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The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced over 25,000 Covid-19 cases on Feb. 22.

This is a new record high since the previous record a week ago on Feb. 15, when 19,420 cases were reported.

Two problems arose from this new transmission wave

MOH said that hospitals, polyclinics and General Practitioner (GP) clinics are "very busy, and healthcare workers are under severe pressure" due to the surge in cases.

It may take a few weeks before the Omicron transmission wave peaks and subsides, MOH added.

MOH also outlined two problems that surfaced from the new transmission wave:

1) A surge in demand for hospital beds, mostly for patients with underlying chronic illnesses to recover.

2) An influx of patients with no or mild symptoms going to hospitals, polyclinics and GP clinics to get an Antigen Rapid Test (ART) conducted by medical professionals to be documented within MOH's records, or to get a medical certificate.

This situation has "added significant workload to our healthcare providers who are already under significant pressure and stress", MOH highlighted.

MOH seeks public cooperation and assistance

In response, MOH has called on the public for their cooperation and assistance.

Firstly, MOH encouraged those who are not experiencing an emergency to refrain from rushing to a hospital emergency department (ED).

The ministry added that those who walk into EDs with non-emergency conditions, including children, may be diverted to other urgent care clinics or primary care clinics for further assessment.

This is to prioritise ED resources for patients who need the medical care, MOH said.

Secondly, MOH urged employers to not insist that employees provide medical certificates or recovery memos if they have tested positive for Covid-19.

Instead, employees can submit a photograph of their test results or a video of them taking the ART, in lieu of their medical certificates.

Additionally, employers are encouraged to remind their employees who are at low risk and have mild symptoms, or are physically well, to isolate and recover at home instead of visiting clinics or hospitals.

MOH said it is doing "whatever we can to support our healthcare providers".

This includes ramping up capacity in our hospitals, right-siting patients at Covid-19 Treatment Facilities (CTFs), spreading patient load to private hospitals, allowing residents in nursing homes to recover in-situ, and supplementing our healthcare manpower with the SG Healthcare Corps as well as Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medics.

MOH has also adjusted its healthcare protocols to allow more Covid-19 patients recover at home.

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