Singapore warns children vulnerable to virus variants, shuts schools
Singapore warned that the COVID-19 variants, such as the one first detected in India, were affecting more children, as the city-state prepares to shut most schools from this week and draws up plans to vaccinate youngsters.
The Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung, citing the ministry’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak said, the B1617 strain appeared to affect children more. It was not clear how many children had contracted the strain.
All primary, secondary and junior colleges will shift to full home-based learning from Wednesday until the end of the school term on May 28.
Singapore confirmed 38 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the highest daily number since mid-September, with 17 currently unlinked on Sunday.
The cases included four children linked to a cluster at a tuition centre.
Singapore has reported more than 61,000 virus cases, with the bulk linked to outbreaks last year in foreign worker dormitories, and 31 deaths.
Sunday’s new cases were the highest number of local infections outside of the dormitories in a year.
The Education Minister, Chan Chun Sing said, “Some of these virus mutations are much more virulent, and they seem to attack the younger children.
“None of the children who have contracted the virus are seriously ill and a few have mild symptoms.
“The sharp rise in the number of community cases today requires us to significantly reduce our movements and interactions in the coming days,” Chan added.
Over a fifth of the country’s population has completed the two-dose vaccination regimen with vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna.
Authorities will invite people under 45 years of age to receive shots from the second half of May.
Chan said the government is also working on plans to vaccinate children below 16 years after regulatory approval, which was being sought by Pfizer.
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Kamila/Reuters
