Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Singapore finds first local Omicron cluster, expects more cases

Singapore finds first local Omicron cluster, expects more cases

Singapore reported its first suspected local omicron cluster, a group of three Covid-19 infections traced to a gym, the health ministry said in a statement late Monday.

The potential spread of the highly contagious variant within the community is likely to prompt further concerns about new reversals in the city-state’s reopening as its worst virus surge yet subsides.

The rapid spread of Omicron in other European countries and the US have already prompted new curbs there to slow its surge. Omicron quickly became the dominant variant in the US, rising to 73% of all sequenced Covid-19 cases in the country from around 3% last week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

“Given its high transmissibility and spread to many parts of the world, we should expect to find more Omicron cases at our borders and also within our community,” said the health ministry.

Singapore maintains vaccinated travel lanes with several countries where Omicron has spread rapidly, including the US and Europe’s largest travel hubs. The VTLs require full vaccination and negative tests for boarding, with the promise of quarantine free entry following further tests on arrival.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned in late November that Omicron’s arrival could require Singapore to “take a few steps back” in its reopening plans “before we can take more steps forward.”

Two of the three cases in Singapore’s cluster have been preliminarily confirmed as Omicron, while the third is pending. All who tested positive had no recent travel history and were fully vaccinated.


Mass vaccination

Singapore’s advantage in facing Omicron is its vaccination rate, among the highest in the world according to data compiled by Bloomberg. About 96% of those eligible for vaccination have been fully vaccinated, which amounts to about 87% of the total population. More than a third of the total population have had booster jabs.

Local Covid cases have fallen over the last two months, down from a high of more than 4,600 daily cases on Oct 27 to less than 200 on Monday. At the same time, Singapore has seen a sharp rise in imported cases, with over 90% of 49 infections found among travelers from abroad on the same day being caused by Omicron.

Singapore plans to begin vaccinating one of its last remaining groups, children age 5 to 11, later this month. Its first shipment of pediatric vaccine, from Pfizer-BioNTech, is due to arrive Dec 22. Details of the rollout are expected to be announced later today.

“With more Omicron variant cases detected locally and globally, vaccination is key to protect both the young and old,” Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×