Singapore battling third wave of imported Covid-19 cases: report

WITH more than a hundred imported Covid-19 cases over the past month, Singapore is now seen as confronting its third wave of such cases, The Straits Times (ST) reported on Thursday.

Cases recorded in the past month alone make up about 15.5 per cent of the total number of imported cases in the Republic since the novel coronavirus pandemic began in January, according to ST.

On June 30, Singapore saw its first imported cases in more than two weeks, after the daily number had earlier dropped to zero.

This followed the multi-ministry task force's announcement last month that more long-term pass holders would be able to return to Singapore during Phase Two of the reopening, which began on June 19.

ST reported that the recent imported cases have come from nine countries including the Philippines, Indonesia and the US, while India accounted for more than half.

Prior to the latest increase in imported cases and an earlier surge in community cases, Singapore had experienced two waves of imported cases. The initial one from Wuhan, China was followed by a larger wave in March from areas including Europe and the US.

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ST readers have asked why travellers are not tested for Covid-19 when they arrive in Singapore. At the moment, travellers are required to get approval before entering the country, and will serve a 14-day stay-home notice. A few days before the stay-home notice ends, they will be swabbed for the coronavirus.

Associate professor Alex Cook from the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health suggested countries to consider swabbing visitors on arrival.

He told ST: "This would still help filter out the majority of infected travellers, save money and inconvenience related to quarantine, and could potentially lower the risk of spread to the general population."

However, Prof Cook noted that quarantine is still an effective way of minimising the risk of spillover from imported cases, and that any home-based quarantine regime should be rigorously enforced.