Six New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed

            As of 10 March 2020, 12pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed and verified six more cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore. Of these:

• Three are part of the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong (333 Boon Lay Way) on 15 February;

• Two are linked to a previous case; and

• One is currently unlinked.

Links between previous cases found

2.          Further epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between previously announced and new cases. This was made possible with the assistance of the Singapore Police Force.

Eight of the locally transmitted confirmed cases (Cases 31, 33, 38, 83, 90, 91, 138 and 151), as well as Cases 8 and 9, are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore. These cases are linked to another 23 confirmed cases (Cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81, 84, 88) who are linked to the Grace Assembly of God.Five of the confirmed cases (Cases 42, 47, 52, 56 and 69) are linked to the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.14 of the confirmed cases (Cases 93, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108 and 110) are linked to Wizlearn Technologies Pte Ltd.39 of the confirmed cases (Cases 94, 96, 107, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 164 and 166) are linked to a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong on 15 February.

3.              Investigations on these clusters are ongoing. In addition to the clusters, our investigations have identified the following links between cases:

• Case 72 is linked to Cases 59 and 79;

• Case 50 is linked to Cases 55, 65 and 77;

• Case 75 is linked to Case 41;

• Case 86 is linked to Case 82;

• Case 126 is linked to Case 109;

• Case 143 is linked to Case 132; and

• Case 142 is linked to Cases 162 and 163.

4.             Contact tracing is underway for the other nine locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions.

About the confirmed cases

Case 161

5.             Case 161 is a 73 year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). He is a family member of Case 107, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

6.             He reported onset of symptoms on 27 February. As he had been identified as a contact of Case 107, he was referred by MOH to NCID on 1 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March afternoon.

7.            He stays at Bishan Street 13.

Case 1628.           Case 162 is a 28 year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Indonesia from 29 February to 2 March. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to Case 142.

9.           He reported onset of symptoms on 7 March. As he had been identified as a contact of Case 142, he was referred by MOH to NCID on 9 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March afternoon.

10.           Prior to hospital admission, he had visited a shop at 26 Jalan Membina. He stays at Kim Tian Road.

Case 16311.         Case 163 is a 27 year-old female Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 142.

12.        She reported onset of symptoms on 8 March. As she had been identified as a contact of Case 142, she was referred by MOH to NCID on 9 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March afternoon.

13.        Prior to hospital admission, she had visited Funan Mall (107 North Bridge Road) and PUB Recreation Club (48 Woodleigh Park). She stays at Redhill Road.

Case 16414.         Case 164 is a 57 year-old female Permanent Resident who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 10 March morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a contact of Case 134, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

Case 16515.           Case 165 is a 30 year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in France from 15 February to 7 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 10 March morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 16616.          Case 166 is a 55 year-old female Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 10 March morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). She is a contact of Case 134, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

Case 154 (Announced on 9 March)17.          Case 154 is an imported case involving a 52 year-old male British national who arrived in Singapore on 6 March. He had been in Switzerland from 26 February to 28 February and in the UK from 29 February to 5 March. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

18.          He reported onset of symptoms on 8 March and presented at Raffles Hospital on the same day and was referred to NCID. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

19.        Prior to hospitalisation, he mostly stayed at his room in Raffles Hotel (1 Beach Road).

Case 155 (Announced on 9 March)20.        Case 155 is a 47 year-old female Malaysian national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a contact of Case 128, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

21.        She reported onset of symptoms on 4 March and had sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic on the same day. As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 128, she was referred by MOH to NCID on 8 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

22.         Prior to hospital admission, she mostly stayed at home at Boon Lay Place.

Case 156 (Announced on 9 March)23.          Case 156 is a 50 year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

24.          She reported onset of symptoms on 7 March and was conveyed by ambulance to NCID on 8 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

25.          Prior to hospital admission, she mostly stayed at her home at Jurong West Street 74.

Case 157 (Announced on 9 March)26.            Case 157 is a 54 year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a contact of Case 137, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

27.            She reported onset of symptoms on 8 March. As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 137, she was referred by MOH to NCID on 8 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

28.           Prior to hospital admission, she mostly stayed at her home at Jurong West Street 81.

Case 158 (Announced on 9 March)29.         Case 158 is a 53 year-old female Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). She is a family member of Case 159, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

30           She reported onset of symptoms on 5 March. She presented at NTFGH on 8 March, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

31.           Prior to hospital admission, she had sought treatment at Farrer Park Hospital (1 Farrer Park) for an unrelated condition. She stays at Pending Road.

Case 159 (Announced on 9 March)32.           Case 159 is a 59 year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NTFGH. He is a family member of Case 158, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

33.           He reported onset of symptoms on 5 March. He presented at NTFGH on 8 March, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

34.         Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to Farrer Park Hospital with Case 158 for an unrelated matter. He stays at Pending Road.

Case 160 (Announced on 9 March)35.          Case 160 is a five year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He is currently warded in an isolation room at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). He is a family member of Case 145, and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.

36.          He reported onset of symptoms on 7 March. As he had been identified as a contact of Case 145, he was referred by MOH to KKH on 8 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 9 March morning.

37.          He stays at Teck Whye Lane. He is a student at The Orange Tree Preschool @ Choa Chu Kang (10 Choa Chu Kang Road) but had not gone to his preschool since onset of symptoms.

Update on condition of confirmed cases38.           To date, a total of 93 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Of the 73 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. 12 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Update on contact tracing for confirmed cases 39.           Contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing. Once identified, MOH will closely monitor all close contacts. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.

40.           As of 10 March 2020, 12pm, MOH has identified 4,004 close contacts who have been quarantined. Of these, 872 are currently quarantined, and 3,132 have completed their quarantine.

Health advisory

41.           Singaporeans are advised to defer all travel to Hubei Province and all non-essential travel to mainland China, Iran, northern Italy, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

42.            All travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return to Singapore and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell. Travellers should inform their doctor of their travel history. If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath), they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit.

43.         Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:

• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness;

• Observe good personal hygiene;

• Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing);

• Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath;

• Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and

• Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell.

  
  

44.         MOH will continue to monitor the situation closely. As medical practitioners are on the lookout for suspect cases, Singapore is likely to see more cases that will need to be investigated.