SINGAPORE, February 2 — There were 19 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of noon on Tuesday (Feb 2), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its preliminary daily update.
All the new infections were imported and were placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. No locally transmitted cases were reported for the third consecutive day.
Details of the new cases will be released on Tuesday night, said MOH.
No one can jump the queue for the COVID-19 vaccine, even those who have valid reasons to travel out of Singapore, Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary said on Monday.
This is because vaccine supplies are limited at this time, said Dr Puthucheary, who was speaking in Parliament after questions were filed by Members of Parliament regarding vaccination.
“At this point when vaccine supplies are limited, we do need to prioritise our healthcare and frontline workers and seniors for vaccination,” said Dr Puthucheary.
“We are therefore unable to provide vaccines at this time to Singaporeans outside of these groups and seek their understanding.”
He said that this option can be considered when there is greater certainty in Singapore’s vaccine supply.
As of Sunday, more than 155,000 people have taken their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with four reported cases of anaphylaxis, or the rapid onset of severe allergic reactions.
The four individuals, in their 20s and 30s, developed rashes, breathlessness, lip swelling, throat tightness and giddiness, he said.
The symptoms were “promptly detected and treated” and all have recovered, said Dr Puthucheary.
The benefits of getting vaccinated continue to “far outweigh” the risk of anaphylaxis or other potential adverse events known to be associated with vaccination, he added.
To ramp up Singapore’s vaccination programme, all 20 polyclinics in Singapore will offer COVID-19 vaccinations from Tuesday.
“More vaccination centres will be set up over the next few weeks to ensure that everyone can conveniently receive their vaccinations,” Dr Puthucheary said.
The authorities are planning to set up about 40 vaccination centres and each will be able to vaccinate about 2,000 people a day on average, Dr Puthucheary added.
As of Tuesday, Singapore has reported a total of 59,584 COVID-19 cases. — CNA
