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As Singapore's COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it "strongly encourages" people to wear a face mask in crowded places even if they are not ill, especially indoors or when visiting vulnerable people. The ministry said on Friday that the estimated number of COVID-19 cases from December 3 to 9 increased to 56,043, a 75 per cent jump compared with 32,035 cases in the previous week. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations rose from 225 to 350. The average daily cases in the intensive care unit rose from four to nine, Channel News Asia reported. The vast majority of cases are infected by the JN.1 variant, a sublineage of BA.2.86. "Based on the available international and local data, there is currently no clear indication that BA.2.86 or JN.1 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants," MOH said in a media release. Urging the public to exercise personal and social responsibility, the ministry said people who a