Singapore
Link established between Mustafa Centre cluster and dormitories.
Foreign workers stand along the corridor of their rooms in the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, in Singapore on Apr 6, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 287 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday (Apr 9), the largest daily increase so far and more than double yesterday’s highest record, the multi-ministry task force dealing with the coronavirus said during a press conference on Thursday (Apr 9).
This brings the national tally to 1,910.
Of the new cases, 219 are linked to existing clusters, with at least 160 cases linked to the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol.
A total of 19 cases are linked to previous cases, with 46 unlinked cases, the task force said. Three of the latest cases announced are imported. 314 cases have been discharged from acute care, and 705 cases have been moved to a community isolation facility, the task force said.
Singapore has also seen six fatalities from COVID-19, the task force said. It was reported on Wednesday a 32-year-old Indian national died after taking a swab test, and was confirmed to have COVID-19 after his death.
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The task force said that with the help of the police and Ministry of Defence, it established a link between the cluster at Mustafa Centre shopping mall and the Project Glory construction site as well as a number of foreign worker dormitories: S11 Dormitory@Punggol, Sungei Tengah Lodge, Tampines Dormitory Cochrane Lodge II and Toh Guan Dormitory.
Director of medical services at the Ministry of Health Assoc Prof Kenneth Mak described how some of the dormitory cases were linked to the Mustafa Centre cluster.
“We believe that the workers had visited Mustafa and they subsequently transmitted the infection to their co-workers,” he said.
“Transmission most likely occurred through close contact,for example at meal times, during breaks, and also between co-workers at work due to physical proximity at work sites,” he said.
Subsequently, they could have spread the infection to colleagues and friends within the dormitories, he added.
Singapore has seen a rise of COVID-19 cases at foreign worker domitories recently.
Sungei Tengah Lodge became the fourth foreign worker dormitory to become an isolation area from midnight on Thursday, in a move aimed at preventing the spread of the disease.
The other three dormitores that have been gazetted as isolation areas are: S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, Westlite Toh Guan dormitory and Toh Guan Dormitory.
READ: COVID-19: Sungei Tengah Lodge declared an isolation area under Infectious Diseases Act
READ: Day 2 of COVID-19 ‘circuit breaker’ sees more than 3,000 breaches of safe distancing measures
On Thursday, the Land Transport Authority announced additional measures to ensure social distancing on public transport networks to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore.
This includes thermal scanners at select MRT stations and safe distancing stickers on buses, trains, train stations, bus interchanges and bus stops.
READ: COVID-19: Additional safe distancing measures implemented on public transport
This came after heightened safe distancing measures kicked in on Tuesday as part of a “circuit breaker” period until May 4 to stem the spread of COVID-19.
About 10,000 written advisories were issued on the first two days of the circuit breaker for breaches, including individuals who gathered in public and those who failed to adhere to safe distancing rules.
People who repeatedly flout the stricter safe-distancing measures will face a fine or be charged in court, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
First-time offenders will get a stern written warning. Anyone who commits a second offence will be fined S$300, while a third offence will lead to the person being charged in court.
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