The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed 39 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore on Saturday (Apr. 17).
This brings the total number of cases in the country to 60,808.
There are no cases in the dormitories.
First community case
There are four cases in the community today, of whom two are linked to a previous case and two are currently unlinked.
Case 62032 is a 35-year-old male Singaporean who works as a freelance photographer. He was detected when he was tested on Apr. 15 for Covid-19 as part of the Singapore Armed Force’s protocol to test national servicemen at the start of their in-camp training.
He is a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) National Serviceman (NSman) due to attend his in-camp training (ICT) when he was picked up to be positive for Covid-19 on Apr. 16. These swab tests are part of routine safety measures for all NSmen before they commence their ICT. He has been identified by the Ministry of Health as Case 62032.
The serviceman was well and asymptomatic when he reported for ICT at Nee Soon Camp. The serviceman is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. The SAF has been in contact with him and his family to render support and assistance.
His pooled test on Apr. 15 came back positive for Covid-19, and an individual swab done on Apr. 16 was also positive for Covid-19 infection. He was conveyed in an ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and developed a fever on the same day.
Another test conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) on Apr. 16 was negative for Covid-19 infection but a subsequent test on Apr. 17 by NPHL was again positive for Covid-19. His serological test result has come back positive, which is indicative of a past infection.
He could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA from a past infection, but given that MOH is not able to definitively conclude when he had been infected, it will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure.
As part of precautionary measures in place for positive cases detected, the SAF has carried out immediate and thorough disinfection of the premises that the serviceman had been in. All personnel who had been identified as close contacts during the ICT have also been swab tested. None have been tested positive for Covid-19 thus far, and are under quarantine. They will be monitored and re-tested to confirm their negative status before they are released from quarantine.
Second community case
Case 62045 is a 41-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident. She works as an accountant at OM Universal Pte Ltd (11 Kaki Bukit Road 1) but had not gone to work since the onset of symptoms.
She developed a cough in the evening of Apr. 14 after work, and sought medical treatment at a General Practitioner clinic the next day, where she was tested for Covid-19.
Her test result came back positive for Covid-19 infection on Apr. 16 and she was conveyed to NCID in an ambulance. Her serology test result is pending.
One of her household contacts is Case 61536, a Work Pass holder who arrived from India on Apr. 2. He tested positive for Covid-19 infection on Apr. 2 but was subsequently assessed to be a recovered case based on his positive serology result on Apr. 4.
Third community case
Case 62057 is a 31-year-old female Swiss national who is a Work Pass holder. She is a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore and colleague of Case 61993, and had interacted with him on Apr. 12.
Case 61993 is a 34-year-old male Indian national who is a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on Apr. 15.
She developed a sore throat on Apr. 15 but did not seek medical treatment. As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 61993, she was contacted by MOH on Apr. 16 and placed on quarantine.
She reported her symptom and was conveyed in an ambulance to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where she was tested for Covid-19. Her test came back positive for Covid-19 infection on Apr. 16.
Her serology test result is pending.
Fourth community case
Case 62063 is a 35-year-old male Indian national who is a Work Pass holder. He is the brother of Case 61993, and his household contact.
He works at DBS Bank (2 Changi Business Park Crescent) but has largely been working from home. He last went back to his workplace between Apr. 6 and 9.
As he had been identified as a close contact of Case 61993, he was placed on home quarantine on Apr. 15. He developed a fever on Apr. 16 and was conveyed in an ambulance to NCID after he informed MOH of his symptom.
He was tested for Covid-19 and his test came back positive on Apr. 17. His serology test result is pending.
35 imported cases
The 35 remaining cases are imported and have been placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or isolated upon arrival in Singapore.
Amongst them, 10 are Singaporeans or Singapore Permanent Residents, and eight are foreign domestic workers.
Five (Cases 62054, 62058, 62077, 62078 and 62097) are Singaporeans and five (Cases 62055, 62060, 62061, 62073 and 62075) are Singapore Permanent Residents who returned from Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Liberia.
Four (Cases 62033, 62034, 62052 and 62053) are Dependant’s Pass holders who arrived from Nepal.
One (Case 62050) is a Student’s Pass holder who arrived from India. One (Case 62051) is a Work Pass holder who arrived from India.
17 are Work Permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, of whom eight (Cases 62038, 62039, 62040, 62041, 62081, 62082, 62086 and 62095) are foreign domestic workers.
Two (Cases 62048 and 62049) are Short-Term Visit Pass holders. Case 62048 arrived from Bahrain for a work project in Singapore and Case 62049 arrived from India to visit his family member who is a Singapore Permanent Resident.
They had all already been placed on SHN upon arrival in Singapore and were tested while serving SHN.
17 cases discharged
17 more cases of Covid-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities.
In all, 60,463 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities.
There are currently 62 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and two are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
253 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19.
30 have passed away from complications due to Covid-19 infection.
17 new locations
MOH regularly updates a list of public places visited by confirmed cases for more than 30 minutes during their infectious period.
There are 17 new locations visited by confirmed Covid-19 cases:
This is the latest list of locations visited by confirmed cases within the last two weeks.
Those who had been identified as close contacts of confirmed cases would already have been notified by MOH.
As a precautionary measure, those who had been at these locations during the specified timings should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit.
They should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their exposure history.
MOH has also said that there is no need to avoid places where confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been. The National Environment Agency will engage the management of affected premises to provide guidance on cleaning and disinfection.
Top images from NUS website & by Calvin Yang via Google Maps.