Singapore reports 37th COVID-19 fatality; woman was unvaccinated and linked to 121 Bukit Merah View cluster - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported its 37th COVID-19 fatality on Sunday (Jul 25), an 83-year-old woman who was unvaccinated.

Identified as Case 64342, the Singaporean woman lived in Bukit Merah and was linked to the 121 Bukit Merah View cluster, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The woman developed a fever and cough on Jun 16 but did not seek medical attention until she was taken to National University Hospital on Jun 18, where she tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.

MOH said she had a history of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.

The woman was linked to the 121 Bukit Merah View cluster on Jun 21, along with two other female retirees aged 86 and 80. The cluster was closed on Jul 19.

READ: 127 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Singapore; new cluster linked to Samy's Curry at Dempsey

The cluster, along with other smaller COVID-19 clusters in the neighbourhood, emerged after COVID-19 cases were linked to the market and food centre at 115 Bukit Merah View.

On Jun 24, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, the ministry’s director of medical services, said that more than half of the COVID-19 cases linked to the market and food centre were not vaccinated. 

About a third were fully vaccinated, and the majority of these cases were either mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic, he said.

The virus could have spread through the cluster by the use of common facilities - including toilets - at the market and food centre, Assoc Prof Mak said.

"There are many who work in the vicinity, who will visit both the market and the food centre for their meals. And some of the cases that we have interviewed have reported queuing up for at least 30 minutes, which would ordinarily be considered a significant period of close contact if these visitors were close together," he added.

The cluster also contains "next generation of transmission" cases involving those who did not visit the market or food centre but had close contact with other cases who visited the places or worked there.

READ: About half of COVID-19 cases in Bukit Merah View market cluster not vaccinated

READ: Bukit Merah View COVID-19 cluster: Virus could have spread via long queues, surfaces in toilets, says MOH

Singapore reported 127 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Saturday, including 75 cases linked to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster and five to the cluster in KTV lounges.

In a video posted on social media on Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged senior citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19, assuring them that the vaccines are safe.

“Don’t wait till it’s too late,” Mr Lee said.

“Most people your age are already vaccinated, including many of your friends and neighbours. Protect yourself, and your family too.” 

As of Saturday, Singapore has reported a total of 64,057 COVID-19 cases and 37 fatalities from the disease.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-07-24 22:44:30Z
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Australians may face longer COVID-19 lockdown after mass protests - CNA

MELBOURNE: Australia's New South Wales logged its second-highest daily increase in locally acquired COVID-19 cases of the year on Sunday (Jul 25) amid fears of a wave of new infections after thousands of people joined an anti-lockdown protest.

"In relation to yesterday's protests, can I say how absolutely disgusted I was. It broke my heart," Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of the country's most populous state, told reporters.

"I hope it won't be a setback, but it could be," she said.

Several people were arrested at an anti-lockdown rally in Sydney which also saw violent clashes with police AFP/Steven SAPHORE

There were 141 COVID-19 cases reported, down from 163 a day earlier. The outbreak, which began in June, is being driven by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus, and has now infected 2,081 people in New South Wales. There are 43 people in intensive care, up from 37 a day earlier.

At least 38 of the new cases had spent time in the community while infectious, state health authorities said. Numbers of such cases have stayed stubbornly high even after four weeks of lockdown in Sydney, now expected to be extended beyond July 30.

The state reported two deaths overnight, including a woman in her 30s with no pre-existing conditions.

READ: Sydney to get extra vaccines as COVID-19 cases mount

Despite its struggle with spikes of infections, Australia has managed to keep its epidemic largely under control with a total of about 32,600 cases and 918 deaths.

To help speed up vaccinations in Sydney, the government's official adviser, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), on Saturday changed its advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine, urging anyone in the city under the age of 60 to strongly consider getting vaccinated with it.

ATAGI had previously advised against use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 60 due to concerns about blood clots.

"In the context of the current risk of COVID-19 in NSW and with the ongoing constraints on Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine supplies, all adults in greater Sydney should strongly consider the benefits of earlier protection with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca rather than waiting for alternative vaccines," ATAGI said in a statement.

Protesters and mounted police clash at Sydney Town Hall during a 'World Wide Rally For Freedom' anti-lockdown rally in Sydney, Saturday, July 24, 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, under fire for a slow rollout of vaccines, said on Sunday the government has secured an additional 85 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, but they will only be delivered in 2022 and 2023.

"Every Australian will have access to a booster shot if it is needed," Morrison said in a statement.

READ: COVID-19: New Zealand suspends quarantine-free travel with Australia

READ: Australia approves Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15

Australia's Victoria state reported 11 locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 12 a day earlier, raising hopes the state will end a hard lockdown imposed 10 days ago.

State Premier Daniel Andrews said it was too early to say whether restrictions will be eased on Tuesday, but said: "At this stage, though, things are going well."

All of the cases were linked to the current outbreak clusters and all of them were in isolation throughout their infectious period, the state's health department said.

South Australia reported three new cases on Sunday.

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2021-07-25 02:35:12Z
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Elderly Singaporean woman dies from COVID-19 complications; 127 new locally transmitted cases - CNA

Singapore

Singapore also reported its 37th COVID-19 fatality, an 83-year-old woman who was unvaccinated.

Samy’s Curry Restaurant at Dempsey Road was identified as a COVID-19 cluster, with eight linked cases as of Jul 24. (Photo: Google Maps)

24 Jul 2021 06:39PM (Updated: 25 Jul 2021 07:55AM)

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SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 127 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Saturday (Jul 24) and its 37th COVID-19 fatality, an 83-year-old woman who was not vaccinated.

It also reported two new clusters, including one linked to Samy’s Curry Restaurant at Dempsey. 

Among the new local cases, 75 were linked to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster and five to the cluster in KTV lounges.

There are now 741 cases linked to the Jurong Fishery Port/Hong Lim Market & Food Centre cluster, which is the largest active cluster in Singapore.

Sixty-nine of the new local cases were linked to previous infections and had already been placed in quarantine. Twenty-nine were detected through surveillance testing.

The remaining 29 infections had no links to previous cases.

Six of the new cases are people above the age of 70 who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and are at risk of serious illness, MOH added.

READ: Singapore reports 37th COVID-19 fatality; woman was unvaccinated and linked to 121 Bukit Merah View cluster

There were also three imported cases.

One of the infections was detected upon arrival in Singapore, while two developed the illness during their stay-home notice or isolation.

In total, Singapore reported 130 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

SAMY'S CURRY AT DEMPSEY A NEW CLUSTER

Eight COVID-19 cases have been linked to Samy’s Curry at Dempsey. The restaurant has been shut for two weeks until Aug 8 for cleaning.

"Our epidemiological investigations have found that there is likely ongoing transmission at the restaurant," said MOH.

All staff at the restaurant have been placed on quarantine. Free COVID-19 tests will also be offered to people who had visited the restaurant between Jul 19 and 23.

MOH said all visitors to the Dempsey area should monitor their health closely and minimise social interactions as much as possible, for 14 days from their date of visit. They are encouraged to see a doctor immediately if they feel unwell.

The second new COVID-19 cluster is identified as the Case 65791 cluster, with four cases. No further details were given about the infections.

There are currently 26 active COVID-19 clusters in Singapore, ranging between three and 741  infections.

Two clusters have been closed as there have been no cases linked to them for the past two incubation periods, said the ministry. 

The closed clusters are linked to Case 64184 - a 27-year-old Indian national who works as an engineer at Ecoxplore - and Case 64264, a 32-year-old Indonesian domestic worker.

NINE SENIORS VERY ILL: MOH

MOH said the overall number of new cases in the community has increased from 238 in the week before to 1,027 cases in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from 17 cases in the week before to 120 cases in the past week.

A total of 490 cases are in hospital, with most well and under observation.

There are 12 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation, and one in critical condition in the intensive care unit. None of the 13 cases is fully vaccinated. 

Nine people above 60 years old, who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, have fallen very ill, said MOH.

"There is continuing evidence that vaccination helps to prevent serious disease when one gets infected," said the ministry.

"Over the last 28 days, 11 local cases required oxygen supplementation, were admitted to ICU or passed away. Six are unvaccinated, five are partially vaccinated and none was fully vaccinated."

Local cases in the last 28 days by vaccination status & severity of condition. (Figure: MOH)

READ: S$1.1 billion support package for workers, businesses hit by Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) restrictions

READ: ‘Too many established names have fallen’: F&B industry group calls for more support from authorities

The Health Ministry announced in a separate press release that it will conduct mandatory testing for those who live in or work at Blocks 456 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and Block 340 Clementi Avenue.

This comes after 20 infections were detected among residents of the two blocks, with most of the cases linked to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster.

Voluntary testing will also be offered to those who had visited or interacted with residents of both blocks.

As of Saturday, Singapore has reported a total of 64,057 COVID-19 cases and 37 fatalities from the disease.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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Commentary: Overwhelmed Indonesian hospitals with COVID-19 cases behind high doctor fatalities - CNA

SINGAPORE: The latest tragedy in Indonesia’s fight against COVID-19 is the extraordinary rise of fatalities among Indonesian doctors.

The culprit has been identified as the more contagious coronavirus Delta variant, which triggered a chain reaction in Indonesia’s health system.

At least 545 doctors have died from the coronavirus since it was detected for the first time in the country in early March last year.

This high rate of fatality sharply reduces hospital performance, not only in treating coronavirus patients but also in tending to many others in dire need of hospital care.

The month of July has been a particularly deadly month for Indonesian doctors. At least 108 doctors died due to the coronavirus between early and the mid of July, and the number is expected to rise.

This is a sharp increase compared to Indonesia’s previous infection in January. The number of such fatalities was just 65 in the whole month of January.

READ: Commentary: Inaccurate public understanding of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy has implications for vaccination rates

STARTED IN KUDUS, WORSENED BY IDUL FITRI TRAVEL

The current high rate of fatalities among doctors is triggered by the spread of the much more contagious Delta variant in Indonesia, which started in mid-May. It is believed to have spread first in the Central Java city of Kudus through migrant workers who returned home by the sea.  

These workers were subject to less stringent health checks compared to travellers who entered Indonesia by air.

The sheer volume of cargo ships, entering Indonesia through numerous seaports has made monitoring of each and every crew member challenging for  authorities, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin reportedly conceded in mid-June.

In early June, half of subdistricts in Kudus were declared red zones due to the high infection numbers among medical workers and the local community.

Bed occupancy rate in the city’s hospitals reached more than 90 per cent. At least 30 doctors caught the coronavirus.

The Delta variant infection then swept through Kudus’ surrounding areas including Jepara and Pati before making its way to other cities across the archipelago, including Jakarta.

The variant spread rapidly in part because people were criss-crossing the country, meeting their friends, families and relatives to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday in May.

A doctor shows a barcode from his phone for registering to receive a dose of the Sinovac vaccine. (Photo: Reuters)

READ: As spike in COVID-19 cases taxes healthcare system, some Indonesians have little choice but to isolate at home

Indonesia has seen a 51.4 per cent increase in the spread of the Delta variant since the mid of May, according to University of Indonesia’s Dean of Medicine Ari Fahrial.

LONG HOURS, EXHAUSTED DOCTORS

Bed occupancy rate in all hospitals in six provinces in Java, except East Java province, were above 80 per cent, as of end-June.

Hospitals have, to paraphase a statement from an official at the Indonesia Doctors Association (IDI), “functionally collapsed”, because too few doctors are handling too many patients.

Some 1,900 patients had to wait in emergency wards in Jakarta hospitals as beds for the coronavirus patients were full, Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan revealed just last week.

Another 1,400 had to wait to be allocated hospital beds in their respective houses and numerous community health centres across the capital.

Doctors were overwhelmed with a great number of patients. The hospitals have mobilised more doctors-in-training to address the manpower crunch, but this is insufficient to cope with the sudden and extraordinary rise in the number of patients needing acute care.

READ: Commentary: What’s behind no-shows in vaccination centres across Malaysia?

READ: Commentary: Indonesia is Asia's new COVID-19 epicentre

Health Minister Budi said some hospitals need about 3,000 more doctors last week. But doing so will take some time. The  government only expects to close that gap only by the end of this year when some 3,900 medical interns who would have completed their internship at various hospitals nationwide are ready.

Meanwhile, doctors have been stretched thin. Due to the swelling number of coronavirus patients, many now work for longer hours, between 12 and 14 hours in emergency wards.

Recognising that the fatigue and resulting decrease in immunity made them prone to coronavirus infections, the Indonesia Doctor Association (IDI) called for the government to limit working hours to six hours a day.

The similarly high rate of fatality among nurses is also a cause for concern. Since the pandemic broke out in Indonesia, 445 nurses have died due to coronavirus out of a total of 7,392 nurses who tested positive.

(Are COVID-19 vaccines still effective against new variants? And could these increase the risk of reinfection? Experts explain why COVID-19 could become a “chronic problem" on CNA's Heart of the Matter podcast.)

LOWER EFFICACY FROM SINOVAC

The low efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine has also been blamed for the spread of coronavirus among doctors. It was used in an early national programme to inoculate medical workers. The benefit was it allowed Indonesia to inoculate 87 per cent of healthcare workers by the end of March.

But a substantial number of doctors who have been vaccinated still contracted the coronavirus. In Kudus, 358 medical workers, including doctors, were vaccinated with Sinovac twice, but caught the infection.

To boost their immunity, the government is rolling out a booster shot of Moderna vaccines for healthcare workers who have been jabbed with Sinovac.

There is one side effect of the shocking fatality rates - a rising number of doctor absenteeism, which is straining already stressed resources in hospitals.

READ: Commentary: Southeast Asia is buckling under a second year of COVID-19

Fewer doctors mean each having less time to observe and communicate with patients, which can be fatal when studies have shown that poor communication between doctors and patients is a leading cause of medical errors and patient harm.

Indonesia is losing doctors at a critical point in its COVID-19 fight. It’s a huge loss of medical expertise when many departed doctors are highly trained, experienced physicians in a variety of specialisations including internists, surgeons, paediatricians and gynaecologists.

It will take some time for the healthcare fraternity to rebuild their capacity.  The smaller towns and villages will feel the loss more keenly.

A’an Suryana is Visiting Fellow at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore.

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Malaysia reports record 15,902 new Covid-19 cases, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 infections hit a new high for the second consecutive day, as it recorded 15,902 cases on Saturday (July 24) while nearing the tail end of a third month in lockdown.

The country is now presumably one day away from crossing the one million mark for cumulative Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began last year, with a large portion of the infections and deaths recorded during this year’s devastating third wave.

Malaysia has more than 990,000 cases of Covid-19 now. Saturday’s record daily cases were slightly higher than the 15,573 cases reported on Friday.

Malaysia’s most populous region, Klang Valley, continued to account for a large bulk of the cases. Nearly 10,000 cases - or around 65 per cent of all infections reported on Saturday - were in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, which make up Klang Valley.

There were 184 deaths nationwide, the second-highest tally after the 199 deaths recorded on Wednesday.

There are now 153,633 active cases in the country, the highest since the pandemic started. Some 950 people are in intensive care, with nearly half of them on ventilator support. 

The new records on Saturday were logged amid reports of continued flouting of Covid-19 restrictions despite the prolonged lockdown that has severely battered the economy. 

On Friday, a helicopter landed at a field in Ipoh in the state of Perak to pick up an order of 36 packets of rice and chicken from a famous nasi ganja restaurant in the city. The order was made from Kuala Lumpur. 

Civil aviation authorities have said that they are investigating possible rule-breaking involved in the helicopter trip, which is believed to have involved two men picking up the orders. 

Sabah also said on Saturday that rule-breaking among its residents is one of the chief reasons behind Covid-19 cases rising in the state. Sabah recorded 712 cases on Saturday, up from above 500 cases on Friday. 

Almost all of Malaysia has been in a lockdown since May 12 this year, with a majority of businesses now shuttered for a third month.

However, daily infections  and deaths have only gone up during the lockdown, which the authorities have blamed on the most transmissible variants of concern, especially the Delta variant.

The country is now under a mix of phase one and phase two of its four-stage Covid-19 exit plan, which involves lockdowns of varying degrees.

Phase three, which will see a gradual reopening of the economy, is not scheduled until the end of August.

Malaysia is relying on its ramped up vaccination - one of the fastest rates in the world - to recover from the pandemic. It administered more than 500,000 doses on Thursday, a new record. 

Some 16.1 per cent of Malaysia’s population have been fully vaccinated, with the whole adult population expected to be vaccinated by the end of October. 

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2021-07-24 14:22:46Z
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Protesters clash with Australian police as thousands march against COVID-19 lockdown - CNA

SYDNEY: Thousands marched through Australia's two biggest cities in anti-lockdown protests on Saturday (Jul 24), sparking violent clashes with police in Sydney.

Dozens of protesters were arrested after an unauthorised march flouted public health orders in Sydney, while several confrontations with police broke out during the hours-long rally.

Officers were pelted with pot plants and bottles of water as opponents of Sydney's month-long stay-at-home order took to the streets in numbers.

Thousands also crowded several streets in Melbourne after gathering outside the state parliament in the early afternoon.

Protesters march through the streets during a rally Melbourne on Jul 24, 2021. (Photo: CON CHRONIS / AFP)

The largely maskless protesters were flouting rules on non-essential travel and public gatherings, a day after authorities suggested the restrictions could remain in place until October.

READ: Australian officials tighten Sydney lockdown as COVID-19 cases rise

"I am utterly disgusted by the illegal protesters in the city today whose selfish actions have compromised the safety of all of us," the premier of Sydney's state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, said in a statement.

"The protesters have shown utter contempt for their fellow citizens who are currently doing it tough."

Hundreds of police responded to the Sydney protest, with several demonstrators pulled from the crowd in handcuffs by officers. Police said they issued nearly 100 fines and arrested 57 people.

Police in Melbourne said six people were arrested.

New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott said a team of detectives would be scouring footage to identify and charge as many people as possible in the coming days.

"What we saw today in Sydney is unfortunately something that we've seen in cities that we all shake our head at," Elliott told media after the protest.

"It's quite clear that you know, Sydney isn't immune from morons as well."

READ: Australia warns COVID-19 cases likely to rise despite weeks-long lockdown

READ: Sydney to get extra vaccines as COVID-19 cases mount

He also said he expected the gathering to drive a spike in COVID-19 cases and urged all those who attended to get tested and isolate.

Organisers had dubbed the protest a "freedom" rally and publicised it on social media pages frequently used to spread vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Attendees carried signs and banners reading "Wake up Australia" and "Drain the Swamp" - echoing messages seen in similar demonstrations overseas.

Helicopters buzzed above the streets of Sydney, a city of over five million people that is struggling to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant.

The state of New South Wales reported 163 new infections Saturday to bring its total in the current outbreak to nearly 2,000.

After escaping much of the early pandemic unscathed, around half of Australia's 25 million people are now in lockdown across several cities.

There is growing anger at the restrictions and the conservative government's failure to provide adequate vaccine supplies.

Just 11 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

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2021-07-24 09:41:00Z
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Malaysia reports record 15,902 new Covid-19 cases, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 infections hit a new high for the second consecutive day as it recorded 15,902 cases on Saturday (July 24), while nearing the tail end of a third month in lockdown.

Saturday’s figures were slightly higher than the 15,573 cases reported on Friday, which was also a record high.

The country is now presumably one day away from crossing the one million mark for cumulative Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began last year, with a large portion of infections and deaths having been recorded during this year’s devastating third wave. Malaysia has more than 990,000 cases of Covid-19 now.

Malaysia’s most populous region, Klang Valley, continued to account for a large bulk of the cases. Nearly 10,000 cases were recorded in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur- which make up Klang Valley - or around 65 per cent of all cases reported on Saturday.

Almost all of Malaysia has been in a lockdown since May 12 this year, with a majority of businesses now shuttered for a third month.

However, daily infection numbers and deaths have only gone up during the lockdown, which the authorities have blamed on the most transmissible variants of concern, especially the Delta variant.

The country is now under a mix of phase one and phase two of its four-stage Covid-19 exit plan, which involves lockdowns of varying degrees.

Phase three, which will see a gradual reopening of the economy, is not scheduled until the end of August.

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2021-07-24 07:45:07Z
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