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COVID-19: Singapore reports 1,009 cases, with 926 in community

People dine-in at a coffee shop in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
People dine-in at a coffee shop in Singapore. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday (18 September) confirmed 1,009 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 76,792.

Saturday's count marks the highest daily recorded COVID-19 cases since 23 April last year, when 1,037 infections were reported.

Among the cases are 926 in the community, 78 in the migrant worker dormitories and five imported cases. There are 259 seniors who are above 60 years among the local cases.

Among the imported cases, one was detected upon arrival in Singapore, while four developed the illness while serving Stay-Home Notice or in isolation.

Ten active clusters are under close monitoring, according to the MOH. These include NSL OilChem, which has 27 cases currently. There is workplace transmission there, said the ministry, with further spread to household contacts of cases. Of the 27 cases, 25 are staff and two are household contacts of cases.

There is also workplace transmission at Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, which has 22 cases. However, the MOH said, there is no evidence of spread beyond the worksite. Of the 22 cases, 20 are staff and two are cleaners. The MOH added that the facility is not involved in vaccine production.

Three more cases were added to the Chinatown Complex cluster, bringing the current total to 270. There is ongoing workplace transmission, the ministry said, including 195 stallholders and assistants, 12 working as cleaners or Safe Distancing Ambassadors and 63 household contacts of workers.

Daily new cases in Singapore are expected to rise to 2,000 by early October, if the current rate of infection persists, authorities here have said.

One new death due to COVID

A 90-year-old Singaporean man, has died from complications due to COVID-19 infection on Friday.

He had been conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases on Friday with symptoms, and tested positive for COVID-19 infection on the same day. He had not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and had a history of cancer, heart disease and pneumonia.

In total, 60 people have passed away in Singapore from complications due to COVID-19 infection.

105 require oxygen supplementation; 18 in ICU

Over 66,600 cases in Singapore, or some 99 per cent of the overall total, have fully recovered from their infection and have been discharged from the hospital.

As of Saturday, 863 cases are currently warded, most of whom are well and under observation.

There are currently 105 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen supplementation and 18 in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Of those who have fallen very ill, 100 are patients above the age of 60, said the MOH.

Apart from the 60 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 local cases who were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms is 98.1 per cent. Over the same period, 177 cases required oxygen supplementation, 18 had been in the ICU, and four died, of whom none was fully vaccinated.

As of Friday, about 8.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme. Some 4.57 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with some 4.44 million having completed the full vaccination regimen.

Separately, 182,716 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered as of Friday, covering 86,968 individuals.

This means that 82 per cent of the population have completed their full regimen, or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 84 per cent have received at least one dose.

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