‘Far from out of the woods’: how a Covid-19 variant put Singapore back in defensive mode

Life had returned to somewhat normal in the city state until the B.1.617 variant arrived on its shores and began spreading in the community

With tens of thousands being tested, high-profile events and a travel bubble not going ahead this month, will it take a lockdown to stem the rise in infections?

Reading Time:8 minutes

Personnel in protective gear usher a group of migrant workers to take a bus to a quarantine facility in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:45am, 23 May 2021Updated: 3:38pm, 24 May 2021

Remain at home and leave the house only if it’s essential. Wear a good mask with high filtration capability. Get vaccinated when your turn comes.

These exhortations from Singapore’s health authorities underscore how seriously they are treating the current spike in local infections, even though the outbreak is smaller than the one last year involving dormitories housing low-wage migrant workers, and less severe compared to the daily caseload of its Southeast Asian neighbours.

At the heart of their worries is the Covid-19 variant known as B.1.617, which was first identified in India late last year. Unlike the mutations first found in South Africa, Brazil and Britain that were also imported into Singapore by travellers, B.1.617 and its sub-variants have spread faster within the community, causing larger infection clusters.

A statement by the Health Ministry on Friday said the number of new community cases had more than doubled in the past week, while the number of unlinked infections had risen by more than four times. There are now 30 active infection clusters.

Between May 9 and May 20, out of the 250 locally transmitted infections logged in Singapore, at least 38 of them – or about 15 per cent of cases – have tested preliminary positive for B.1.617 and its sub-variants, according to figures made public by the Health Ministry.

Of these, 25 are part of Singapore’s 105-patient cluster from its airport terminals, two are associated with other smaller clusters, and 11 of them are unlinked, suggesting that there are hidden chains of transmission yet to be uncovered.

Medical workers at a swab testing station in Tampines, Singapore. Photo: EPA-EFE

Tens of thousands of residents have been ordered to take Covid-19 tests, including all residents of two public housing blocks after several positive cases were found there.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x