SINGAPORE: There were no new confirmed cases of the Wuhan virus as of noon on Sunday (Jan 26), said the Ministry of Health (MOH), adding that it has been notified of 92 suspected cases in total.
Singapore has so far confirmed four cases of the SARS-like virus.
Of the 92 suspected cases, 46 have tested negative for the new coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China. Test results for the remaining 42 cases are pending.
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FOURTH CASE VISITED VIVOCITY, USS
Singapore’s fourth case of the virus was confirmed earlier on Sunday.
The patient, a 36-year-old man from Wuhan, is currently being treated in an isolation ward at Sengkang General Hospital.
Prior to his admission on Jan 24, he stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa.
He also said he had visited Universal Studios Singapore and Vivocity, said MOH, adding he had also travelled on public transport, including by taxi.
The ministry said the risk of infection from transient contact, such as from public transport or public spaces, is “assessed to be low”.
Nine people have been identified as close contacts of the man, added the ministry.
As of noon on Sunday, eight have been contacted and are being quarantined.
Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining person, said MOH.
In total, 115 close contacts have been identified for the four confirmed Wuhan virus cases as of noon.
Of these, 86 are still in Singapore, 66 of whom have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated, said MOH.
Efforts are still ongoing to contact the remaining 20 people.
Close contacts will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the infected person, said the ministry.
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, it said.
OTHER CONFIRMED CASES
Singapore’s first case of the novel coronavirus was on Thursday, while two cases were confirmed on Friday.
The first case – a 66-year-old Wuhan resident – had stayed at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa and indicated that he had kept within the hotel vicinity.
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The next two patients were the 37-year-old son of the first confirmed case and a 53-year-old woman.
She had stayed at J8 Hotel and visited Orchard Road, Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay, and had also used public transport in Singapore, including the MRT and taxis.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Saturday it was closely monitoring the coronavirus outbreak in China and that it was in touch with 35 Singaporeans in Wuhan city, where the virus originated.
“They have reported that they are well,” said MFA.
At least 56 people have died from the outbreak in China, with the number of confirmed cases across the country nearing 2,000.
The virus has spread nationwide in China and cases have been reported in several other countries as far away as the United States, France and Australia.
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MORE: Our coverage on the Wuhan virus and its developments
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