COVID-19: Singapore confirms four new cases, including Myanmar and Japan nationals
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (1 March) confirmed four new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Singapore.
Of these, three are linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies. Contact tracing is underway for the remaining case to establish any links to previous cases.
Two more patients have been discharged from the hospital. This brings the total of those who have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged to 74, more than half of the total confirmed cases.
Case 103, 104, 105: Linked to Wizlearn Technologies
Three of the four new cases announced on Sunday (1 March) are linked to the Wizlearn Technologies cluster. None of them had recent travel history to mainland China, and South Korea’s Daegu city and Cheongdo county. All had their infections confirmed on 1 March morning and are warded in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
Case 103 is a 37-year-old female Singapore Citizen who had been in Batam from 21 February to 23 February. She is a family member of Case 93, and is linked to Case 101.
As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 93 and had reported not having any recent illness, she was issued a home quarantine order on 26 February. On 29 February, she revealed that she had onset of symptoms on 20 February. She also said that she had sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic on 25 February. She was immediately conveyed to NCID in an ambulance and was isolated.
Prior to hospital admission, she had gone to work at Asia Asset Recovery Pte Ltd (2019 Bukit Batok Industrial Park A). She stays at Bukit Batok Street 31.
Case 104 is the 25-year-old female Myanmese foreign domestic worker employed by Case 103. She too had been in Batam from 21 February to 23 February. As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 93 and had reported not having any recent illness, she was issued a home quarantine order on 26 February. On 29 February, she revealed that she had onset of symptoms on 23 February. She was immediately conveyed to NCID in an ambulance and was isolated.
Prior to hospital admission, she had mostly stayed at home at Bukit Batok Street 31.
Case 105 is a 49-year-old male Singapore Citizen. As he is linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, and had reported not having any recent illness, he was issued a home quarantine order on 27 February. On 29 February, he revealed that he had onset of symptoms on 26 February and had sought treatment at a GP clinic on the same day. He was immediately conveyed to NCID in an ambulance and was isolated.
Prior to hospital admission, he had attended a business meeting at Toa Payoh Hub (490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh) with Case 95. He stays at Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Case 106: 54-year-old Japan national, Singapore Work Pass holder
Case 106 is a 54-year-old male Japanese national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder. He has no recent travel history to China, Daegu and Cheongdo. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 1 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
7 in ICU; most remaining cases stable
Of the 32 confirmed cases who are still in hospital on Sunday (1 March), most are stable or improving. Seven are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
As of noon, the ministry MOH has identified 3,133 close contacts who have been quarantined. Of these, 367 are currently quarantined, and 2,766 have completed their quarantine.
It reiterated its advice for Singaporeans to defer all travel to Hubei province, home to Wuhan where the virus originated, and all non-essential travel to mainland China.
In addition, the MOH advised members of the public to avoid non-essential travel to Daegu city and Cheongdo county in South Korea following a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
It also reminded the public to continue to exercise caution when travelling to the rest of South Korea.
COVID-19’s death toll surpasses SARS epidemic
The novel strain belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak and also started in China.
It likely originated from Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market, where live animals or products – such as foxes, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, porcupines, and camel meat – are sold.
Declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 has spread to 50 territories beyond mainland China. The WHO also said that cases being transmitted by people who have never travelled to China could be the "tip of the iceberg".
To date, the virus has left more than 2,800 people in China dead and sickened over 87,000 globally. Over 100 deaths related to the outbreak have been reported outside mainland China.
At 3,736 confirmed infections including 20 deaths, South Korea has the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases after mainland China. Italy has the third-highest number with 1,128 cases, including 29 deaths. Iran has the most deaths outside of China with 54.
The global tally also includes cruise ship Diamond Princess, moored off Japan, which accounted for 705 cases, including six related deaths so far. Five Singaporeans who were on board the quarantined cruise ship have been allowed to disembark it.
Patients suffering from the new strain may exhibit fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness – such as coughing or difficulty in breathing – as well as pneumonia-like symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, and headache.
However, some who have died from it have not displayed symptoms of fever, according to details released by China’s National Health Commission, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travellers as they arrive at airports and other travel hubs.
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