SINGAPORE, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Singapore reported 209 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total tally in the country to 277,764.
Of the new cases, 105 were in the community, four were in migrant worker dormitories and 100 were imported cases, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
A total of 377 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 26 cases being critically ill in the intensive care unit (ICU). The current overall ICU utilization rate is 50.1 percent.
One more patient has died from complications of COVID-19 infections, bringing the death toll to 822.
As of Dec. 25, Singapore has detected 546 confirmed Omicron cases comprising 443 imported cases and 103 local cases.
The ministry said in another statement on Sunday that based on the updated understanding of the Omicron variant, Singapore will adjust the approach to managing Omicron cases. Beginning on Dec. 27, Singapore will allow Omicron cases to follow Protocols 1-2-3 as with other COVID-19 cases.
Omicron cases will be placed on the Home Recovery Program or managed at community care facilities depending on their clinical presentation, instead of being isolated in dedicated facilities by default.
Close contacts of Omicron cases will be placed on Protocol 3 where they will be issued a seven-day Health Risk Warning instead of being quarantined for 10 days. Those currently in quarantine will be progressively discharged over the next few days, according to the ministry.
From Feb. 1, 2022, Singapore will make vaccination a condition for the approval of new applications for and renewal of existing long-term passes, work passes, as well as permanent residences.
In addition, with the increasing global spread of Omicron, travel restrictions that had been instituted earlier will be updated.
Singapore will end travel restrictions against Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe beginning at midnight Sunday.
All passengers with 14-day travel history to the countries listed above will be allowed to enter and transit through Singapore, and will be subjected to border measures for Category IV countries/regions, said the ministry. Enditem
