Coronavirus: Singapore PM Lee gets booster shot; curbs to be loosened for vaccinated Australians even as cases rise
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also called on others to get a shot amid a new wave of infections across Singapore
- Elsewhere, the Tokyo Marathon will be called off for the first time in its decade-plus history due to the virus emergency in the Japanese capital
“Cases are increasing rapidly. A booster jab will strengthen your protection against Covid-19,” Lee, 69, said in a post on his Facebook page. The Southeast Asian country has started giving boosters to the elderly and immunocompromised groups this week.
Singapore reported 910 new cases on Thursday – the highest one-day tally since May 1 last year. Officials have braced the public for the current wave of infections topping 2,000 as the city state prepares to cautiously and safely live with the virus as endemic.
Hospitalisation and serious illnesses are now closely monitored. As of noon on Thursday, 837 cases were in hospital, with 77 requiring oxygen supplementation and 12 in the ICU.
About 82 per cent of the population has been fully inoculated, keeping serious cases very low, compared to other countries. The vast majority of cases – more than 98 per cent – are mild or asymptomatic, the government has said.
Home recovery has started for suitable patients aged below 50, and government plans to widen the group from Saturday to include fully-vaccinated people aged 69 and below who can self-isolate.