Proportion of COVID-19 Re-infections from Cases in Local Community and in Dormitories, and Duration of Immunity following COVID-19 Infection

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health (a) what percentage of COVID-19 reinfections are local community cases and what percentage are dormitory cases; (b) what is the average time that a person who has contracted COVID-19 would be protected from a reinfection; and (c) how is the Ministry working with dormitory operators to reduce the incidence of reinfections.

As at 16 August 2021, there were 32 COVID-19 confirmed reinfection cases. A third of them were dormitory residents; and the remaining were imported cases. From 16 August 2021, formal assessment of reinfections is no longer performed as the national strategy moved away from the eradication strategy. All infections are managed similarly to ensure optimal clinical management and prevention of spread.

The duration between initial infection and subsequent reinfection varies, with an average of about 300 days. The measures to reduce the risk of transmissions and reinfections in dormitories are similar. First, over 97% of migrant workers, including recovered workers residing in dormitories have been fully vaccinated. Next, we have a multi-layered strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19 within dormitories. This includes implementing Safe Living Measures and infection prevention and control practices to limit transmission in the dormitories, Rostered Routine Testing, and testing workers with acute respiratory illness symptoms to detect outbreaks early. Upon detection, cases are isolated immediately.