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40 of 116 new COVID cases in Singapore linked to Bugis Junction cluster

(Source: CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust)
(PHOTO: CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (25 August) confirmed 116 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 66,928.

Of the new cases, 112 are locally transmitted infections including 40 linked to the cluster at Bugis Junction, which now has 104 cases.

Of the remaining 72 local infections, 24 are unlinked. Among them are two patients above the age of 70 who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and are at risk of serious illness, the ministry added.

There are four imported cases, three of whom were detected upon their arrival in Singapore, while one developed symptoms during their stay-home notice or isolation period.

Three new clusters were announced on Thursday while three others have closed, bringing the total number of active COVID-19 clusters in Singapore to 68.

The three new clusters include two linked to staff members at bus interchanges – Toa Payoh and Punggol – which have 25 and 11 cases, respectively. The third addition is a cluster at Bangkit 257 Coffee House, linked to three cases.

Thirteen new cases were added to the cluster at the North Coast Lodge dormitory, now linked to 125 infections. Four new cases were added to the cluster at the Selarang Halfway House and two to the Bishan Bus Interchange staff cluster, now linked to 23 and 21 cases, respectively.

No new cases were added to Singapore's largest cluster at the Jurong Fishery Port, linked to 1,155 cases, as well as the second-largest cluster – linked to various KTVs – which has 253 cases.

The MOH noted that the number of new cases in the community has increased from 290 in the week before to 405 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from 78 in the week before to 126 in the past week.

It added that the seven-day moving average number of all linked community cases and all unlinked community cases are 39.9 and 18.0 respectively.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced two COVID-19 related fatalities, bringing the total death toll here to 52. An 86-year-old Singaporean man, partially vaccinated, and a 95-year-old Singaporean woman, unvaccinated, are among 15 who had succumbed to the virus this month.

BHG Bugis Junction to close till 30 Aug; all Selarang Halfway House staff tested

The ministry on Wednesday also said that the cases linked to Bugis Junction include at least 51 staff members, of whom 46 are staff of BHG, and 10 visitors.

To break any potential chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, the closure of BHG Bugis Junction will be extended for another five days until 30 August.

Staff who have been working in affected shops at Bugis Junction are being tested, and close contacts of confirmed cases will be quarantined, the MOH added.

Of the 19 cases linked to the cluster at the Selarang Halfway House, 17 are supervisees and two are their household or workplace contacts.

All staff of Selarang Halfway House and residents of the affected block have been tested for COVID-19, and all close contacts of cases and supervisees living in the same block will be placed on quarantine, the MOH said.

17 require oxygen supplementation; 7 in ICU

At least 65,909 cases in Singapore, or over 99 per cent of the overall total, have fully recovered from their infection and have been discharged from the hospital.

As of Thursday, 343 cases are currently warded, most of whom are well and under observation.

There are currently 17 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation and seven in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Of those who have fallen very ill, 20 are patients above the age of 60, of whom 16 are completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, said the MOH.

Apart from the 52 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.

Over the last 28 days, the percentage of unvaccinated who became severely ill or died is 9.7 per cent, while that for the fully vaccinated is 1.4 per cent, the ministry noted.

As of Wednesday, about 8.63 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme. Some 4.49 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with some 4.27 million having completed the full vaccination regimen.

Separately, 162,307 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered as of Wednesday, covering 85,325 individuals.

This means that 79 per cent of the population have completed their full regimen, or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 83 per cent have received at least one dose.

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