What could cause a second circuit breaker? The Health Minister answers

Health minister Ong Ye Kung gives three factors that could lead to a new set of enhanced "circuit breaker" social distancing restrictions.

COVID-19 has seen a resurgence in Singapore and nearby regions, aggravated by new strains, and affecting even the vaccinated.

Whilst the government is not ruling out the reimplementation of circuit breaker measures, newly appointed Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there are three questions that will inform any further restrictions of social movement.

1) What will be the effect of implementing stricter social distancing measures?

“Removing the most risky settings, I think, will make an impact. And furthermore, there will be a direct impact because once these spaces are closed, the general activity,” Ong said in a press briefing May 16.

From May 16 to June 13, food and beverage outlets will be limited to takeaway and deliveries only. Social gatherings will be limited to two persons (outside of a single household) only, and face masks will be compulsory for all indoor activities.

2) How quickly can Singapore “flush out” new COVID-19 cases?

Singapore is now using antigen rapid test (ART) with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to detect COVID-19 cases faster.

“We are able to detect cases much faster. So in the coming days we are also monitoring how will the case surface, will we be able to flush out cases much more quickly in the coming days,” Ong said.

3) How severely does COVID-19 affect the infected who have previously been infected or vaccinated?

Recent COVID-19 cases include those who have had at least one dose of the vaccine. None of the 76 vaccinated individuals who have been infected by the disease had to be brought to intensive care.

“What is the severity of the disease amongst those who are vaccinated or amongst those who got infected by someone who was vaccinated? This is something the MOH is studying. We are still looking into the data,” Ong said.

Nevertheless, a circuit breaker situation is still possible.

On May 16, the Ministry of Health reported 49 new cases of COVID-19 in Singapore: 38 locally transmitted and 11 transported. Amongst the 38 locally transmitted, 20 are linked to previous cases. Meanwhile, all of the imported cases have been placed on Stay-Home Notice or isolation upon arrival to Singapore. Five of these cases are returning Singaporeans or permanent residents.