Singapore Imposes High Pressure: Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients Must Pay Treatment Costs Out of Pocket

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Singapore, where the COVID-19 vaccination completion rate exceeds 85%, has stepped up strong pressure on the unvaccinated to further increase the vaccination rate.

This is based on the judgment that the higher the vaccination rate, the more desirable it is to move toward 'With COVID-19.'

According to the daily Straits Times and CNA broadcast on the 9th, Ong Ye Kung, Minister of Health, announced at the COVID-19 response task force press conference the day before that starting from December 8, those who refuse vaccination and then contract COVID-19 will have to bear their own medical expenses.

Minister Ong referred to this measure as an 'important signal' to those who are still delaying vaccination.

The Ministry of Health stated that those who have received only one dose of the vaccine will not have to pay for treatment out of pocket if they contract COVID-19 by December 31 of this year.

However, from next year, those who are not fully vaccinated and contract COVID-19 will have to pay for their own treatment.

This measure was introduced because many patients receiving treatment in intensive care units are unvaccinated, which is increasing the imbalance in Singapore's healthcare resources.

The government COVID task force revealed at a press conference on the 23rd of last month that unvaccinated elderly people accounted for about two-thirds of ICU admissions and deaths over the past month.

Currently, Singapore covers the full cost of COVID-19 treatment for Singaporean citizens, permanent residents, and long-term visa holders.

However, this excludes cases confirmed within 14 days after returning from overseas travel.

This measure is an extension of the recent continuous encouragement for vaccination.

The Public Service Division (PSD) warned earlier this month that as a last resort, civil servants who refuse vaccination despite being eligible may be placed on unpaid leave starting next year.

The government previously announced that from January 1 next year, only those who have completed vaccination or recovered from COVID-19 within 270 days will be allowed to return to work on-site.

Health authorities also prohibited unvaccinated individuals from eating or drinking inside hawker centers or coffee shops starting from mid-last month.

Hawker centers are a type of street food market gathering various cuisines in one place, and are popular spots in Singapore, a multi-ethnic and multicultural country.

There are over 100 hawker centers and more than 1,000 coffee shops in Singapore.

Shopping malls and large standalone stores are also restricting access for unvaccinated people.

In preparation for this, the government is offering corresponding 'rewards' to those who have completed vaccination.

From the 10th, if a family has completed vaccination, up to five members can dine out at restaurants, announced Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Trade and Industry, the day before.

Under strengthened quarantine measures implemented in mid-September, even vaccinated people were limited to dining out in groups of up to two.

However, hawker centers and coffee shops, which are open and difficult to control entry, are currently excluded from this allowance.

As of the 7th, 85% of Singapore’s population of 5.45 million have completed COVID-19 vaccination, one of the highest rates in the world.

On the previous day, 2,470 new confirmed cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total to 220,803.

As of the 8th, among 91,425 confirmed cases over the past 28 days, 98.7% were asymptomatic or mild, 0.3% were ICU patients, and the fatality rate was 0.2%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.