Singapore's worst Covid-19 outbreak continues as new cases near 2,500

Singapore's Health Ministry reported almost 2,500 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, a third consecutive daily record, as well as two more coronavirus-related deaths.
The new cases mean over 96,000 people in Singapore have now caught the virus since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures, with almost one third of infections occurring during the past month.
Of the 95 virus-related deaths recorded to date in Singapore, 40 occurred in September, all but one among the over-60s, who have been "strongly urged" by the government to stay at home for the next four weeks when case numbers could rise as high as 5,000 a day.
Over 82 per cent of the population is vaccinated and around 200,000 third booster shots have been administered, according to the ministry.
The 5.45-million population city-state had until August avoided the worst of the Delta-variant spread seen elsewhere in Asia and had announced plans to combat the virus in a similar manner to how flu is dealt with elsewhere.
But restrictions were tightened this week, with restaurants limited to 2 people per table from Monday and a work-from-home advisory announced.
Singapore's sole lockdown, dubbed a "circuit breaker" by officials, ran from April to June last year, when tens of thousands of migrant workers living in crowded residences caught the virus.