Tag: Covid-19

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-Top News EU News Europe

Italy crosses 5mn jabs milestone

5mn inoculations made Italy the third European Union (EU) member state to reach that milestone…reports Asian Lite News

Italy’s coronavirus vaccine rollout hit a major milestone, though it appeared unlikely the country would reach its end-of-month target for daily vaccinations.

The country’s Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that five million Italian residents had been fully vaccinated, making Italy the third European Union (EU) member state to reach that milestone, following Germany and France, Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 17.3 million people in Italy have received at least the first dose of a vaccine, which means that around 28.5 per cent of the country’s population is partially vaccinated.

The Italian vaccine rollout, which was launched on December 27, 2020, had seen problems so far, including a four-day pause in the distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine amid worries about blood clots in some patients.

Earlier this month, the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was halted before it was set to start due to similar safety worries. But the government started limited use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Wednesday, with more doses expected to arrive next week.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires just one dose for full effect. All the other vaccines approved for distribution in Italy — the AstraZeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna — require two doses.

Also read:Italy PM receives AstraZeneca jab

Italian General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, the country’s Covid-19 Emergency Commissioner, set a goal earlier this month of administering at least 500,000 jabs a day by the end of April.

That target no longer appears feasible despite recent developments, according to statistician Giovanni Sebastiani, who was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying the daily vaccination rate should reach 350,000 per day by the end of the month, up from fewer than 300,000 per day currently.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Fabrizio Curcio, head of the country’s civil defence agency, admitted the 500,000-vaccination-per-day goal was unlikely to be met, though he said the target would be reached by early May.

He said his main worry was whether vaccine supplies would allow that level to be sustained.

“We will reach half a million daily shots by early May, but what will matter will be keeping it over time,” Curcio said. “This is crucially linked to the availability of vaccines.”

A staff member measures a visitor’s temperature at Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)


Curcio said the earlier temporary halt in the distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine “has weighed not only because there have been delays but because it has affected public trust.”

“We measure this loss of confidence with cancellations at around 30 per cent to 40 per cent in some areas, about 10 per cent on average across the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, 275 candidate vaccines are being developed — 91 of them in clinical trials — in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Friday.

Also read:Italy sets out roadmap for reopening

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-Top News Asia News Nepal

Nepal seeks India’s medical assistance to fight virus

Nepal

The list of requirements includes oxygen, Remdesivir and intensive care unit beds….reports Asian Lite News

The Nepal government has sought assistance from India for the supply of oxygen, antiviral drugs and intensive care unit beds, as the countrys healthcare system is cracking under the pressure of the rising coronavirus caseload.

According to officials, a request to that effect was made to New Delhi by the Ministry of Health through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Nepali embassy in New Delhi has already started taking up the matter with concerned Indian government agencies, officials said.

“We have received a list of requirements from the government and have forwarded them to relevant (Indian) government agencies,” a senior Nepali diplomat at the Nepali embassy in Delhi told the Post over the phone.

The list of requirements includes oxygen, Remdesivir and intensive care unit beds, the Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday.

The request, however, has come at a time when India itself is struggling to contain the lethal second wave of the coronavirus, with the daily count of infections soaring over 300,000 and the number of daily deaths hitting a record 2,263.

Public health experts say the request to India at this time exposes the government’s lack of preparedness against the looming second wave about which they had consistently warned.

That the second wave of the coronavirus was going to strike was evident when India, after a decline in the number of infections, which many termed “miraculous”, started reporting a sudden resurgence of the virus. The daily count started to shoot up at an exponential rate. Concerns had grown in Nepal, but authorities by and large made no moves, while governance took a backseat as politicians, including Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, engaged in a bitter political fight.

Also read:Tough times ahead for Oli

Nepal too had seen a sudden decline in the number of cases after the daily count hit the highest ever on October 21 last year at 3,439. But from less than 100 new infections on March 12, the country on Thursday reported 2,365 new cases.

The Ministry of Health said on Friday the number of new cases in the past 24 hours hit 2,449, with five deaths.

Officials say the country’s health facilities are already overwhelmed, with hospitals running out of intensive care beds, oxygen and Remdesivir.

How remdesivir can save lives in nations with lower hospital capacity.

About a few weeks ago, when India decided to impose a ban on exports of Remdesivir, Nepali officials said that Nepal won’t be impacted much by the decision, and it was importing the antiviral drug from Bangladesh as well.

Public health experts, doctors and analysts say India is no doubt a friendly country but extending a begging bowl at a time when the neighbour itself is struggling to deal with one of the biggest humanitarian crises of its own just does not make sense.

“Why not procure some items like Remdesivir from Bangladesh, as it is manufactured there as well,” said Baburam Marasini, former director of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. “The government can purchase small oxygen concentrations also from East Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia.”

As the coronavirus cases are swelling, there are concerns about hospitals running out of oxygen. Out of 185 hospitals across the country, only 26 have oxygen plants and not all of them are in operation.

As far as intensive care unit beds are concerned, their number currently stands at 1,486 throughout the country. The number of general beds which can be allocated for coronavirus patients stands at 18,917.

“Until now, as far as I understand, we have a fairly good stock of oxygen, but we might need more. However, there is a need to preserve what we have, as there are chances oxygen, which is in high demand in India, could be smuggled out.”

Also read:Nepal to begin inoculations with Chinese vax

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Asia News COVID-19

Imran calls in army to help contain Covid-19 spread

Pakistan-Army-Chief-Gen-Qamar-Javed-Bajwa-meets-Prime-Minister-Imran-Khan

The Prime Minister added that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs for curbing the spread of the coronavirus, warning that Pakistan may soon be facing a situation similar to India if the current trend continues.

Addressing the nation after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, he said: “I am appealing to you to follow SOPs so that we don’t have to take steps that India is taking which means imposing lockdowns. Half the problem is solved when you wear face masks.”

New SOPs announced by the NCOC:

Schools in districts with over 5 per cent positivity rate closed till Eid

Markets to be closed at 6 p.m.

Indoor and outdoor dining banned till Eid; only takeaway and delivery to be allowed

Pakistan’s medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)
Also read:Pakistan remains dangerous country for journalists

Office timings limited to 2 p.m.

50 per cent of staff to be allowed in offices

“If our circumstances become the same as India, then we will have to close down cities. We can’t do that because, as experience has shown, the poor suffer the most when lockdowns are imposed,” the Prime Minister said.

“People are telling me to impose a lockdown today, but we are not going to do so because, and I keep repeating this, daily wagers and labourers will suffer the most.”

That is why we have not taken action, he said, adding that however long this lasts will depend on the people. The premier called on the nation to start observing precautionary measures, in the same way which you did the previous year during Ramazan, the Dawn reported.

Also read;‘Religious freedom conditions in Pakistan bad’

“Pakistan was the only country which had kept mosques open last year during Ramazan. I was proud of the way our religious scholars and imams informed the people about precautionary measures,” he said.

The premier also noted that very few people were following SOPs. “If we don’t take precautionary measures, we will have to impose a lockdown which will also affect our economy at a time when it is on the rise.”

The Prime Minister added that he had asked the Pakistan Army to assist the police and law enforcement agencies in enforcing SOPs. “We have been asking people to follow precautionary measures. But we have seen that people have become careless.”

People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi

He added that the government was making all out efforts to procure vaccines. “We have asked China, but their demand is also quite large. There is a shortage in the rest of the world.”

Even if we get the vaccines today, it will take at least a year for them to have an impact, he said. “What will make the biggest difference is following precautionary measures,” he said, reiterating that half the problem is solved when wearing face masks.

He hoped that once the nation starts following SOPs, the number of cases would decrease. “Until we face this together, we will not be able to win. I remember how a year ago people adopted precautionary measures and followed SOPs before Ramazan because they were scared.

“But citizens have become tired over the span of a year and fatigue has set in which is why there is such a stark difference.” He hoped the nation would follow SOPs so that the government is not forced to lock down cities.

Also read:Pakistan on tenterhooks amid Covid rise

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-Top News India News Karnataka

Karnataka to adopt UK model to contain virus spread

Karnataka Health Minister Sudhakar

The minister issued a stern warning to private hospital owners and government doctors not to succumb to any pressure and admit only those patients whose oxygen saturation level falls below 90 per cent…reports Asian Lite News

The Karnataka health minister on Saturday said that the state government will be adopting tough measures on the lines of the steps taken by the United Kingdom to contain the spread of the second wave of the coronavirus in that country in December 2020.

The minister issued a stern warning to private hospital owners and government doctors not to succumb to any pressure and admit only those patients whose oxygen saturation level falls below 90 per cent. “We are issuing a circular in this regard that only patients below 90 per cent of oxygen saturation level be given beds,” he said.

Health Minister Sudhakar said that the UK’s tough measures included allotment of hospital beds only to those patients whose oxygen saturation level fell below 90 per cent when the second wave of Covid had swept that country in December 2020.

Interaction with members of CII Karnataka(Twitter)


“Initially, when the second wave swept across the UK, many people got admitted to hospitals using influence. In India too, ‘influence’ does play a vital role, here (Karnataka) too in some cases even in government hospitals, beds are occupied by asymptomatic patients or mild-symptomatic patients and as a result of this there is a shortage of beds,” he said.

He appealed to the people not to seek beds after mild symptoms. He also requested fellow politicians’ friends to stop using influence to admit a patient.

The minister pointed out that during the first phase of the second wave in the UK too many lives were lost due to beds being occupied by mildly symptomatic patients. However, they realised their mistake very soon and rectified it immediately by making it mandatory that admission into hospitals will only be for those whose oxygen level has fallen below 90 percent. “We need such stringent measures here too and only then the number of fatalities can be minimised,” he asserted.

Also read:SpiceJet airlifts 800 oxygen concentrators from HK


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COVID-19 India News

TN shuts movie theatres, temples

The government’s new restrictions include closure of recreation clubs, movie theatres, liquor bars, auditoriums, meeting halls, shopping complexes, big format stores and vegetable shops located in malls…reports Asian Lite News

With the number of Covid-infected persons increasing in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has ordered closure of movie theatres, auditoriums, temples for public worship and others from Monday.

The government’s new restrictions include closure of recreation clubs, movie theatres, liquor bars, auditoriums, meeting halls, shopping complexes, big format stores and vegetable shops located in malls.

While, standalone vegetable and grocery shops can operate following the safety measures but such shops located in malls are not allowed to open. Besides, barbar shops, beauty parlours and spas will also remain closed.

Only takeaways allowed in hotels/restaurants/mess/tea shops. For guests in hotels and lodges food should be served in their rooms, said a government statement.

E-commerce service can function with time limits.

All places of worships closed for public but poojas can be conducted by the staff. Only 50 persons are allowed for weddings, while 25 persons are allowed at funerals.

50 per cent staff of IT and ITES companies should work from home. Sports training centres to be closed except for training for national and international events, the statement added.

Compulsory e-registration for people coming from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and from overseas by air or sea.

Also read:Popular Tamil actor Vivekh dies at 59 in Chennai

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-Top News COVID-19 India News

SpiceJet airlifts 800 oxygen concentrators from HK

SpiceJet airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong to India(TWITTER)

The concentrators will reach Delhi via Kolkata, where the aircraft landed at around 7 p.m. on Saturday….reports Asian Lite News

SpiceJet’s air cargo arm SpiceXpress has airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong for emergency use and distribution across India.

Accordingly, SpiceXpress’s B737 freighter aircraft airlifted the consignment.

The oxygen concentrators will reach Delhi via Kolkata, where the aircraft landed at around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

“Along with SpiceHealth, we have airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong for emergency use in India and we are looking at bringing more than 10,000 oxygen concentrators in the coming days from across the globe,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

SpiceJet airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong to India(TWITTER)

“We carried medicines and medical equipment and fruits and vegetables to all corners of India and the world when the pandemic hit us last year, helping our country and our fellow citizens when they needed them the most and we will continue to serve with the same vigour,” he added.

SpiceJet has transported more than 1.5 lakh tonnes of cargo since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic on March 25, 2020.

Also read:Govt response sought to logistical support for oxygen

Meanwhile, government sources told ANI that an order of ten thousand oxygen concentrators has been placed and oxygen concentrators import will start from next week from USA.

“Operating under air bubble with the USA, next flight of Air India from San Fransisco (SFO) to Delhi will carry a large number of oxygen concentrators to India next week. Likewise from Chicago too,” government officials told ANI.

At present many hospitals from India’s national capital are out of oxygen and many hospitals had to knock on the doors of the Delhi High Court on the precarious situation due to no oxygen supply.

SpiceJet airlifted 800 oxygen concentrators from Hong Kong to India(TWITTER)

“In view of oxygen scarcity and uncertainty of getting oxygen and no help from anywhere, we are forced to stop admissions and discharging patients,” said a Delhi-based private hospital notice.

ANI has approached Philips India, a private manufacturer, about the oxygen concentrators supply.

“Philips has many products specifically for Covid-19, including ventilators, oxygen concentrators, ultrasounds, monitors and portable ICU. For the current demand of oxygen, we have significantly increased our global production of Oxygen Concentrators and are making it available in India at the earliest, to help save more lives,” Daniel Mazon, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Indian subcontinent told ANI.

Also read:India waives customs duty on oxygen, vaccines

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-Top News Asia News COVID-19

Pakistan on tenterhooks amid Covid rise

Pakistan's medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)

The Covid crisis has led to Islamabad’s hospital beds being filled up rapidly. There are a total of 836 hospital beds in Islamabad, of which 525 have been occupied by coronavirus patients…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s medical facilities are crumbling under the mounting pressure from the rapidly escalating COVID-19 situation in the country.

According to Islamabad District Health Officer Zaeem Zia, Islamabad’s coronavirus positivity ratio has risen to 9 per cent as of Saturday, while recording 463 new cases. Zia also said that the rise in infections has been steady for the past three to four weeks, reported Geo News.

The crisis has led to Islamabad’s hospital beds being filled up rapidly. There are a total of 836 hospital beds in Islamabad, of which 525 have been occupied by coronavirus patients, say sources.

Out of the 116 ventilators reserved for COVID-19 patients, 69 are currently under use, and the number is quickly rising.

People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi

Meanwhile, 90 out of 105 beds at the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC) are occupied by patients, while 149 out of 183 beds have been filled at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), reported Geo News.

When it comes to ventilators, 10 out of 21 ventilators at PIMS and 12 out of 20 ventilators are being utilised. Moreover, at the Polyclinic Hospital, where all scheduled surgeries have been called off, 100 per cent of ventilators are under operation.

Also read:‘Religious freedom conditions in Pakistan bad’

Sources cited “insufficient arrangements for high flow oxygen beds” at the Federal Government Hospital, where there are reportedly no ventilators available for COVID-19 patients.

Apart from patients, even frontline workers are not safe from the virus, as 46 of the Polyclinic Hospital’s healthcare workers have tested positive for the virus, including two doctors, 17 nurses and 27 paramedics, Geo News reported.

People wearing face masks walk on a road in Rawalpindi of Pakistan’s Punjab province

Oxygen supplies at the hospital have also come under stress with the use rising to three times the usual.

Amid the worrying situation, Pakistan’s National Command and Operations Centre has reported that children are increasingly falling victim to the pandemic, with two children aged between one and 10 years dying from COVID-19 over the course of a single day.

In the month of April, so far seven children have succumbed to the virus.

Pakistan recorded the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday since the outbreak of the pandemic in February last year. At least 157 people died of COVID-19 in a single day, pushing the national tally to 16,999, while 5,908 new infections were reported, ARY News reported citing the NCOC. (ANI)

Also read:Pakistan calls on India to appoint counsel for Jadhav

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-Top News COVID-19 India News

India waives customs duty on oxygen, vaccines

Oxygen cylinders are stored at Kolkata Medical College Hospital during the increasing numbers of COVID 19 patients in Kolkata on April 23, 2021.(Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)

The government also exempted basic customs duty on import of Covid vaccines with immediate effect for a period of three months, reports Asian Lite News

The Union government on Saturday decided to grant full exemption from Basic Customs Duty and health cess on import of oxygen and oxygen related equipment for three months. The government also exempted basic customs duty on import of Covid vaccines with immediate effect for a period of three months.

The decision came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review steps taken to boost oxygen availability in the country. He emphasized that there was an immediate need to augment the supply of medical grade oxygen as well as equipment required for patient care both at home and in hospitals.

Also Read – Govt to import oxygen containers, plants from Germany

The Prime Minister stressed that all ministries and departments need to work in synergy to increase availability of oxygen and medical supplies. The Prime Minister was briefed that basic customs duty was exempted on Remdesivir and its API recently. It was suggested that import of equipment related to providing oxygen to patients needs to be expedited. In order to augment their production and availability and to meet the rising demand, it was decided to grant full exemption from Basic Customs Duty and health cess on import of items related to Oxygen and Oxygen related equipment for a period of three months with immediate effect.

customs duty
A view of LNJP Hospital after lockdown in National Capital in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, in New Delhi On Friday, 23 April, 2021.(Photo:Qamar Sibtain/IANS)

Items exempted from basic customs duty and health cess are medical grade oxygen, oxygen concentrator along with flow meter, regulator, connectors and tubing, Vacuum Pressure Swing Absorption (VPSA) and Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plants, Cryogenic Oxygen Air Separation Units (ASUs) producing liquid/gaseous oxygen, Oxygen Canister, Oxygen Filling Systems, Oxygen Storage tanks, Oxygen cylinders including cryogenic cylinders and tanks, Oxygen Generators, ISO Containers for Shipping Oxygen, Cryogenic Road transport tanks for Oxygen.

Also Read – Clock ticks for out-of-breath patients

Parts of the above are to be used for the manufacture of equipment for production, transportation, distribution or storage of Oxygen, any other device from which Oxygen can be generated, Ventilators (capable of functioning as high-flow devices) with nasal cannula; Compressors including all accessories and tubing; humidifiers and Viral filters, High flow nasal cannula device with all attachments, Helmets for use with non-invasive ventilation, Non-invasive ventilation oronasal masks for ICU ventilators, non-invasive ventilation nasal masks for ICU ventilators are also exempted from basic customs duty.

A health worker wearing PPE suit at Shahnai banquet Hall in front of LNJP hospital in New Delhi on Thursday April 15th, 2021.(Photo:Wasim Sarvar/IANS)

The government said that apart from the above, it was also decided that basic customs duty on import of Covid vaccines be also exempted with immediate effect for a period of three months. “This will boost availability of these items as well as make them cheaper,” the government said.

The Prime Minister directed the Revenue Department to ensure seamless and quick custom clearance of such equipment. Accordingly, the Department of Revenue has nominated Joint Secretary, Customs, Gaurav Masaldan as the nodal officer for issues related to customs clearance for the above-mentioned items.

Also Read – Govt response sought to logistical support for oxygen

The Union Government has taken a lot of measures in the last few days to improve supply of oxygen and medical supplies. IAF planes are bringing in cryogenic oxygen tanks from Singapore. The IAF is also transporting oxygen tanks in the country to reduce travel times.

Similarly, in a major decision on Friday, free food grains will be given to 80 crore Indians for the month of May and June this year. Finance Minister, Commerce and Industry Minister, Health Minister, Principal Secretary to the PM, Member NITI Aayog, Dr Randdep Guleria and Secretaries of the department of Revenue, Health and DPIIT and other officials participated in the meeting.

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-Top News Canada India News

Canada bans flights from India

The ban which takes effect at 11.30 p.m. (0330 GMT Friday), does not affect cargo flights…reports Asian Lite News

Canada’s government said that it would temporarily bar passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days starting on Thursday as part of stricter measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The center-left Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acted after prominent right-leaning politicians complained Ottawa had not done enough to combat the third wave of infections ripping through Canada, the Geo TV reported.

Also read:Covid surge: India on UK’s red list

The ban, which takes effect at 11.30 p.m. (0330 GMT Friday), does not affect cargo flights.

India on Thursday recorded the world’s highest daily tally of 314,835 Covid-19 infections amid fears about the ability of crumbling health services to cope.

Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu said that while Indian citizens accounted for 20 per cent of all international arrivals, they represented over 50 per cent of the positive tests conducted by Canadian airport officials.

“By eliminating direct travel from these countries, public health experts will have the time to evaluate the ongoing epidemiology of that region and to reassess the situation,” she told a news conference.

The conservative premiers of Ontario and Quebec – the most populous of Canada’s 10 provinces – wrote to Trudeau earlier on Thursday urging him to crack down on international travel.

Health worker collect swab sample testing for Covid-19 at CP in new Delhi on Monday March 22, 2021.(Photo:Wasim Sarvar/IANS)

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that Canada would not hesitate to bar flights from other nations if needed.

Britain said earlier that India would be added to its “red-list” of locations from which most travel is banned due to a high number of Covid-19 cases.

In addition, France is imposing a 10-day quarantine for travelers from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and India, while the UAE has suspended all flights from India.

Also read:More travel miseries as UAE suspends flights from India

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-Top News Asia News India News

Singapore shuts door to Indian visitors

This move takes effect from 11.59 p.m. on Friday, and includes people who have prior approval to enter Singapore,said Education Minister Lawrence Wong…reports Asian Lite News

All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India within the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore, as the country goes on “heightened alert” against Covid-19.

This move takes effect from 11.59 p.m. on Friday, and includes people who have prior approval to enter Singapore, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (April 22), the Straits Times reported.

In addition, people who have recently travelled to India and have not completed their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) by 11.59 p.m. on Thursday night will have to complete their additional seven-day SHN at a dedicated facility rather than their places of residence.

This group will undergo three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the virus: when they arrive, on the 14th day of their SHN and before the end of their SHN.

Explaining why Singapore has tightened its border measures, Wong said that the situation in India has worsened since the start of the week.

He added that the SHN period is not “100 per cent foolproof”, noting that any leaks among newly arrived Indian workers could possibly introduce new strains into dormitories and result in new clusters.

India reported 314,835 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the world’s biggest single-day surge. The country has recorded 16 million cases and 184,657 deaths so far. A new “double-mutant” variant has also emerged in India, and is thought to be fuelling the country’s second wave.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) also confirmed on Thursday that 17 recovered workers at Westlite Woodlands dormitory were found to have Covid-19, although there is no evidence that these cases were linked to India or to the new viral strain that has emerged there.

Also read:Covid surge: India on UK’s red list

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who with Wong co-chairs the multi-ministerial task force handling the pandemic, said that Singapore is on heightened alert against the coronavirus, given rising case numbers and emerging virus variants around the world.

The situation may escalate quickly, necessitating the tightening of measures in Singapore, he added at a virtual press conference.

Viral variants – including those first detected in South Africa and Brazil – have been found in 342 imported cases, said the Health Ministry’s director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak. All the cases were isolated on arrival and no community spread has been detected.

He warned that this number may increase over time as more Covid-19 cases are detected and more testing done.

Gan urged Singaporeans to continue to be socially responsible and adhere to safe management measures.

This applies to those who have already been vaccinated as well, he said. “The recent spate of cases has reminded us that we cannot let our guard down.”

“We are facing an invisible and very formidable enemy,” Wong said, adding that the spate of new strains detected in other countries is a worrying development.

“Perhaps after this round of vaccination, we might have to continue with further rounds of vaccination,” he said. “Even up to beyond this year, because we will have to be confronting not just the virus today, but potentially new strains of the virus that maybe more infectious and virulent.”

Also read:More travel miseries as UAE suspends flights from India