Covid-19 case numbers expected to rise in coming weeks; community testing efforts expanded

THE number of Covid-19 infections will likely rise from next week, as Singapore enters week two of Phase Two, said the Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce on Thursday, adding that community testing efforts have been, and will continue to be expanded.

From July 1, all individuals aged 13 and above who are diagnosed with acute respiratory infection (ARI) at first presentation to a doctor will be tested, said the taskforce. This is an expansion from the current strategy to test only all individuals aged 45 and above diagnosed with ARI.

For children aged 12 and below who are diagnosed with ARI, doctors will continue to assess if a test is required, given different clinical considerations for young children, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement. 

"We will continue to review our risk assessment and conduct more active and targeted surveillance testing in the community where needed. For example, we have plans to test target groups such as frontline staff interacting with travellers as we reopen our borders, and those living in communal facilities and shelters," said MOH. Relevant sectors will be engaged and consulted on the testing. 

The expanded testing will be supported by polyclinics and public health preparedness clinics (PHPCs) under the Swab and Send Home (SASH) Programme, as well as the Regional Screening Centres (RSCs) set up by the Health Promotion Board (HPB). To meet the anticipated increase in the number of individuals being tested, HPB will be opening more RSCs in the coming weeks.

A total of 113 new Covid-19 infections were reported as of noon on Thursday, including five cases in the community. Of the new community cases, one is a Singaporean and four are workpass holders.

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On efforts to test and clear workers and dormitories, up to 10,000 tests, involving individual swabs, pooled swabs, and serological testing, are conducted for migrant workers daily. 

As of  Tuesday this week, about 120,000 workers had either recovered or had been tested to be free of the virus. Among them, 80,000 were able to resume work; the rest are awaiting transfers to appropriate accommodations before they start work. 

Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the taskforce, said they expect about 80 per cent of the workers (or around 250,000 migrant workers) to have recovered or been cleared by the end of July. 

In recognition of the role that PHPCs play, MOH will provide a one-off Covid-19 grant totalling S$10,000 to each PHPC. 

The Covid-19 Business Grant for PHPCs was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in the Budget Round-Up Speech in February 2020. This grant is intended to support such clinics in their active role in caring for patients with respiratory symptoms and to defray additional costs that the clinics may have incurred in doing so. 

The grant will be disbursed in December to all PHPCs were activated as of June 25 and which remain activated. Clinics that indicated  interest to be activated as of Wednesday this week and are eventually activated for the Covid-19 response will also be eligible for the grant.

In the last four months, more than 900 PHPCs have provided subsidised consultation and treatment for Singaporeans, permanent residents and eligible work permit holders diagnosed with respiratory infections. More than 450,000 patients have benefited from subsidies for treatment of respiratory infections at PHPCs and polyclinics, with around S$31 million in subsidies disbursed to date.