managed at community carefacilities depending on their clinical presentation, instead of being isolatedin dedicated facilities by default.
Unwell cases would follow a time-based discharge of 10 days(for vaccinated persons or children less than 12 years old) or 14 days(unvaccinated persons). Close contacts of Omicron cases will be issued a 7-dayHealth Risk Warning and be required to self-test with ART daily before leavingtheir homes.
Contact tracing efforts would shift back towardsself-reporting by family members and leveraging digital tools such as TraceTogether,and tight ringfencing of vulnerable settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, elderlyhomes and preschools.
The same day, Singapore started inoculating students of fourthto sixth grades with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at seven paediatricvaccination centres. More other centres will begin operation in early Januarynext year.
Some 40 percent of the students of the age band have beenregistered by their parents to receive the doses. COVID-19 vaccinationregistration for the first to third graders will begin on January 5./.
VNA
