Test kits fly off the shelves as Covid-19 cases spike

Pharmacies report surge in demand for kits, masks as S'pore faces new infection wave

- Judith Tan, David Sun, Anjali Raguraman, Gracia Yap and Leow Wen Xuan

Covid-19 antigen rapid test (ART) kits flew off the shelves at many pharmacies over the weekend after news broke that Singapore is facing a new wave.

Cases of Covid-19 have been rising in the last two weeks, a result of the Covid-19 sub-variants, which scientists have nicknamed "FLiRT," drawing from the letters in the names of their mutations.

Globally, variant JN.1 and its sublineages, including KP.1 and KP.2, remain the predominant Covid-19 variants. The combined proportion of KP.1 and KP.2 currently accounts for more than two-thirds of the cases in Singapore.

As of May 3, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring.

There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

Watsons has seen demand for Covid-19 test kits surge by more than 150 per cent in the past week, its Singapore managing director Irene Lau said.

"Our stores are well-stocked, and we have scheduled replenishments. We continuously seek collaborations with partners to promptly address any further increases in demand." 

A Guardian spokeswoman said the chain has seen an increase in demand for Covid-19-related items, such as masks, test kits and cough and cold medicine, in line with the recent wave.

"Despite this rise, there have been no instances of insufficient stock over the past two weeks. Guardian is proactively managing our inventory and working very closely with our suppliers to ensure that we maintain sufficient stock levels to meet our customers' needs during this period," she said.

Heeding the Government's call for people to get an additional Covid-19 vaccine dose was Mr Senthil Nathan, 47, who was at the Sengkang joint testing and vaccination centre (JTVC) getting his fifth shot on May 20.