An insider working at the Ministry of Health told States Times Review over a phone call that the actual reporting for yesterday’s figures was 1,146 and the actual total is 5,573. State media Straits Times reported the above figures but retracted their reporting an hour after publication.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong however ordered the reporting to be halved to “minimise public panic”.
This was done by reporting the official figures in the afternoon at 4pm yesterday, instead of the late evening night at 11pm.
The Ministry of Health did not comment on the 1,146 new cases information, or explain why the reporting was done in the afternoon instead.
There has been no standard reporting structure and timing since the coronavirus broke out in January. The Singapore government earlier covered up the number of uncontactable suspect cases, then covered up the flight information and profiles of imported cases, and subsequently tried to cover up the total number of cases by reporting only the number of discharged and daily increases. The last antic was called out by States Times Review and the Ministry of Health had to comply.