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The Ministry of Health continues to see an increasing trend in COVID-19 positive cases and is urging everyone to bring back the COVID safe measures.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says we need to be able to live with COVID by reducing the risk of vulnerable people getting the virus or suffering from severe consequences.

Doctor Fong says, if we do not take measures to reduce the risk of getting the virus, the small percentage of people who get the severe disease will be a big number of people seeking hospital care.

He adds a big number of people seeking hospital care will mean they compete for hospital resources with those who need emergency care.

The PS stresses acute cases like heart attack patients, or road traffic accident cases will become more difficult to care for.

He adds vaccination with COVID safe measures will keep the number of people needing hospital care very low and ensure that the health care load remains manageable.

Doctor Fong says anyone who is sick should not be attending work or school.

He stresses if you have COVID-19 symptoms you must get tested for COVID-19 and if you test positive, isolation is mandatory for seven days.

Doctor Fong says the Ministry’s envision that the more the booster dose the better the level of protection, and the safer it will be to remove the remaining public health measures further.

The Ministry is currently looking at 80% booster coverage for those over 18 years of age.