4th person infected with Wuhan virus in S'pore took public transport, but risk of infection 'low': MOH

Close contacts to confirmed cases are currently being identified.

Jason Fan | January 26, 2020, 09:47 PM

As of noon on Sunday, Jan. 26, there were no new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In a statement issued by MOH, the ministry said it has been notified of 92 suspected cases in total, with four confirmed cases.

A total of 46 cases have tested negative for the coronavirus, while test results for the remaining 42 cases are pending.

4 confirmed cases, including a man being treated in Sengkang General Hospital

According to MOH, the fourth confirmed case is a 36-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan, who is currently being treated in an isolation ward at Sengkang General Hospital.

The patient stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa prior to hospital admission on Jan. 24, and he said that he had visited Universal Studios Singapore and VivoCity.

MOH said that he had travelled on public transport, including taxi, but announced that the risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or public spaces, is "assessed to be low".

It is unclear whether the man was in Sengkang prior to his hospital admission, or why he was being treated in Sengkang General Hospital.

 

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Close contacts will be quarantined once identified

MOH also said that contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing.

As of Jan. 26, MOH has identified 115 close contacts from the four confirmed cases.

Of the 86 who are still in Singapore, 66 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated.

MOH said that efforts to contact the remaining 20 close contacts are ongoing.

Once identified, close contacts to confirmed cases will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient, and be closely monitored by MOH.

All other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will also be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.

Singaporeans advised not to travel to Hubei

MOH has advised Singaporeans not to travel to the whole of Hubei Province.

In addition, Singaporeans are also advised to exercise caution and attention to personal hygiene when travelling to the rest of China.

All travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon returning to Singapore, and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell.

Travellers who have a fever or display respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or shortness of breath, are advised to wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit.

They should also inform their doctor of their travel history.

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