Professor Dale Fisher, also a senior infectious diseases consultant at the NUH, said: "Singapore's health system is very robust.
"While it is always a concern, one cannot forget the price being paid for the ongoing restrictions in terms of those with businesses being affected and loved ones they can't see."
According to the latest MOH release, there are 653 people with Covid-19 infections who are hospitalised, though "most are well and under observation".
It added: "There are currently 24 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation, and five in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU)."
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had previously indicated that Singapore has set aside 1,000 ICU beds for Covid-19. Currently, only five are in use.
Time to Open Up
The government has done its best to protect citizens by providing free vaccination to all. It can add to this with booster shots if these prove beneficial and necessary. The MTF has announced plans to provide booster shots for everyone 60 years and older.
While experts are not convinced about the benefits of a third shot for those who are not immuno-compromised, it remains a valid option for people who may be at higher risk.
Beyond this, there is not really very much more that can be done. Covid-19 is here to stay and we need to learn to live with it.
Prof Fisher said: "It's time to let the vaccine do its job. Singapore has seen an outstanding effort vaccinating above 90 per cent of the eligible population. We did this so that we would be safe to open up.
"Caution is good but we can open up faster and allow people to socialise and travel again. This is also critical to the economy."
Locking up the country has never been a long-term solution. It has cost thousands of people their livelihood, and low social interaction has taken its toll on the mental health of many people.
Further delays in reverting to life as normal serve little purpose.
More important is to decide what the new normal needs to be.
It should at least include protecting the vulnerable, such as patients in hospitals and the elderly in care facilities; the wearing of masks in crowded public places such as the MRT; and buses and checking the Covid-19 status of people entering the country.
Preparations should also be in place to deal with any sudden surge in people hospitalised for the disease.
With the more transmissible and deadly Delta variant in play, none of the the options now available to Singapore are ideal, and none are without cost.
It is a matter of choosing to navigate the shoals for a path which gives the least pain and the most benefits.
We have to accept that there will be deaths - already 15 in the month of August - and severe illness. But there is a glimmer of hope, as the world is still looking for ways to beat the disease, through better vaccine protection and treatment.
For now, let's choose the least bad option, and start opening up.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-it-is-a-matter-of-choosing-the-least-bad-one