Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tested positive again for Covid-19 on Thursday, a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors say is a case of rebound infection.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive again for Covid-19 a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors say was a case of rebound infection.
“I’m fine, but I’m afraid I’ve tested positive for COVID-19 again,” Lee said on social media Thursday. “My doctors say it is a Covid rebound that occurs 5-10% of the time. It is still contagious, although the risk is not high compared to the initial infection.”
As a result, Lee missed the dedication ceremony of a Hindu temple in Singapore. His reinfection comes as Singapore prepares to host senior defense leaders from Asia-Pacific, including Chinese Defense Secretary General Li Shangfu, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australian Prime Minister Anthony, at this weekend’s Shangri-La Dialogue Albanian.
Lee, 71, was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid when he first tested positive on May 22 after returning from a six-day official work trip to South Africa and Kenya. He has been Prime Minister of the Southeast Asian city-state since 2004.
Singapore weathered a peak in Covid-19 infections in April and its government was praised for its largely effective handling of the pandemic.
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