SINGAPOREANS may have to celebrate Chinese New Year in groups of no more than 5, as the highly mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus threatens to spark what Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19, called "an Omicron wave quite soon".

His fellow co-chair and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said at a press briefing that "we don't intend to relax further at this time and we will try not to have to tighten" social restrictions until the Omicron wave passes, which is unlikely to happen before the Chinese New Year holiday in February.

"But we also must be prepared for all contingencies and in the event that the healthcare system comes under tremendous pressure, then as a last resort, we may have no choice but to tighten some of our measures," Wong added.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (Jan 5) revised its healthcare protocols to accommodate the "more transmissible" but "less severe" Omicron variant, with low-risk Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms now able to recover at home on the say-so of a primary care doctor.

Kenneth Mak, the MOH's director of medical services, said that the latest tweaks will let more patients recover in a community setting "while empowering primary care doctors to play a bigger role".

From Jan 6 onwards, low-risk symptomatic individuals can be placed on "Protocol 2" of the 3-tier treatment system after an antigen rapid test (ART) in a healthcare setting. Protocol 2 used to be reserved for individuals who tested positive but had no symptoms.

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Under the revised Protocol 2, low-risk patients with mild symptoms can stop self-isolating if they test negative on an ART after at least 72 hours. Otherwise, they should isolate until they test negative, or 10 days if vaccinated or 14 days if unvaccinated - whichever is earlier.

These patients will be given medical certificates for at least 5 days, while close contacts such as household members will be put on Protocol 3 and must test negative on an ART for 7 days.

But higher-risk Covid-19 patients, such as those who are elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised, and those with more severe symptoms, such as chest pains, shortness of breath or prolonged fever, will continue to be managed under Protocol 1, which requires both ART and polymerase chain reaction swabs.

They have to be isolated for either 10 or 14 days, depending on their vaccination status, and will not have the option of leaving self-isolation earlier with a negative ART result.

The MOH noted that it is moving to "enhance the use of Protocols 1-2-3 to facilitate streamlined management of Covid-19 cases" based on prevailing evidence about Omicron's severity.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, the third taskforce co-chair, disclosed that Singapore has recorded 2,252 Omicron cases so far. None of them needed intensive care or died, and the 3 who needed oxygen supplementation were taken off oxygen within 3 days, he said.

In contrast, he estimated that, if these infections had been caused by the earlier Delta variant of the coronavirus, about 30 patients would have needed oxygen or intensive care, or died.

The data indicates that Omicron infections are less severe than Delta, especially for those who have received vaccinations and booster shots, he said: "All the more, I think the correct conclusion is that we can live with Omicron - thank goodness."

Said Gan: "With local and international evidence indicating that Omicron is more infectious compared to Delta, we must be mentally prepared that the Omicron wave may be greater than the Delta wave we had experienced before."

Singapore's Covid-19 epidemic peaked with the Delta wave in late 2021, when the Republic notched a record 5,324 cases on Oct 27.

The MOH said in its statement that "it is important that everyone plays their part in getting their vaccinations and booster doses promptly, complying with safe management measures, testing regularly, and following the necessary health protocols if tested positive".

Similarly, Wong said compliance with safe management measures will give Singapore "a much higher chance of getting through this upcoming wave without having to tighten further".

But "unnecessary" risk-taking will raise transmission and put more pressure on the healthcare system "and we may have no choice but to tighten", he added.