SINGAPORE, Sept 29 — One of two new Covid-19 cases in the community had gone to work at Changi Airport after the onset of his symptoms.
The 26-year-old work permit holder from Malaysia was tested as part of proactive screening of workers in essential services who are living outside the dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (Sept 28).
He has no known sources of infection and investigations are ongoing to find the links.
Another work permit holder from Malaysia, also 26, who is a household contact of the first man, also tested positive.
“When contacted by MOH on Sept 27 after (the first case) was confirmed with Covid-19 infection, (the second case) reported having symptoms and was immediately (taken) to a hospital for a swab,” the ministry said.
“In the meantime, all the identified close contacts of the case have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period so that we can detect asymptomatic cases.”
The two men were among the 15 new cases of Covid-19 announced by MOH on Monday. Six others were imported cases and the remaining seven were linked to migrant workers staying in dormitories.
A majority of the fresh cases have no symptoms.
The six imported cases are one permanent resident, two work pass holders, one work permit holder and two dependant’s pass holders.
The two dependant’s pass holders are children aged one and three, MOH said.
The six imported cases had arrived in Singapore from India, France, and the Philippines on Sept 15 and 16.
They were placed on 14-day stay-home notices and tested positive while serving their notices at dedicated facilities.
Overall, the number of new cases in the community has remained stable at an average of fewer than one case a day in the past 14 days.
The number of cases in the community with no known sources of infection has also remained stable at an average of fewer than one a day in the past two weeks.
Of the seven new cases involving migrant workers in dormitories, four had been identified earlier as contacts of previous cases.
The remaining three were detected through surveillance testing, such as Rostered Routine Testing under MOH and the testing of those with acute respiratory infection symptoms.
Based on MOH's monitoring of existing clusters at dormitories for any further transmission of the coronavirus, the ministry said that there have been no more cases linked to Changi Lodge II at 80 Tanah Merah Coast Road, as well as the dormitories at 35 Kian Teck Way and 66 Tech Park Crescent for the past two incubation periods.
The clusters are now closed.
Updates on remaining cases
The total number of infections in Singapore now stands at 57,715.
Of these, 57,393 people have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, including 26 on Monday.
There are still 36 patients in hospitals and most are in stable condition or improving. No one is in intensive care.
Another 259 patients are isolated and being cared for at community facilities. They have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still tested positive for Covid-19.
Twenty-seven people have died from complications due to Covid-19. — TODAY
