1,103 new COVID cases, 9 more deaths in Singapore

People wait to board a bus back to Malaysia as the Vaccinated Travel Lane between Singapore and Malaysia opens after the land border between the two countries reopened following nearly two years of being shut down due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at a bus station in Singapore November 29, 2021. REUTERS/Caroline Chia
People wait to board a bus back to Malaysia at a bus station in Singapore on 29 November, 2021, following the launch of the land VTL between Singapore and Malaysia. (PHOTO: Reuters)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (29 November) confirmed 1,103 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore – bringing the country's total case count to 263,486 – as well as nine deaths due to the disease.

Monday's case figures come a day after Singapore reported 747 infections, the first time the city-state reported less than 1,000 cases since 20 September.

It also marks the 71st day in a row with fatalities from COVID-19 reported in Singapore, with 294 people having succumbed to it so far this month.

The 702nd to 710th fatalities here were aged between 58 and 91. All, except for an unvaccinated case, had various underlying medical conditions.

Of the new cases, 1,095 are local – 1,070 are in the community and 25 are residents of migrant worker dormitories. The remaining eight are imported. In the community are 183 cases who are aged 60 years and above, said the MOH.

The ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before – or the weekly infection growth rate – remained unchanged at 0.69. This is the 17th day in a row where the figure is lower than 1.

One active COVID-19 cluster is being closely monitored in Singapore, said the MOH.

Five new cases were added to the cluster at Jenaris Home @ Pelangi Village, bringing the total to 126. Of them, all but two – both staff members – are residents.

221 require oxygen supplementation; 79 in ICU

A total of 1,812 cases were discharged on Monday, of whom 274 are patients aged 60 and above, said the MOH.

Currently, 1,158 cases are warded in hospital. Over the last 28 days, of the 62,442 infected individuals, 98.7 per cent had no or mild symptoms.

There are currently 221 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation.

A total of 79 cases are in the intensive care unit (ICU) – 17 are unstable and under close monitoring to prevent further deterioration, while 62 are critically ill and intubated.

The current overall ICU utilisation rate is 51.2 per cent, down from Sunday's 57.4 per cent.

The MOH noted that over the past seven days, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are at 0.5 and 4.3 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Over the same period, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who died are 0.04 and 0.4 per 100,000 population, respectively, it added.

Among those aged 60 and above, the number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated cases who are critically ill in the ICU are 1.7 and 40.7, respectively. The number of fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated seniors who died are 0.2 and 4.5, respectively, said the MOH.

Apart from the 710 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease.

As of Sunday, 94 per cent of Singapore's eligible population – aged 12 and above – have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines or completed their full regimen.

Among the total population, 85 per cent have received two doses, 86 per cent have received at least one dose, and 26 per cent have received their booster shots.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore