On March 17, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced 23 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Singapore.

This is the highest single-day jump in confirmed cases reported so far.

This brings the total of confirmed cases to 266.

Of the new reported cases, 17 were imported.

Five people have recovered and were discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of discharged patients to 114.

However, 14 people remain in intensive care.

Details of the new confirmed cases

Case 244 (imported)

Case 244 is an imported case involving a 53-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Germany from Feb. 26 to Feb. 29, Italy from Feb. 29 to Mar. 7, and Switzerland from Mar. 7 to 14 March.

He is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). He is linked to Case 243.

He reported onset of symptoms on Mar. 7. He presented at the emergency department of Gleneagles Hospital on Mar. 15, and was referred to NCID on the same day.

Subsequent test results confirmed Covid-19 infection on Mar. 16 afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at a home office at River Valley Road. He stays at Alexandra Road.

Case 245

Case 245 is a 76-year-old male Singaporean Citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He is currently warded in an isolation room at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

He reported onset of symptoms on Mar. 12, and was conveyed by ambulance to SGH on Mar. 15. Subsequent test results confirmed Covid-19 infection on Mar. 16 afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at Marina One West Tower (9 Straits View). He stays at Boon Lay Drive.

Case 246 (imported)

Case 246 is an imported case involving a 39-year-old male Canadian national who had been in Japan from Feb. 23 to Mar. 7. He is currently warded in an isolation room at SGH.

He reported onset of symptoms on Mar. 9. He presented at the emergency department of SGH on March 15 and subsequent test results confirmed Covid-19 infection on Mar. 16 afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had visited Singtel Comcentre (31 Exeter Road). He stays in the Tanjong Pagar area.

Case 247 (imported)

Case 247 is an imported case involving a 41-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in the United Kingdom from Mar. 5 to Mar. 8, and again from Mar. 10 to Mar. 12, and France from Mar. 8 to Mar. 10.

He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

He reported onset of symptoms on March 16, and had presented at NCID on the same day. Subsequent test results confirmed Covid-19 infection on Mar. 16 afternoon.

He stays at Tampines Avenue 8.

Case 248

Case 248 is a 23-year-old female Malaysian national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and had been in Malaysia from Mar. 12 to Mar. 13.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 249 (imported)

Case 249 is an imported case involving a 42-year-old male Singapore Permanent Resident who had been in the United States from Mar. 4 to Mar. 16. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 250 (imported)

Case 250 is an imported case involving a 28-year-old male British national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and had been in the United Kingdom and Austria from Feb. 29 to Mar. 14.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 251

Case 251 is a 59-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a family member of Case 186.

Case 252

Case 252 is a 66-year-old male Singapore Citizen, who had been in Malaysia from Feb. 25 to Feb. 29.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 253 (imported)

Case 253 is an imported case involving a 24-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Spain from Feb. 12 to Mar. 16.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 254 (imported)

Case 254 is an imported case involving a 43-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who had been in France from Feb. 22 to Mar. 13.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 255 (imported)

Case 255 is an imported case involving a 44-year-old male Swedish national, who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and had been in Norway, Denmark and Sweden from Mar. 1 to Mar. 9.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 256

Case 256 is a 32-year-old female Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 205.

Case 257

Case 257 is a 19-year-old male French national, who is a Singapore Long Term Pass holder, and had been in the United Kingdom from Oct. 16 2019 to Mar. 14 2020.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at the National University Hospital (NUH).

Case 258 (imported)

Case 258 is an imported case involving a 47-year-old male Indian national who had been in Europe from Feb. 9 to Mar. 15.

He was confirmed to have Covid- 19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 259 (imported)

Case 259 is an imported case involving a 30-year-old female Singapore Citizen, who had been in the Philippines from Mar. 7 to Mar. 9.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 260

Case 260 is a 48-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at Farrer Park Hospital.

Case 261 (imported)

Case 261 is an imported case involving a 30-year-old male American national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and had been in the United States from Feb. 23 to Mar. 9, and France from Mar. 9 to Mar. 15.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 262 (imported)

Case 262 is an imported case involving a 20-year-old female Indonesian national, who had been in the United Kingdom from late January to Mar. 16.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 263 (imported)

Case 263 is an imported case involving a 52-year-old female Singapore Citizen who was in Spain from Mar. 6 to Mar. 8 and again from Mar. 9 to Mar. 14, and Portugal from Mar. 8 to Mar. 9.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded is an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 266.

Case 264 (imported)

Case 264 is an imported case involving a 41-year-old female Indonesian national who arrived in Singapore on Mar. 16.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 265 (imported)

Case 265 is an imported case involving a 25-year-old female Singapore Citizen who had been in the United Kingdom from Mar. 6 to Mar. 14.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 266 (imported)

Case 266 is an imported case involving a 63-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Spain from Mar. 6 to Mar. 8 and again from Mar. 9 to Mar. 14, and Portugal from Mar. 8 to Mar. 9.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 17 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to case 263.

The discharged cases

Case 122

Case 122 is a 64-year-old female Singapore citizen who has no recent travel to affected countries and regions.

She is linked to cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong and had reported onset of symptoms on Mar. 3.

She then sought treatment at GP clinic two days later on Mar. 5 where she was referred to NCID on the same day and immediately isolated.

She tested positive for Covid-19 that afternoon.

Prior to admission she had visited Westgate and Keat Hong Community Club. Her residence is at Petir Road.

Case 123

Case 123 is likely to be an imported case involving a 47-year-old male Singapore citizen who had been to South Africa from Feb. 14 to Feb. 17, and France from Feb. 22 to Feb. 24.

He is a crew member of Singapore Airlines and reported the onset of symptoms on Feb. 27.

He had also sought treatment at a GP clinic on the same day, as well as on Mar. 2 and Mar. 4.

He presented at Sengkang General Hospital on Mar. 4 and was subsequently confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 on the afternoon of Mar. 5.

Prior to his hospital admission, he had mostly lived at home at Fernvale Close and has not gone to work since the onset of symptoms.

Case 131

Case 131 is a 66-year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He was warded at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). He is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

He reported onset of symptoms on March 2 and had sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic on the same day and on March 5. He presented at NTFGH on March 5. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on March 6 afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work as a delivery personnel at Liang Guan Hak Kee (8 Pandan Crescent), and had visited Ayer Rajah Zone 3 Residents’ Committee (32 Teban Gardens Road). He stays at Pandan Gardens.

Case 171

Case 171 is an imported case involving a 27-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in France from Feb. 25 to Mar. 1, and Spain from Mar. 1 to Mar. 6.

He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 11 morning, and was warded at NCID.

Case 196

Case 196 is a 73-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions.

She was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Mar. 13 morning, and was warded at NCID.

She is a contact of Cases 107 and 148 and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

Don't travel for now

Earlier Tuesday at a Joint-Ministry Taskforce press conference, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong reiterated a previous MOH advisory urging Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel to help Singapore's efforts in containing the virus.

"There is really no need to travel, so please don’t travel, it puts everyone at risk, you put yourself at risk, and you will put your family members, and the people around you, at risk.

So we really ask Singaporean residents to really think through before you make any travel plans."

Wong also explained that the government was concerned about Singapore's rising numbers of imported cases, which does not refer to just foreign travellers but Singaporeans, Permanent Residents, and Long Term Pass-holders who have been overseas, became infected, and came back.

Related story:

Top image by Sulaiman Daud.