Singapore's COVID-19 cases top 9000 after 1111 new cases reported - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 1,111 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday (Apr 21), taking the national total to 9,125.  

The vast majority of the new cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its release of preliminary figures. 

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Twenty cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents, and there are no imported cases.

A total of 1,050 new cases are foreign workers living in dormitories, while 33 are work permit holders residing outside dormitories, MOH said in its latest update.

"The main increase today continues to be for work permit holders residing in dormitories, where we are picking up many more cases because of extensive testing," it said, adding that most of the workers have a mild illness and none of them requires intensive care.

READ: COVID-19 circuit breaker extended until Jun 1 as Singapore aims to bring down community cases ‘decisively’ - PM Lee

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READ: COVID-19 - Hairdressers, confectioneries, standalone beverage outlets to close as essential services list trimmed

The number of new cases in the community has decreased from an average of 39 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 28 per day in the past week.

For unlinked cases in the community, the number has decreased slightly from an average of 21 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 20 per day in the past week. 

"We will continue to closely monitor these numbers, as well as the cases detected through our surveillance programme," said MOH.

More cases are being detected among work permit holders residing outside dormitories; the number of such cases has increased from an average of 14 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 26 per day in the past week.

Of all the new cases, 66 per cent are linked to known clusters, while the rest are pending contact tracing.

INTERACTIVE: All the COVID-19 clusters at dorms and construction sites

READ: Two weeks and a 70-fold increase: A look into the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore's foreign worker dormitories

THREE NEW CLUSTERS

Three new infection clusters have been identified by the ministry: The Jovell construction site (27 Flora Drive), Pesko Engineering (2 Joo Koon Road) and 5 Sungei Kadut Avenue.

Between Apr 14 and Apr 20, the ministry has uncovered links for 672 previously unlinked cases.

Thirteen previously confirmed cases have now been linked to a new cluster at The Jovell construction site.

The Pesko Engineering cluster is made up of 11 previously confirmed cases as well as 40 of the new cases announced on Tuesday.

Two of the newly confirmed cases are linked to 13 previous cases, forming a new cluster at 5 Sungei Kadut Avenue.

The health ministry also uncovered links between previously confirmed cases and existing clusters.​​​​​​​

Topping the list is S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, which has 166 additional cases linked to it, taking its total to 2,143.

Sungei Tengah Lodge added 89 more cases to its cluster, which now has a total of 629 confirmed cases.

Fifty-nine more cases are linked to the cluster at Tuas View Dormitory, bringing its total to 519 confirmed cases.

MOH added that 39 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 839 have fully recovered from the infection.

Of the 3,593 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving, while 27 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 4,682 cases who are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. 

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 remains at 11.

A summary of the cases is provided on the ministry's website.

A total of 19 foreign worker dormitories have been gazetted as isolation areas, following a recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases among foreign workers in Singapore.

MOH on Monday said that it was "picking up many more cases" because of extensive testing. 

"These are not new infections as the workers are staying in their rooms and many have not reported sick. But when the teams go in to test them, many turn out to be positive."

Most of them have a mild illness and are being monitored in community isolation facilities or general wards. None are in the intensive care unit, MOH added. 

CIRCUIT BREAKER PERIOD EXTENDED

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Tuesday that Singapore will extend its circuit breaker period by four weeks to Jun 1, while implementing tighter measures to stem the spread of COVID-1.

More workplaces will be closed, the list of what was considered essential services has been tightened, and there will be additional entry restrictions at four popular markets based on the last digit of patrons' identification card numbers.

"These tighter measures will be in place minimally for a two-week period from Apr 21, 2020 until May 4, 2020 (inclusive)," said MOH in a media release. 

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2020-04-21 19:18:53Z
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1050 of the 1111 coronavirus cases confirmed in S'pore are foreign workers living in dormitories - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Foreign workers living in dormitories continue to make up the majority of new coronavirus patients here, accounting for over 94 per cent of the 1,111 new cases announced on Tuesday (April 21).

A total of 1,050 of the new coronavirus cases are foreign workers living in dorms, as the total number of cases in Singapore crossed the 9,000 mark.

With the updated figures, nearly four in five of all the 9,125 coronavirus cases in Singapore now are foreign workers living in dormitories.

MOH said that it continues to pick up many more cases in dorms because of extensive testing. Most of these cases have a mild illness and are being monitored in community isolation facilities or the general wards of hospitals, it said. None of them is in the intensive care unit.

The ministry added that these cases from dorms are not new infections as the workers are staying in their rooms and many have not reported sick.

There were also three new coronavirus clusters announced on Tuesday: The Jovell construction site at Flora Drive in Tampines, Pesko Engineering on Joo Koon Road, and 5 Sungei Kadut Avenue.

The Jovell constuction site has 13 patients, Pesko Engineering has 51 patients, while 5 Sungei Kadut Avenue has 15 cases.

There were also cases added to many existing dormitory clusters, with the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol continuing to be the biggest cluster here with 2,143 patients now linked to it. The cluster alone accounts for about 23 per cent of all 9,125 cases in Singapore.

Among the new coronavirus cases outside of dorms, MOH said 20 are Singaporeans and permanent residents, while eight are work pass or long-term pass holders.

Another 33 new cases are work permit holders who did not live in dorms. There are no new imported cases.

Of the new cases, 66 per cent are linked to known clusters.

MOH also noted on Tuesday that the number of new cases in the community decreased to an average of 28 per day in the past week, from an average of 39 cases per day in the week before.

Meanwhile, the number of unlinked cases in the community decreased slightly from an average of 21 cases per day in the week before to an average of 20 cases per day in the past week.

However, the number of new cases among work permit holders outside dorms, had shot up to an average of 26 per day in the past week, from an average of 14 cases per day in the week before.

As of Tuesday, the prevalence of positive coronavirus cases in the community was 0.022 per cent, but it was 0.056 per cent among the 664,000 workers not living in dorms, and 2.2 per cent among the 323,000 foreign workers staying in dorms, which means 7,127 workers in dorms have the coronavirus.

The overall prevalence of the virus in Singapore is now 0.16 per cent.

MOH also said on Tuesday that 39 more patients were discharged from hospitals and isolation facilities. Since January, 839 patients have fully recovered and been discharged.

Of the 3,593 confirmed cases still in hospital, most are stable or improving, but 27 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Another 4,682 patients who are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. Eleven have died from complications due to Covid-19.

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2020-04-21 17:12:52Z
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1050 of the 1111 coronavirus cases confirmed in S'pore are foreign workers living in dormitories - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Foreign workers living in dormitories made up 1,050 of the 1,111 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (April 21), as the total number of cases in Singapore crossed the 9,000 mark.

Among the new cases, 20 are Singaporeans and permanent residents, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update.

The other new patients are 33 work permit holders who did not stay in dormitories. There are no imported cases.

MOH also announced three new clusters - at The Jovell construction site at 27 Flora Drive, Pesko Engineering Pte Ltd at 2 Joo Koon Road, and 5 Sungei Kadut Avenue.

Singapore's largest active cluster remains S11 Dormitory in Punggol, which has confirmed 2,143 cases.

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore to 9,125.

Eleven patients have died from complications due to Covid-19.

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2020-04-21 15:14:42Z
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Singapore extends COVID-19 circuit breaker period until June 1 - CNA

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1. Singapore extends COVID-19 circuit breaker period until June 1  CNA
2. Covid-19 circuit breaker to be extended by one month to June 1: PM Lee  The Straits Times
3. Singapore extends circuit breaker to June 1, Singapore News  AsiaOne
4. In full: PM Lee's address on extension of 'circuit breaker' measures  CNA
5. Singapore extends partial lockdown until June 1 as infections surge  The Star
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-04-21 13:20:49Z
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In full: PM Lee's address on extension of 'circuit breaker' measures - CNA

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation on Tuesday (Apr 21), giving an update on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore as well as the "circuit breaker" period. 

This is the Prime Minister's full address in English: 

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Fellow Singaporeans & Residents

I am speaking to you again to give you an update on the COVID-19 situation We are now two weeks into the circuit breaker. On the whole, people have coped well. Most of us have played our part, staying at home, complying with the restrictions.

We have adjusted to working from home and home-based learning. When outside, we wear masks and keep a safe distance from others. And we have kept to our immediate family units and avoided gatherings with extended family and friends.

The number of new cases in the local community has levelled off, to below 30 new cases daily. This is the result of the circuit breaker, and all of us working together. But as you know, our total case numbers have risen sharply since the last time I spoke to you, just ten days ago. Today alone, we have over 1,100 new cases. Almost all were detected in our migrant worker dormitories, through aggressive testing.

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MIGRANT WORKERS

The large number of cases at the dorms is a serious problem. To assess the extent of the spread, we have tested aggressively. Not only those who reported sick, or showed fever or flu symptoms. But also those who were well and asymptomatic.

Almost all the migrant workers infected have only mild symptoms. This is not surprising as they are generally young, and thus much less likely to become seriously ill with COVID-19.

Our doctors, nurses and healthcare personnel are also working hard, triaging them early, and taking good care of them. It is early days yet, but thankfully, so far none of the new cases of migrant workers have needed supplemental oxygen, or intensive care.

We had one earlier case of a Bangladeshi worker, who was in the ICU for two months. This was Case 42. We never gave up on him. Last week, his condition stabilised. He was transferred out of the ICU, to a general ward. It will still take some time for him to fully recover. With some luck, he should be able to see his new-born son soon.

We hope that the situation in the dorms will remain this way: most of the cases being mild, and very few needing oxygen or intensive care. All the major dorms are supported by dedicated teams of doctors and nurses.

To protect the health of our migrant workers, we will step up the medical resources in the dorms. We will deploy more medical personnel, to make sure that anyone with fever or flu symptoms receives appropriate and timely medical treatment. We will house the mild cases either on site, in a separate facility within the dorm, or in community care facilities elsewhere. And we will make sure that those who need more active treatment receive immediate attention, and can be sent promptly to the hospital to help them recover.

We will also pay special attention to the older workers, who are more vulnerable. We are pre-emptively moving them to a separate dorm, where they can be monitored more closely.

To our migrant workers, let me emphasise again: we will care for you, just like we care for Singaporeans. We thank you for your cooperation during this difficult period. We will look after your health, your welfare and your livelihood. We will work with your employers to make sure that you get paid, and you can send money home. And we will help you stay in touch with friends and family.

Ramadan begins in a few days’ time. We will make sure that arrangements are made for our Muslim workers. When Aidilfitri comes next month, we will celebrate with our Muslim friends, just as we celebrated the Indian New Year with our Indian friends last week. This is our duty and responsibility to you, and your families.

Apart from the workers living in dorms, we are monitoring two other groups of migrant workers closely. First, workers who live in shophouses, private housing, or HDB flats. Second, workers in essential services. This group is still working during the circuit breaker, helping to keep Singapore going. Some are cleaning the HDB blocks or hawker centres. Others are maintaining key infrastructure like our broadband networks.

If these workers move in and out of dorms, they become potential channels for cross infection in both directions. Hence we are housing these essential workers separately. We are also testing them to make sure that they are healthy, and to pick up any infections early.

So far, the clusters in the dorms have remained largely contained, and have not spread to the wider community. We will do our utmost to keep it this way.

COMMUNITY

In the wider community, the circuit breaker is starting to have an effect. The number of community cases has fallen in recent days.

This is the result of all of us coming together, making sacrifices and adhering to the circuit breaker rules. We cannot afford to be complacent. We must press on. To bring down daily infections more sharply, to a single digit, or even zero. And to reduce the number of unlinked cases: those cases where we do not know how they got infected, or from whom.

Because unfortunately that number of unlinked cases has not come down. And this suggests there is a larger, hidden reservoir of COVID-19 cases in the community, that is the source of these unlinked cases, which we have not detected.

I discussed with the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) on the next steps to take. We want to bring down the community numbers decisively. We also want to make sure that if any leakage occurs from the dorms to the wider community, we can detect and contain it early, and prevent new clusters from forming and bursting out of control.

To achieve these two objectives, we must all hunker down and press on with our tight circuit breaker measures. We have called on all Singaporeans to stay home. Go out only for essential needs, like buying food or groceries. Otherwise, please stay at home.

If you do need to go out, then go by yourself, not as a group or as a family. Even when exercising outside, do so only by yourself, and only in your own neighbourhood. Remember: it is not just about adhering to the letter of the law.

The spirit of the guidelines is to reduce movement to a minimum, and to avoid being out and about in the community. This is the way to protect yourself, your family and everyone else.   

So I hope everyone can cooperate and do your part. Some hotspots, like some popular wet markets, are still a problem. Large groups of people continue to gather at these places, making it hard to practise safe distancing. These places will impose entry restrictions to thin out the crowds even more.

You can do your part too. Do your marketing on weekdays rather than weekends, and don’t bring your whole family with you for grocery shopping. When you run errands, go out alone, get what you need, and return home straightaway.

We will also close more workplaces, so that only the most essential services will remain open. This will reduce further the number of workers keeping essential services going, and minimise the risks of transmission among the workers. It will mean some degradation of services – for example, less frequent grass cutting in our HDB estates. But I hope we all understand why this has to be done.

We will implement these tighter measures until 4th May. But we will not be able to completely lift the restrictions after that, and go back to business as usual. We will therefore extend the circuit breaker for four more weeks, beyond 4 May. In other words, until 1 June.

Then, provided we have brought the community numbers down, we can make further adjustments and consider easing some measures. This way, we can be more assured that we have made definite progress and consolidated our position.

Many will be disappointed by the extension of the circuit breaker. Especially our businesses and workers, who are hurting greatly. But I hope you understand that this short-term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones, and allow us to revive our economy.

The Government will continue to help our businesses and workers cope during the extended circuit breaker period. We will provide the same level of support to our workers and businesses as we are doing now. The ministers will hold a press conference immediately after this to explain the details.

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

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2020-04-21 09:30:22Z
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PM Lee addresses the nation on Covid-19 situation | THE BIG STORY - The Straits Times

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1. PM Lee addresses the nation on Covid-19 situation | THE BIG STORY  The Straits Times
2. Coronavirus: Next few days will determine whether S'pore's circuit breaker can be eased by May 4, say experts  AsiaOne
3. 'Coming days key to easing of circuit breaker'  The New Paper
4. Foreign worker dormitory linked to grassroots gains $70m in valuation after govt approves redevelopment plan on 10 Feb  The Online Citizen
5. Singapore Tonight: News in brief April 20  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-04-21 08:56:33Z
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China says it is aware of reports about North Korea leader's health - CNA

BEIJING: China said on Tuesday (Apr 21) it is aware of reports about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but said it does not know their source, without commenting on whether it has any information about the situation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks during a daily briefing and did not elaborate further.

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READ: South Korea says Kim Jong Un not critically ill amid reports the North Korean leader in 'grave danger'

Media outlets said Kim had gone under a cardiovascular procedure, with CNN citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter as saying that Washington was "monitoring intelligence" that Kim was in grave danger after a surgery. Two South Korean sources rejected CNN's report, while a Chinese source said they did not believe Kim was critically ill.

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2020-04-21 07:57:41Z
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