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Singapore has detected two more Omicron Covid-19 cases who had transited here en route to Australia and Malaysia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday, Dec. 3.

The two travellers remained in the Changi Airport transit holding area until their departure.

MOH added that both cases had not entered Singapore or interacted in the community.

There is currently no evidence of any community transmission from these cases.

Details about these new cases

Transited through Singapore to travel to Australia

One of the Omicron cases had departed from Johannesburg on Nov. 27 via SQ481 and arrived at Changi Airport on the same day for his transit flight to Australia.

He arrived in Sydney on Singapore Airlines flight SQ231 on Nov. 28.

MOH said his pre-departure test in South Africa on Nov. 24 was negative for Covid-19.

The traveller, who was fully vaccinated, was New South Wales' eighth Omicron case.

Transited through Singapore to travel to Malaysia

The other Omicron case had also travelled from Johannesburg, South Africa, and transited through Singapore to go to Malaysia.

This case was confirmed as Malaysia's first recorded Omicron case, according to the country's Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The 19-year-old student was fully vaccinated.

She arrived in Malaysia on Nov. 19, a full week before the World Health Organization declared Omicron a variant of concern on Nov. 26.

She was on SQ479.

She remained in the transit holding area until her departure to Malaysia on Nov. 19.

A total of 15 passengers were identified as her flight close contacts.

All of them had not entered Singapore or interacted with the community here, and had remained in the transit holding area, MOH said, adding that contact tracing for both cases is ongoing.

Previous 2 Omicron cases from Johannesburg transited through Singapore to Sydney

Previously, two Omicron cases departed from Johannesburg on Nov. 27 via Singapore Airlines SQ481 and arrived at Changi Airport on the same day for their transit flight.

Their pre-departure tests in South Africa on Nov. 26 were negative for Covid-19 infection.

Most of the travellers had remained in the transit area at Changi Airport until their departure for Sydney on Nov. 28, and did not enter Singapore or visit other areas in Changi Airport.

Seven disembarked.

Six were made to serve their 10-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at a dedicated facility and were PCR tested.

One was a close contact of an infected individual on the flight, and was quarantined.

Contact tracing was carried out for airport staff who may have come into transient contact with the cases.

Top photo via Google Maps

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