SINGAPORE, June 17 — Two foreign domestic workers as well as a retiree were three Covid-19 community cases with no known source of infection reported yesterday.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the retiree is an 85-year-old Singaporean woman who developed a fever on June 12 but did not seek medical treatment until three days later.
The two domestic workers are both Indonesian women aged 47 and 32.
The younger woman developed a fever on June 13 and a sore throat and cough the next day but did not go to a doctor. She was then tested for Covid-19 on June 15 as part of the MOH’s community surveillance testing of visitors to the Bukit Merah View market and its neighbouring block.
An 84-year-old Singaporean woman who is a household contact of the 32-year-old Indonesian worker has since tested positive for Covid-19 as well. Her case has been linked to the Indonesian woman.
Besides the three unlinked infections, there were 16 other new community cases that have been linked to past infections — including the 84-year-old woman above.
Of these, 13 were added to the Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre cluster.
In total, there are now 39 cases linked to that cluster as of Wednesday after a previously unlinked case — a 79-year-old Singaporean man who is a cleaning worker at public housing blocks in Clementi — were added to the tally.
There were five imported infections, making up a total of 24 cases reported for the day.
“Overall, the number of new cases in the community has gone up from 71 in the week before to 77 in the past week,” MOH said.
The number of cases with no known links in the community has jumped from six in the week before to 19 in the past week.
New cases in Bukit Merah view market cluster
■ A 76-year-old Singaporean man who is a retiree and frequently visited the Bukit Merah View market and the neighbouring block
■ A 12-year-old Singaporean girl who is a student at CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent and was last in school on May 18
■ A 33-year-old Singaporean woman who works in an administrative role at South Asia Construction and part-time at Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre
■ A 60-year-old Singaporean man who is a food stall vendor at the Bukit Merah View market
■ A 38-year-old Singaporean woman who works as a stall assistant at Zhangde Primary School’s canteen and was last at work on May 18
■ A 63-year-old Singaporean man who is a freelance worker and frequently visited the Bukit Merah View market and the neighbouring block
■ A 71-year-old Singaporean woman who is a retiree
■ A 15-year-old Singaporean who is a student at Gan Eng Seng School and was last in school on May 18
■ A 69-year-old Singaporean woman who works as a stall helper at New Changi Eating House in Bedok who sometimes helps out at a stall at the Bukit Merah View market
■ A 49-year-old Singaporean woman who works as a sales coordinator at medical equipment supplier Gold Lite in Bukit Merah
■ A 45-year-old Malaysia woman who works as a stall assistant at Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu located at 56 Eng Hoon Street
■ A 64-year-old Singaporean man who is a taxi driver and frequently visited the Bukit Merah View market
■ An 82-year-old Singaporean man who is a retiree and frequently visited the Bukit Merah View market
New cases linked to Ecoxplore cluster
These were linked to a 27-year-old India national who works as an engineer at automation equipment supplier Ecoxplore.
■ A 50-year-old Singaporean man who is employed as a part-time housekeeper at cleaning services firm Eunike Living
■ A 26-year-old Malaysian woman who works as a waitress at Common Man Stan — a cafe in the Chinatown area
Imported cases
The five new cases were all placed on stay-home notice upon their arrival here, MOH said.
They were:
■ Two Singaporeans who returned from India and the United Kingdom
■ Three work permit holders who CAME from Indonesia — all of them are foreign domestic workers
Update on remaining cases
The total number of infections in Singapore is now 62,339.
Of these, 61,931 people have fully recovered and been discharged, including 20 on Wednesday.
There are still 146 patients in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and one is in critical condition under intensive care.
Another 228 patients are isolated at community facilities. They have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still tested positive for Covid-19.
Thirty-four people have died from complications due to the disease. — TODAY
