'Short and sharp': COVID-19 wave of XBB infections in Singapore likely to peak in mid-November

“This is likely to be a short and sharp wave,” said Mr Ong, saying that Singapore is likely to see about 15,000 daily cases on average. 'By around mid-November, we should see the wave subsiding.' He added that on certain days when more cases tend to be reported, such as on Tuesdays, the caseload could reach 20,000 or 25,000. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that using the BA.5 wave as an indication, hospitalised cases peaked at 800 in July, and hospitals in Singapore, while stretched, were able to cope. The proportion of cases with the XBB strain, an Omicron subvariant, has been on the rise in Singapore over the past month. While highly transmissible, it has not caused more severe disease than previous variants thus far.