SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 533 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Wednesday (May 27), taking its total number of infections to 32,876.
A total of 529 of the new infections involve foreign workers residing in dormitories, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily update.
The ministry said it continues to pick up many cases among work permit holders residing in dormitories, including in factory-converted dormitories, because of extensive testing in these premises.
Of the four cases in the community, three are Singaporeans and one is a Chinese national work pass holder.
Two of the community cases are Singaporean women aged 65 and 37 and are contacts of Cases 29563 and 31089. The were both asymptomatic and are part of the Jurong Penjuru Dormitory cluster, which currently has a total of 1,188 confirmed cases.
Case 29563, a 68-year-old Singaporean man who worked at Jurong Penjuru dormitory, had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 20. Case 31089, a Bangladeshi national, tested positive for the coronavirus on May 23.
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The remaining Singaporean case, a 56-year-old woman, first experienced onset of symptoms on May 19.
The 33-year-old Chinese man reported an onset of symptoms on May 21. He had gone to work at 19 Pandan Road, Tuas Terminal Phase 1 and Jurong Port and tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
“The number of new cases in the community has increased, from an average of five cases per day in the week before, to an average of six per day in the past week.
“The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased, from an average of one case per day in the week before, to an average of two per day in the past week,” said the ministry.
MOH added this is partly due to its active surveillance and screening of nursing home residents and pre-school staff, which have picked up more cases in the past week.
One new cluster was identified. It is a dormitory at 38 Tuas View Square and is currently linked to five cases.
The ministry said 99 per cent of the new cases are linked to known clusters while the rest are pending contact tracing. Further details can be found in MOH’s daily situation report.
A total of 832 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged. In all, 17,276 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities.
There are currently 525 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving while seven are in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.
A further 15,052 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are people who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19. To date, 23 have died from complications due to COVID-19 infection.
COMMUNITY CASES VISITED FAIRPRICE OUTLETS
MOH said cases in the community recently visited the FairPrice Finest outlet at Bukit Panjang Plaza and NTUC FairPrice at Hillion Mall on Sunday while they were infectious. The cases also visited the Jurong West 505 Market and Food Centre on May 17 and May 25.
Four public spots in Jurong were also previously identified by the ministry as places visited by COVID-19 cases.
They include a wet market at Jurong West Street 91 and the FairPrice Xtra supermarket at Jurong Point shopping centre, announced on Tuesday.
The other two were the NTUC FairPrice grocery store and a Japanese “food street”, also at Jurong Point. These were listed on Monday, the first time MOH released such a list.
People who had visited them during timings specified in the list are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from the their date of visit.
READ: FairPrice supermarkets at Hillion Mall, Bukit Panjang Plaza among places visited by COVID-19 cases while infectious
As Singapore braces for it worst-ever recession, with the GDP expected to shrink 4 per cent to 7 per cent this year, the Government on Tuesday unveiled its fourth Budget this year, worth S$33 billion.
Called the Fortitude Budget, the package aims to help businesses and workers adapt, transform and seize new opportunities in order to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament.
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