SINGAPORE: A record of 942 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Singapore as of noon on Saturday (Apr 18), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a media release.
The "vast majority" of these are work permit holders living in foreign worker dormitories, it said.
Of the new cases, 14 are Singaporeans and permanent residents, as the ministry noted that the number of local cases continues to decline.
"We are still working through the details of the cases, and further updates will be shared via the MOH press release that will be issued tonight," said the ministry.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted the rising number of cases in dormitories, adding that most of these are mild cases.
"The migrant workers who are ill are getting the medical treatment they need. Fortunately, the vast majority of the cases are mild, because the workers are young. Our healthcare teams continue to monitor their conditions," he wrote.
READ: ‘Dedicated strategy’ to break COVID-19 spread in dormitories, including housing healthy workers in army camps
Mr Lee said that while efforts have been made to break the chain of transmission in foreign worker dormitories, it will take some time to show results.
"So we must expect to see more dorm cases for a while longer. But we are building up our healthcare and isolation facilities to handle the load," he added.
Thirteen of such dormitories have so far been declared isolation areas, meaning that the workers will not be allowed to leave their rooms for 14 days.
READ: COVID-19: All foreign worker dormitories to have medical teams of doctors and nurses from hospitals, polyclinics
READ: Two weeks and a 70-fold increase: A look into the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore's foreign worker dormitories
MOH had on Friday also expressed concern over unlinked cases of COVID-19, saying that tests on a sample of individuals at primary care facilities have picked up several positive diagnoses, which indicate "undetected cases in the community".
"We are particularly concerned that it is increasingly difficult to link the new cases and identify the source of infection," said the ministry.
"In fact, the number of unlinked cases in the community has increased slightly, from an average of 19 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 22 per day in the past week.”
Saturday marks day 12 of Singapore's month-long "circuit breaker" - a period with enhanced safe distancing measures in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19. Most workplaces are closed and schools have transitioned to full home-based learning.
The Prime Minister said there are "a few early signs" that the circuit breaker is bringing down local cases in the broader community.
"But we are still worried about hidden cases circulating in our population, which are keeping the outbreak going," he added.
"The next few days will be critical. All of us must do our part, in order to defeat COVID-19."
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvY292aWQtMTktbmV3LWNhc2VzLXNpbmdhcG9yZS05NDItYXByLTE4LWRvcm1pdG9yaWVzLTEyNjU1MjQw0gEA?oc=5
2020-04-18 07:27:54Z
52780730581245
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar