Singapore cancels free ‘Covid’ healthcare for those ‘unvaccinated by choice’

The government of Singapore will no longer cover the healthcare costs of Covid-19 patients if they choose to remain unvaccinated, the country’s health ministry announced, in an apparent bid to encourage immunizations.

“Currently, unvaccinated persons make up a sizable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday, adding that the same group makes up “the bulk of severe and ICU cases” and imposes “a strain on our healthcare system.”

Update on COVID-19 situation (8 Nov 2021):

We have detected 2,307 new community cases, 156 dormitory cases, and 7 imported cases. The weekly infection growth rate is 0.84.

For full details: https://t.co/lJYpxUKBpc pic.twitter.com/5rnri31bXN

— Ministry of Health (@sporeMOH) November 8, 2021

While the government said its 70%-full ICU capacity is still “manageable” and that the vast majority of infections have been “mild” or asymptomatic as of late, it noted the pandemic is still “stretching our healthcare manpower” and a resurgence in cases could “overwhelm” the hospital system.