The Government will extend the Stabilisation Phase from 25 October 2021 to 21 November 2021 as more time is needed to ease the continuing pressures on Singapore’s healthcare system.
The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) made the announcement at a virtual doorstop on 20 October 2021.
The measures will be reviewed at the two-week mark and be adjusted based on the community situation then.
The number of unvaccinated seniors above 60 years old who are infected has risen over the past few days, to about 100 a day.
Similarly, the number of persons requiring ICU care is continuing to rise at a similar rate as Singapore’s overall case numbers. There were 80 new cases in ICU over the past two weeks, as compared to 46 over the preceding two weeks, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Although the number of local COVID-19 cases are no longer doubling, Singapore is currently seeing more than 3,000 cases daily.
“There is still no sign of cases falling. This will take time. As more people get boosted, catch the virus and experience flu-like symptoms, the antibodies and the immunity in our society will build up over time,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
He added that hospitals are bracing themselves for a sustained heavy-patient load.
“MOH is doing whatever we can to support and bolster the hospitals. If need be, we will open up more ICU beds … But that will be at the expense of further degradation of normal services, and normal medical care,” he said.
To tide businesses and individual over the extended Stabilisation Phase, the Government will extend support measures from 26 October to 21 November 2021.
These support measures include the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) support at 25 per cent for sectors significantly affected by the continuing tightened measures.
The sectors that will benefit from the JSS extension are F&B, retail, cinemas, museums, art galleries, historical sites, family entertainment, tourism, gyms and fitness studios, and performing arts and arts education.
The Government will also extend the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund payout at $10 and $5 per vehicle per day in November and December 2021 respectively.
Qualifying tenants on Government-owned commercial properties will receive a 0.5-month rental waiver.
Qualifying tenant-occupiers and owner-occupiers of privately-owned commercial properties will also be given a 0.5-month rental relief cash payout under the Rental Support Scheme (RSS).
In line with this, cooked food and market stallholders in centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) will also receive a 0.5-month rental waiver.
The support package will cost a total of $640 million.
"During this period, we strongly encourage everyone to practise social responsibility to abide by the prevailing safe management measures, test regularly, and seek medical treatment if feeling unwell.
"The elderly and persons with co-morbidities should take extra precautions as they are more vulnerable to severe illness should they get infected. Together, we will be able to ride out this wave of infections safely and emerge stronger," said MOH.
