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COVID-19: 23 community cases among 183 new infections; 26 more venues added to list

A child carried by the mother feeds the giraffe in an enclosure at the Singapore Zoo in Singapore on July 6, 2020, on its first day of reopening to the public after the attraction was temporarily closed due to concerns about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Singapore Zoo reopened to the public on 6 July, 2020, with safe distancing and other precautionary measures in place, after it closed temporarily due to the circuit breaker in the city-state. (PHOTO: AFP via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed on Monday (6 July) 183 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total to 44,983, as well as 276 more recoveries.

The ministry also announced one additional cluster of seven cases at Micron Semiconductor Asia at 1 North Coast Drive and added 26 more venues to a list of public places visited by community cases during their infectious period.

Of the new cases, 23 – three Singaporeans, one work pass holder and 19 work permit holders – are classified as cases in the community, the highest such daily reported tally since end-April.

Three others are imported cases, while the remaining 157 are foreign workers living in dormitories.

Overall, three per cent of the new cases have no established links.

Of the 23 community cases aged between 23 and 56, 17 are linked to previous cases or clusters, said the ministry.

Of those with links, 13 had been detected as part of the screening of workers in essential services or individuals working in dorms, even though they are all asymptomatic.

Of the workers detected, seven are migrant workers who reside together at a temporary accommodation arranged by their company.

“Their PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test results indicate low viral loads, detectable only after many amplification cycles, which means these may be past infections,” said the ministry.

Serological tests will be conducted for these workers to determine if they have current or past infections, it added. The MOH said it is investigating the possible exposures and links, and will take appropriate action to prevent further transmission.

Another three cases – no. 44937, 44990 and 44996 – had been identified as contacts of previously confirmed cases, and had been tested during their quarantine to determine their status.

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing for the remaining case – no. 44858 – which is linked to ASPRI-Westlite Papan dorm.

Of the six unlinked community cases, five – cases 44924, 44926, 44931, 44932 and 44936 – were tested as they work in essential services, even though they are all asymptomatic.

The remaining case – case 44944 – had been tested under community testing to test all individuals aged 13 and above who are diagnosed with acute respiratory infection at first presentation to a doctor.

3 imported cases; 2 Singaporeans

Amongst the three imported cases aged between two and 36, two are Singaporeans who returned to Singapore from Yemen on 24 June and India on 23 June respectively.

The remaining case – no. 44962 – is a Filipina who returned to Singapore from the Philippines on 24 June. She holds a work pass and is currently employed in Singapore.

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

The ministry added that the number of new cases in the community has increased from an average of seven cases per day in the week before, to an average of 12 per day in the past week.

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

“In the past week, from 29 June to 5 July, about 4 in 10 of the community cases have been tested serology positive, indicating that they are likely past infections,” the MOH said.

26 more places added to list

The 26 new places are:

  • Marutama Dining (75 Killiney Road)

  • Dopa Dopa Creamery (29 South Bridge Road)

  • Healing Thai Massage (39 Jalan Besar)

  • Sushi Mitsuya (60 Tras Street)

  • Changi City Point (5 Changi Business Park Central 1)

  • Haniffa Textiles (60 Serangoon Road)

  • Sim Lim Square (1 Rochor Canal Road)

  • Eunos Technolink Food Loft (11 Kaki Bukit Road)

  • Wang Sheng Li Durian Station (513 Bishan Street 13)

  • Huangs 601A (601A Jurong West Street 62)

  • Sheng Siong Supermarket (3 Yuan Ching Road)

  • Ming Fa (246B Upper Thomson Road)

  • One Man Coffee (215R Upper Thomson Road)

  • NTUC FairPrice (5 Eunos Crescent)

  • ION Orchard (2 Orchard Turn): Food Opera @ ION Orchard

  • Jurong West 651 Food House (651 Jurong West Street 61)

  • Albert Centre Market and Food Centre (270 Queen Street)

  • The Daily Scoop (369 Sembawang Road)

  • Northpoint City (930 Yishun Avenue 2): Swensen’s

  • Jewel Changi Airport (78 Airport Boulevard): El Fuego by COLLIN’S

  • Compass One (1 Sengkang Square): Kopitiam

  • Sheng Siong Supermarket (7 Jurong West Avenue 5)

  • Lucky Plaza (304 Orchard Road): McDonald’s

  • Tang Plaza (310 Orchard Road): TANGS

  • Plaza Singapura (68 Orchard Road): Swensen’s

  • East Coast Lagoon Food Village (1220 East Coast Parkway)

As of 28 June, 87,000 foreign workers have been cleared of COVID-19, including those residing in government-provided accommodation facilities. A forecast of dormitories and blocks to be cleared from now till August onwards has been published on the ministry’s website.

A total of 42,420 COVID-19 cases in Singapore are foreign workers living in such residences.

Over 90% have fully recovered

With 276 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Monday, 40,717 cases – 90.5 per cent of the total tally – have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 208 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while two are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 4,032 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from 26 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 12 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, including the 48-year-old male Indian national, 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 29 June, the ministry has conducted 757,746 swab tests, of which 414,396 were done on unique individuals. This translates to around 132,900 swabs conducted per 1 million total population, and about 72,700 unique individuals swabbed per 1 million total population.

Singapore entered Phase 2 of its reopening – with various safe distancing measures still in place – on 19 June. This phase is expected to last up to six months or longer, according to authorities.

As part of a gradual approach to reopening, 13 attractions, such as Universal Studios Singapore and the Singapore Zoo, have been given the go-ahead to receive guests from 1 July. These attractions will, among others, have to restrict entry to no more than 25 per cent of their operating capacity at any one time and put in place safe distancing measures.

Singapore’s General Election will also take place on 10 July during this phase.

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