The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (April 15) reported 447 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore, bringing the total number of cases here to 3,699.
447 new cases, 4 new clusters
Of the 447 new cases, 38 are cases in the community. There were again no imported cases.
Among the new local cases, 68 per cent are linked to existing clusters, while a further 32 per cent of the cases, 143, are yet unlinked.
There are also four new clusters:
- 10 Kian Teck Crescent dorm
- Kian Teck Dorm (26 Kian Teck Avenue)
- 234A Balestier Road
- Mandai Lodge (460 Mandai Road)
A majority of the new linked cases announced were work permit holders living in dormitories, similar to the previous few days.
143 cases pending contact tracing, 41 discharged cases
Meanwhile, 41 patients were discharged from hospitals and community isolation facilities, bringing the total number of discharged cases to 652.
However, there are still 26 cases in the intensive care unit, two fewer than Apr. 14.
10 patients who were diagnosed with the Covid-19 infection have so far died from it.
Death of Malaysian man
MOH also reported that an 80-year-old Malaysian male who passed away on April 14 from causes not related to Covid-19 tested positive for the disease posthumously.
Breakdown of new cases
Steep, continual increase over the past seven days
It has been more than a week of Singapore seeing a sustained daily three-digit jump in the total number of Covid-19 cases reported.
The MOH reported the following numbers of cases each day since April 7:
- 106 cases on April 7
- 142 cases on April 8
- 287 cases on April 9
- 198 cases on April 10
- 191 cases on April 11
- 233 cases on April 12
- 386 cases on April 13
- 334 cases on April 14, and
- 447 cases on April 15 (Wednesday).
MOM's strategy to curb rise in foreign worker dormitory cluster cases
In response to the rapidly-rising numbers of cases emerging from foreign worker dormitories, Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo shared three strategies her ministry is taking to tackle the crisis:
- Locking down dormitories where clusters have emerged,
- Taking steps to prevent clusters from forming in non-affected dormitories, and
- moving workers in essential services to separate facilities.
Mask-wearing now compulsory for all
One of the most major recent developments in the outbreak in Singapore saw co-chair of the Covid-19 Multi-Ministry Taskforce Lawrence Wong, announced in a press conference on Tuesday (April 14) that it is now compulsory for Singaporeans to wear masks the moment they leave their houses.
First-time offenders who do not abide by this rule will be slapped with a S$300 fine, while repeat offenders will be fined S$1,000 and face possible prosecution.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the taskforce, added that the measure will be subject to review, and may “well continue” after the circuit breaker period ends.
Links between new cases and those previously announced
On April 15, MOH reported new links discovered between these cases and those from previous clusters.
- Four of the earlier confirmed cases were linked to a new cluster at 10 Kian Teck Crescent Dormitory.
- One of the confirmed cases is linked to three previous cases, forming a new cluster at Kian Teck Dormitory (26 Kian Teck Avenue).
- Seven of the earlier confirmed cases have now been linked to a new cluster at 234 Balestier Road.
- One of the confirmed cases is linked to six previous cases, forming a new cluster at Mandai Lodge (460 Mandai Road).
- One additional case linked to the cluster at Keppel Shipyard (51 Pioneer Sector 1), for a total of eight confirmed cases.
- Eight additional cases linked to Tech Park Crescent dormitory (43 Tech Park Crescent), for a total of 19 confirmed cases.
- Two additional cases linked to Kranji Dormitory (17 Kranji Way), for a total of nine confirmed cases.
- Five additional cases linked to Kranji Lodge (12 Kranji Road), for a total of 17 confirmed cases.
- Seven additional cases are linked to the clusters at PPT Lodge 1A (8 Seletar North Link), for a total of 18 confirmed cases.
- 74 additional cases linked to S11 Dormitory @ Punggol (2 Seletar North Link), for a total of 797 confirmed cases.
- Seven additional cases linked to Shaw Lodge (12 Shaw Road), for a total of 24 confirmed cases.
- 22 additional cases linked to Westlite Toh Guan dormitory (18 Toh Guan Road East), for a total of 110 confirmed cases.
- One additional case linked to Westlite Woodlands dormitory (2 Woodlands Sector 2), for a total of 10 confirmed cases.
- 10 additional cases linked to the cluster at Toh Guan Dormitory (19A Toh Guan Road East), for a total of 83 confirmed cases.
- 91 additional cases linked to Sungei Tengah Lodge (500 Old Choa Chu Kang Road), for a total of 279 confirmed cases.
- Six additional cases linked to Tampines Dormitory (2 Tampines Place), for a total of 61 confirmed cases.
- 11 additional cases linked to the cluster at Cochrane Lodge I (51 Admiralty Road West), for a total of 53 confirmed cases.
- 11 additional cases linked to Cochrane Lodge II (49 Admiralty Road West), for a total of 46 confirmed cases.
- 15 cases linked to Cassia @ Penjuru (15 Penjuru Walk)
- 26 additional cases linked to Acacia Lodge (530-540 Bukit Batok Street 23), for a total of 56 confirmed cases.
- 27 additional cases linked to Tuas View Dormitory (70 Tuas South Avenue 1), for a total of 43 confirmed cases.
- One additional case linked to 36 Woodlands Industrial Park E1, for a total of 27 confirmed cases.
- 16 additional cases linked to 31 Sungei Kadut Avenue, for a total of 27 cases.
- Six additional cases linked to 21B Senoko Loop and 13 Senoko Way, for a total of 12 confirmed cases.
- One additional case linked to the renovation sites at the National University Hospital (5 Lower Kent Ridge Road), for a total of 26 confirmed cases.
- Three additional cases linked to the Kenyon/ UBS construction site (9 Penang Road), for a total of 15 confirmed cases.
- One additional case linked to Mustafa Centre (145 Syed Alwi Road), for a total of 87 confirmed cases.
Top image via Google Maps / Joe Yeo