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A new wave of Omicron Covid-19 cases is expected to hit Singapore in a matter of days, finance minister Lawrence Wong, who is also co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce said.

He said in a Facebook post on Dec. 27: "Singapore must expect a new wave of Omicron Covid-19 cases in the coming days and weeks."

Omicron's spread in community "inevitable"

Wong echoed the Ministry of Health's (MOH) announcement on Dec. 26:

"Given the transmissibility of Omicron and the open nature of our society, it is inevitable that Omicron will spread in our community, as it has in over 100 countries already. In the coming days and weeks, we should expect more community cases, and rapid doubling of cases."

Wong added it is "inevitable" that Omicron will spread in Singapore's community because of the variant's transmissibility.

Recovery at home

As the current vaccines and boosters have been found to be effective in protecting against severe illnesses caused by Omicron, Covid-19 cases with the Omicron variant will be managed the same way as Delta Covid-19 cases.

This means that Omicron cases, or those who have come in close contact, can recover or isolate at home instead of going to a dedicated facility, Wong said.

This new treatment for Omicron cases was also announced by MOH on Dec. 26.

Wong said this move would prioritise Singapore's healthcare resources for Covid-19 cases who are more vulnerable or have more severe symptoms.

Get vaxxed

The minister also urged the unvaccinated in Singapore to get their vaccines, and for the vaccinated to get their booster shots.

Wong cautioned unvaccinated individuals and said that they "will face restrictions" such as not being able to return to office.

From Jan. 15, 2022, MOH will remove the pre-event testing (PET) concession for the unvaccinated.

Even with a negative PET test result, the unvaccinated will not be able to return to the office.

You can read Wong's post below.

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Top image by Fiona Tan