Coronavirus: Singapore vows quick action after infections nearly double; New Zealand set to ease curbs

The city state will increase the frequency of mandatory testing for higher-risk environments after new infections nearly doubled in the last week

New Zealand, meanwhile, is planning to lift nationwide coronavirus curbs, except in the biggest city of Auckland

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Pedestrians cross the street in the central business district of Singapore on Monday. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 5:04pm, 6 Sep 2021Updated: 7:57pm, 6 Sep 2021

Singapore, one of the word’s most vaccinated countries, will take quick action to dampen the likelihood of an exponential increase in Covid-19 cases through stricter testing after new infections nearly doubled in the last week.

“The rate of which the virus is spreading” is worrying, Finance Minister and co-chair of the government’s virus task force Lawrence Wong said Monday. “We have to slow down the transmission rate. We will attempt to do so without going back to another heightened alert,” such as closing restaurants.

The country will increase the frequency of mandatory testing for higher-risk environments, such as personal care services and gyms, and will extend this requirement to those more frequently in contact with others, such as mall workers and supermarket staff, the ministry of health said in a statement. The government will no longer allow social gatherings at workplaces from September 8.

A view of a largely empty Merlion Park in Singapore last month. Photo: Reuters

Singapore said last week that it will maintain its virus curbs for the time being and not immediately ease restrictions, citing the recent rise in cases and a need to monitor the situation to ensure serious illnesses don’t rise to a level that would threaten the health care system.

The number of new infections in the community rose to more than 1,200 cases in the week ended September 5, up from around 600 in the week before, the ministry said.