Singapore reports 3,862 new COVID-19 cases

Singapore, October 20 (ANI/Xinhua): Singapore reported 3,862 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total tally in the country to 158,587.
Of the new cases, 3,221 were in the community, 630 were in migrant worker dormitories and 11 were imported cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release.
A total of 1,718 COVID-19 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 337 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation, and 67 in critical condition in intensive care units, said the ministry.
As many as 18 more patients have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection in the past day, bringing the death toll to 264, the ministry said.
The MOH also announced on Wednesday that Singapore will extend the Stabilization Phase from Oct. 25 through Nov. 21, given the continuing pressures on its healthcare system and the need for more time to stabilize the situation.
The country entered the Stabilization Phase on Sept. 27 to slow down the rate of transmission and ease the strain on the healthcare system. Over the past four weeks, it has set up more COVID-19 Treatment Facilities, made improvements in the Home Recovery Program, simplified its healthcare protocols to allow individuals with mild or no symptoms to self-isolate early and recover at home, and expanded coverage of Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures to settings frequently visited by COVID-19 positive cases.
However, according to the ministry, Singapore currently has about 1,650 isolation beds and 200 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients in public hospitals, with 89 percent of the isolation beds being filled. The occupancy rate for ICU beds, which consist of existing COVID-19 cases requiring ICU care, COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU for monitoring, as well as non-COVID-19 patients, stands at about 67 percent. (ANI/Xinhua)