SINGAPORE, Jan 27 — There were no new confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in Singapore as of yesterday afternoon, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said, adding that it has been notified of 92 suspect cases in total so far.
Of the 92 suspect cases, 46 have tested negative for the Wuhan coronavirus, which is believed to be linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which sells live animals.
Test results for 42 other cases are still pending.
In a media statement yesterday, the MOH said that the number of confirmed cases remains at four.
The latest case involved a 36-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who is currently being treated in an isolation ward at Sengkang General Hospital.
Prior to his admission to the hospital on Jan 24, the patient had stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa. He had also visited Universal Studios Singapore and Vivocity, and had travelled on public transport, including taxi.
However, the MOH said that the risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or public spaces, is assessed to be low.
The health ministry added that nine individuals have since been identified as close contacts of the last case. As of noon yesterday, the ministry have contacted eight of them, who are now being quarantined.
“Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining close contact,” the MOH said.
Contact tracing is ongoing
The MOH said that contact tracing for the confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus is ongoing.
Once identified, the ministry will closely monitor all the close contacts, and that 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.
The MOH said that it has since identified 115 close contacts from the four confirmed cases as of Sunday afternoon.
“Of the 86 who are still in Singapore, 66 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated. Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining 20 close contacts,” said the MOH.
Health advisory in place
The MOH reiterated that Singaporeans are advised not to travel to the whole of Hubei province and to exercise caution and attention to personal hygiene when travelling to the rest of China.
It added that all travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return to Singapore and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell. They should also inform their doctor of their travel history.
“If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms, they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit,” said the MOH.
The health ministry added that it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“As medical practitioners are on the lookout for cases with pneumonia who have recently been in China, Singapore is likely to see more suspect cases that will need to be investigated for possible links to the Wuhan cluster,” said MOH. — TODAY
