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14 new COVID cases in Singapore, including 2 linked to police para-vet cluster

SINGAPORE - JANUARY 10: People wearing protective masks wait to cross a street in the rain on January 10, 2021 in Singapore. As of January 10, the Ministry of Health confirmed 42 new imported COVID-19 cases, with zero cases in the wider community bringing the country's total to 58,907. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
People wearing protective masks wait to cross a street in the rain on 10 January, 2021. in Singapore. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 14 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on Monday (18 January), taking the country’s total case count to 59,127.

There are two cases in the community, while the remaining 12 are imported. This marks the fifth day in a row where new community infections are reported.

“Amongst the new cases today, nine are asymptomatic, and were detected from our proactive screening and surveillance, while five were symptomatic,” said the MOH.

Monday’s two community cases are linked to a 44-year-old Singaporean man who works as an administrative officer at the Singapore Police Force's K-9 Unit at its headquarters at 2 Mowbray Road.

They are his wife, a 43-year-old Singaporean woman and homemaker, and a family member, a 66-year-old Malaysian woman.

The man and another family member, a 44-year-old Singaporean woman, were confirmed as cases on Sunday. Both cases did not seek medical treatment after developing COVID-19 symptoms.

They were identified as being linked to a 32-year-old Singaporean man who works as a para-veterinarian at the Singapore Police Force's K-9 Unit at its headquarters.

The para-vet himself was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 13 January and his wife was also confirmed to have the coronavirus disease two days later.

The “case 59280” cluster, named after the para-vet’s case number, now has six cases linked to it.

Both new community cases had not sought medical treatment

The 43-year-old Singaporean woman had developed a runny nose on 10 January, and subsequently loss of taste, sore throat and diarrhoea on 12 January, but had not sought medical treatment.

She was contacted by the MOH on 16 January following the confirmation of her husband’s case and was tested for COVID-19 when she reported these symptoms.

“Her test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection the next day, and she was conveyed to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in an ambulance. Her serological test result has come back negative, indicating that this is likely a current infection,” said the MOH.

The 66-year-old Malaysian woman, a long-term visit pass holder, and has been residing in Singapore since January.

The retiree developed acute respiratory infection symptoms and diarrhoea on 9 January, and subsequently loss of taste on 14 January, but had not sought medical treatment.

She was identified as a close contact of the 44-year-old man and was contacted by the MOH on 16 January as well as tested for COVID-19 when she reported these symptoms.

Her test result came back positive for COVID-19 the next day, and she was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in an ambulance.

“Her serological test result has come back positive. Together with her COVID-19 symptoms, this indicates a likely recent infection with onset on 9 January,” the MOH said.

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing and all identified close contacts of the cases, including their family members, have been isolated and quarantined, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period.

Serological tests will also be contacted for the close contacts to determine if the case could have been infected by them.

“We strongly urge everyone to do their part to reduce the risk of transmission. Those who are unwell, including those showing early/mild symptoms, should be socially responsible and seek medical attention immediately,” said the MOH.

The ministry added that the number of new cases in the community has increased from eight in the week before to 10 cases in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has decreased from five in the week before to four cases in the past week.

A number of new locations were added to the list of public places visited by COVID-19 cases while infectious.

They are Lot One Shoppers’ Mall, the Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Kimage Hair Studio outlets at the mall at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, Sembawang Shopping Centre, the MR.DIY shop at the mall at Sembawang Road, the Shi Li Fang and Sheng Siong outlets at Junction 10, and Treasure Cove at CSC @ Bukit Batok.

They were visited on specific times and dates from 7 January to 12 January.

12 new imported cases, including 3-year-old boy

Of the 12 new imported cases, two are Singaporeans and four are permanent residents who returned from India, Mexico, Pakistan, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.

One other case is a three-year-old boy who is a dependant’s pass holder who arrived from India, while another is a student’s pass holder who arrived from the Czech Republic.

The four remaining cases are work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia.

All of them were placed on the stay-home notice or isolated upon their arrival here and were subsequently tested.

99% of total cases have recovered, none in ICU

With 22 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Monday, 58,868 cases – or 99.5 per cent of the total – have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 44 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, and none is in the intensive care unit.

A total of 186 patients – with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive – are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from 29 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.

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