Editor's note (updated as of Feb. 11, 1540hrs): The WHO spokesperson has clarified that WHO has not ‘mounted an investigation’.

Three participants of a business meeting at Grand Hyatt were confirmed to have coronavirus.

Bloomberg reported that the incident has prompted an investigation into its potential international spread by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO in touch with MOH

In fact, WHO is in touch with the Ministry of Health in Singapore to investigate the conference held at Grand Hyatt in view of the three foreign cases of coronavirus infection.

WHO's regional communications manager for Western Pacific, Olivia Lawe Davies, reiterated that there is no evidence of "effective and sustained community transmission" — a statement MOH has reiterated since the first cluster of local transmission reported on Feb. 4.

As the the relevant governments’ focal points for the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) are sharing information and coordinating with each other, WHO is being kept informed.

Responding to questions by Reuters, she added that “as countries are stepping up surveillance, the detection of more cases of local transmission can be expected,".

The investigation was prompted as a precaution for any "super-spreader events".

Super-spreaders are people infected with a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism who transmit it to an unusually large number of other people.

Business meeting involved 94 foreign participants

The business meeting which occurred from Jan. 20 to Jan. 22 was attended by about 109 people.

Of which 94 of them came from overseas and 15 of them reside in Singapore.

All foreign participants were reported to have left Singapore and the 15 residents have been located.

Four of the 15 Singapore residents reported having symptoms and have been referred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases for assessment, MOH said.

It was also revealed that the remaining 11 are well.

MOH also said it has informed the relevant overseas health authorities.

2 Koreans and 1 Malaysian infected

Following the conference, two South Koreans and one Malaysian have been tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to MOH, the 42-year-old man from the state of Selangor was in Singapore from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23.

The Malaysian health authorities reported that the man showed symptoms on Jan. 29, six days after he left Singapore.

The Malaysian was confirmed to be infected on Feb. 3.

On Feb. 5, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that a 38-year-old man who visited Singapore for the same conference was infected.

The man was not flagged as a suspected case initially as he has no travel history to China.

He had a fever after returning to Korea and visited three hospitals subsequently.

The man had a meal with the infected Malaysian participant.

The 38-year-old alerted the health authorities after knowing that the Malaysian participant was a confirmed case. He was then tested positive for the coronavirus.

Another 36-year-old Korean participant of the conference was later confirmed to be infected. He too came in contact with the infected Malaysian man at the same event.

The source of infection for these three participants is not yet known.

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