Rising Omicron cases in Singapore, 98 infections confirmed on Saturday

Singapore is reporting rising Omicron cases due to the rapid spread of the variant, the Ministry of Health said, confirming 448 infections till date, of which 369 arrived here or were imported

Singapore is reporting rising Omicron cases due to the rapid spread of the variant, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday, confirming 448 infections till date, of which 369 arrived here or were imported.

Ninety-eight new Omicron infections were confirmed on Saturday, comprising 73 imported cases and 25 local infections.

"Given its high transmissibility, it is a matter of time before the Omicron variant spreads in our community," cautioned the ministry.

"It is important for everyone to continue to play their part and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and to come forward to receive your vaccination or booster dose when offered," Channel News Asia quoted the ministry as saying.

The MOH cited an example of a vaccinated traveller who tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival from the United States on December 14 but was confirmed positive on December 18.

He met a colleague here who subsequently visited The Vinyl Bar at 266 River Valley Road on December 17 on the outskirts of Central Business District, it said.

The Health Ministry's epidemiological investigations found that the visitor to the bar, or pub, "likely transmitted the virus" to a staff member of the bar as well as three patrons who were there that evening.

The bar has since been declared a cluster with 10 Omicron cases, all of whom are vaccinated.

One of the coronavirus patients from bar then went on to infect four household members, the MOH said.

"Staff and visitors of The Vinyl Bar, who are identified to be close contacts of the cases, will be placed on quarantine," said the MOH.

"As a precautionary measure, other staff and visitors to the bar at the same time as Case 281477 on December 17 will be contacted by the MOH for a one-time targeted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test," the channel quoted the ministry as saying.

All visitors to the bar are advised to monitor their health closely and minimise social interactions as far as possible for 14 days from their date of visit.

"They are encouraged to see a doctor immediately if they feel unwell," said the MOH.

Singapore confirmed its first two Omicron cases on December 6, both of which were imported cases. On December 14, it reported its first two confirmed local Omicron cases, both passenger service staff members at Changi Airport.

Separately, Singapore reported 248 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Saturday, of which 66 were imported.

There was also one fatality, taking the country's death toll from coronavirus complications to 821, according to the latest infection statistics on the MOH website.

Saturday cases comprised 177 in the community and five in migrant workers' dormitories.

As of Saturday, Singapore has recorded 2,77,555 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.