Singapore as a “Covid resilient nation” despite current spikes in cases
Singapore as a “Covid resilient nation” despite current spikes in cases
With a vaccination rate of around 82%, Singapore has surpassed the initial threshold for “herd immunity”, and yet, the COVID cases have spiked in the nation to record high levels. Many believe that herd immunity is an impossibility, even with high vaccination rates, in Singapore and around the world. The beginning of October has brought an increased number of cases according to Johns Hopkins University’s “COVID-19 Data”. This increase can likely be attributed to a relaxation of regulations and restrictions in Singapore initiated in June and, of course, the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant. Despite an increase in illness rates, greater than 98% of these cases have been asymptomatic or mild. Many are attributing this case spike to be a result of excessive testing, and some observers and officials are imploring the nation to reduce asymptomatic testing and instead devote health resources to the critically ill – around 0.2% of the population.
On August 6th, the Singaporean Ministry of Health announced that a vaccination rate at or greater than 80% would result in further relaxation of regulations with additional “opening of the economy, social activities, and travel.” A focus on very high vaccination rates has allowed Singapore to look seriously at only severe cases of COVID-19. This strategy seems to have been working well as indicated by a death toll of around only 100 from the start of the pandemic to the end of September. The hope was that this strategy would keep COVID-19 endemically persistent but in very small numbers in the Singaporean community.
So while Singapore itself has stated that they are not quite in this “endemic” state of COVID and are still transitioning to this point, these data speak volumes to the efficacy of high levels of vaccinations. Even though restrictions might remain in flux for a certain period of time in Singapore and elsewhere in nations facing COVID the same way (e.g. New Zealand), resilience in light of these case spikes is not only possible but probable as Singapore moves forward and moves through the pandemic.
Sources:
https://qz.com/india/2068834/highly-vaccinated-singapore-sees-rising-covid-cases/
https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/preparing-for-our-transition-towards-covid-resilience