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15 imported cases among 469 new COVID-19 infections in S'pore, including 1-year-old baby

SINGAPORE - 2020/07/25: People wearing protective masks walk along Orchard Road, a famous shopping district in Singapore.  As of 26 July 2020, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Singapore are at 50,369. (Photo by Maverick Asio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
People wearing protective masks walk along Orchard Road in Singapore on 25 July, 2020. (PHOTO: LightRocket via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 469 new COVID-19 cases as of Monday (27 July), taking Singapore’s total to 50,838.

The ministry also confirmed an additional cluster of five cases linked to a dormitory at 6 Sungei Kadut Street 2.

Separately, a one-year-old baby boy and two Singaporeans are among the 15 new imported cases, the highest daily count of such cases since testing was made mandatory for all travellers entering Singapore from 11.59pm on 17 June.

The last time the daily tally for imported cases hit two digits was almost four months ago on 1 April, which saw 20 imported cases.

Of the remaining new cases, two – including one Singaporean – are classified as cases in the community, while 452 are foreign workers living in dorms. Overall, only one per cent of the new cases are unlinked.

Amongst the 15 imported cases, two – cases 50694 and 50695 – are Singaporeans who returned here from India on 15 July.

Another 11 cases are work pass or work permit holders who are currently employed in Singapore. They arrived in Singapore from India or the Philippines between 14 and 15 July. Another two – cases 50454 and 50696 – are dependant’s pass holders who arrived from India on 12 and 14 July.

All of them had been placed on 14-day stay-home notice upon arrival here and had been tested while serving their notice, said the MOH.

Both cases in the community are linked to previous cases or clusters, and were detected due to proactive screening of persons working at dorms, even though they are asymptomatic, the ministry added. One is linked to the cluster at ASPRI-Westlite Papan dormitory, while the Singaporean is linked to the cluster at CDPL Tuas Dormitory.

The ministry noted that the number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of 10 cases per day in the week before, to an average of five per day in the past week.

Similarly, the number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased, from an average of five cases per day in the week before, to an average of three per day in the past week.

Five new public places visited by COVID-19 cases recently were added to the MOH list including a mosque in Yung An Road and Queensway Shopping Centre.

Authorities here expect to clear all dorms and workers residing in them by 7 August, with the exception of 17 standalone blocks in eight purpose-built dorms, which serve as quarantine facilities as well as 28,000 workers still serving out their isolation period.

As of 20 July, about 247,000 such workers living in dorms have either recovered, or have been tested to be free from the virus.

Infected workers comprise 47,983 cases – some 94.4 per cent – of Singapore’s total COVID-19 tally.

Some 90% recovered, zero in ICU

With 171 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Sunday, 45,692 cases – some 89.8% of the tally – have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 179 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while none are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 4,940 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from 27 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four, whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease.

“Only cases where the attending doctor or pathologist attributes the primary or underlying cause of death as due to COVID-19 infection will be added to the COVID-19 death count,” said the MOH in previous press releases, adding that the method of assessment is consistent with international practices for classifying deaths.

As of 20 July, the ministry has conducted 1,170,049 swab tests, of which 571,496 were done on unique individuals. This translates to around 205,300 swabs conducted per 1 million total population, and about 100,300 unique individuals swabbed per 1 million total population.

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