Part 7/12:
However, the disease did not relent. Despite high vaccination rates, new variants emerged, exemplified by the Delta wave. In May 2021, the trajectory took a challenging turn. The virus’s evolution resulted in higher viral loads—100 to 1,000 times more than the original strain—leading to surges in cases, especially in clusters like Tanjong Pagar and Jurong. Singapore’s public health system shifted gears again, intensifying contact tracing and testing efforts. At the peak, over 70,000 daily PCR tests were conducted to contain these outbreaks.