Singapore introduces harsh new penalty for unvaccinated citizens

One of the world’s most developed healthcare systems has begun playing hardball, introducing new rules for the unvaccinated.

Singapore’s government has today announced it will no longer cover the medical costs for unvaccinated citizens should they fall ill with Covid-19.

The nation’s Ministry Of Health said those who are “unvaccinated by choice” are disproportionately requiring intensive care and are causing considerable strain on hospitals.

The new development came after Singapore recorded its 500th death from the virus this week, tallying 2470 new cases on Monday.

Currently there are 1725 in hospital with the virus, with 301 requiring oxygen supplementation. A hundred and twenty-nine are in ICU. Sixty-two are under close monitoring in the intensive care unit and 67 are critically ill and intubated.

That has put Singapore’s current ICU use rate at 68.5 per cent.

According to Channel News Asia, Singapore has recorded 91,425 cases in the past 28 days, with 98.7 per cent of carriers reporting mild to zero symptoms.

However, 0.2 per cent of new cases have died.

“Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our health care resources,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The Ministry made clear those affected could still access “regular health care financing arrangements to pay for their bills where applicable”.

Singapore had been covering the bill for any citizen, permanent resident or holder of a long-term work pass who was sick with Covid-19.

“This was to avoid financial considerations adding to public uncertainty and concern when Covid-19 was an emergent and unfamiliar disease,” the Health Ministry said.

The nation of 5.6 million has seen a spike in cases over the past month.

The government has announced it will no longer cover the costs of unvaccinated citizens who fall ill with Covid-19.

At the time of writing, Singapore had fully vaccinated 85 per cent of its adult population.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the government’s decision to cut off unvaccinated people from support after being infected by Covid was an “important signal” for those still hesitant about the jab.

“Billing will still be based on our current subsidy framework, subject to MediSave use and MediShield Life claims, so it will still be highly supported and highly subsidised,” Ong said via the Straits Times.

The nation of of 5.6 million, which is credited with having one of the world’s best healthcare systems, depends heavily on privatised medical services, which means unvaccinated citizens may already have financial coverage in the event they get seriously ill with Covid.

The country has one of the highest vaccination rates and despite its ambitions to boldly “live with Covid”, the government has been forced to tighten restrictions amid growing pressures on its healthcare system.

Singapore only recently hit 500 deaths after almost two years of fighting Covid-19.

Last Wednesday saw the tiny nation reach its record of 18 Covid-related deaths in one day, with its seven-day average hitting 3635 cases. The spike in cases has left a number of experts in the field concerned, warning nations with similar vaccination rates to still be prepared for a bumpy few months.

Professor Dale Fisher says Australia should brace itself for a similar trajectory of rising cases following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

“I think Australia could have a bit of a honeymoon for the next few months, though I’d be a bit more worried in six months when you’re going back into winter,” Prof Fisher told The Australian.

“There will be these surges as the restrictions are pulled down, but the fact it is coming into summer in Australia – when everyone opens their windows and flocks outdoors – and everyone has been recently vaccinated could mean the surge won’t be as big as it could have been.

Prof Fisher put this down to the fact that the highly encouraged vaccines become less effective in preventing transmissions in the weeks and months after they’re administered.

“A couple of weeks after you’ve had the vaccine is when it’s most effective (80 per cent) in preventing transmission, but four to six months later it’s more like 40 per cent,” he said.