Covid variant ‘double mutant’ from India detected in Singapore

Shoppers wearing protective masks walk past Ion Orchard Mall on Orchard Road in Singapore on Tuesday April 13, 2021.

Lauryn Ishak | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Increased Covid Rules

Singapore also announced stricter measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the city as local infections rise.

From May 8, travelers from higher risk countries will have to be quarantined for 21 days, up from 14 days earlier.

Domestically, new restrictions will be imposed from May 8th to May 30th. Measures include limiting the size of social gatherings, pre-event testing for large gatherings, and closing gyms.

The country reported five new locally transmitted cases Tuesday, all linked to a cluster that began at a local hospital. 12 cases have also been identified during mandatory quarantine for people entering the country from overseas.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced that the number of new cases in the community had increased from 10 cases in the previous week to 60 cases in the past week.

Local restrictions May 8-30 include:

• The number of social gatherings is to be limited to five, compared to eight previously. Each household can receive five guests per day instead of eight.
• Of 75%, more than 50% of the employees are not allowed to return to their place of work at any point in time.
• Certain gatherings, including weddings, church services, live performances, and conferences, require pre-event testing, depending on the number of attendees.
• Indoor gyms and fitness studios are closed.
• Museums, public libraries and attractions are 50% busy.

These measures take the city a step back in its gradual reopening, which began in June 2020. Singapore has reported a total of 61,235 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.