SINGAPORE: Two locally transmitted cases were among 25 new COVID-19 infections reported in Singapore as of noon on Friday (Feb 5), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
One new infection was reported in a foreign worker dormitory, while another was a community case.
The last COVID-19 case reported in a dormitory was on Jan 16.
COMMUNITY CASE WENT TO WORK AFTER SYMPTOMS, DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION
The community case, identified as Case 59980, is a 56-year-old Singaporean man who works as an import officer at Yusen Logistics and is based at Changi Cargo Megaplex.
His job does not entail interaction with flight passengers, said MOH.
The man developed a cough on Feb 2 but did not seek medical attention and continued to go to work, said the ministry.
As he had earlier been identified as a contact of a tuberculosis case at his workplace, he went to the Tuberculosis Control Unit on Feb 4 for screening. He was tested for COVID-19 there after he reported his symptoms.
The man's COVID-19 test result came back positive on the same day and he was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in an ambulance.
He had earlier tested negative for COVID-19 during a testing operation for airport cargo workers on Jan 18.
The man's serological test result has come back negative, indicating that this is likely a current infection, said MOH.
DORMITORY CASE RESIDES AT SOON LEE STREET
The dormitory case is a 31-year-old Bangladeshi man who arrived in Singapore on Dec 13.
He stays at a dormitory at 1 Soon Lee Street, and had yet to start work since arriving in Singapore.
The work pass holder served his stay-home notice at a dedicated facility until Dec 27.
His swab test on Dec 23 was negative for COVID-19, as was a previous rostered routine testing on Jan 13.
The man, who is asymptomatic, tested positive during another rostered routine testing on Feb 4.
"His serology test has come back positive, but given the relatively long time interval between his travel and positive COVID-19 test, we have classified this case as locally transmitted," said MOH.
IMPORTED CASES
The remaining 23 cases were imported infections and placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore.
They include three Singapore citizens and two permanent residents who returned from Canada, India, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Two are dependant's pass holders who arrived from India and the UAE.
Four are work pass holders who arrived from India, Russia and the UAE.
There are also 11 work permit holders, all foreign domestic workers, who arrived from Indonesia and Myanmar.
The remaining imported case is a short-term visit pass holder who arrived from the Netherlands for a work project in Singapore.
Epidemiological investigations into the cases are ongoing.
"In the meantime, all the identified close contacts of the cases, including their family and household members, as well as co-workers, have been isolated and placed on quarantine," said MOH.
They will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period to detect asymptomatic cases. Serological tests will also be conducted for the close contacts to determine if the cases could have been infected by them.
ONE CASE IN CRITICAL CONDITION
Two malls were on Friday added to a list of public places visited by COVID-19 cases during their infectious period. They are: White Sands shopping centre and Jurong Point.
Twenty-five more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 59,373.
There are 41 patients who are still in hospital. One of them is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Another 206 are isolated at community facilities.
Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased from zero in the week before to four cases in the past week.
The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from zero in the week before to three cases in the past week.
"We will continue to closely monitor these numbers, as well as the cases detected through our surveillance programme," said MOH.
The ministry added that among the 200 confirmed cases reported from Jan 30 to Feb 5, 114 cases have tested positive for their serology tests, 34 have tested negative and 52 results are pending.
As of Friday, Singapore has reported a total of 59,649 COVID-19 cases, with 29 fatalities.
PILOT FOR PUBS, BARS LIMITED TO CURRENT 3 BUSINESSES
Given the recent increase in the number of unlinked community cases in Singapore, authorities announced on Friday that a pilot programme that allowed three bars and pubs to reopen in December will not be expanded to more participants.
The duration of the pilot, however, will be extended by two more months.
This means the three selected businesses - Bar Kiharu at Orchard Plaza, Bell Bar at Cuppage Plaza and Skinny’s Lounge at Boat Quay - will now be able to remain open until Apr 7.
The aim of the pilot programme, which started on Dec 8, was to establish the viability of the stringent safe management measures and the ability of the nightlife industry in complying with them, before the Government considered further steps in resuming the industry.
MAN JAILED FOR BREACHING COVID-19 RULES HAS PR STATUS REVOKED
A man sentenced to jail last year for breaching a stay-home notice has had his permanent residency status in Singapore revoked, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Friday.
Even though his doctor told him to stay home because he was ill, Chong Tet Choe left his place of residence four times to buy food and top up the credit value in his mobile phone.
He was sentenced to two weeks’ jail in August for breaching COVID-19 regulations.
Chong is one of 367 people who have breached their stay-home notices out of a total of 308,442 notices issued as of Jan 25.
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2021-02-05 15:00:00Z
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