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New COVID cluster at MINDSville@Napiri with 27 testing positive

People wearing protective mask exercise at a park on June 2, 2021 in Singapore. Singapore enters a month long heightened alert from May 16 to June 13 to curb the spread of COVID-19 cases in the local community. New restrictions on movements and activities have been introduced such as limiting social interaction to two, prohibiting dining out and a reduced operating capacity at shopping malls, offices and attractions. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
People wearing protective mask exercise at a park on 2 June, 2021 in Singapore. (PHOTO: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (2 June) reported 31 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,100.

Of them, 24 are local cases in the community. Nineteen are linked to previous infections, among whom eighteen have already been placed on quarantine. Wednesday marks the 38th consecutive day with local cases reported.

Seven remaining cases are imported. They include two Singaporeans and four permanent residents – among them, a six-year-girl – who returned from India and the United Arab Emirates. The seventh imported case is a long-term visit pass holder who arrived from India.

"Among the new cases today, 14 are asymptomatic, and were detected from our proactive screening and surveillance, while 17 were symptomatic," said the MOH.

The ministry added that free COVID-19 testing will be offered for members of the public who had visited shops at 455 Sengkang West Avenue from 12 to 30 May. All visitors who had visited the shops there during that period are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit, said the MOH.

The ministry also identified two new clusters, including one with five cases linked to the MINDSville@Napiri Adult Disability Home. Twenty-two others linked to the home have also tested positive.

With the closure of the Tuas South Community Care Facility cluster announced on Wednesday, as there have been no cases linked to it for the past 28 days, Singapore now has 44 active COVID-19 clusters.

The five unlinked cases in the community, aged 22 to 80, are:

  • a 22-year-old Burmese woman who works as a healthcare assistant at Grace Lodge (fully vaccinated)

  • a 43-year-old Singaporean woman who works in an administrative role at Changi Prison Complex and resides at Hougang Avenue 8 (fully vaccinated)

  • an 80-year-old Singaporean woman who is a retiree and resides at Yishun Street 72 (fully vaccinated)

  • a 61-year-old Singaporean woman who works at Singapore Pools at Clementi Avenue 3's NTUC FairPrice outlet (received first dose of vaccine)

  • a 36-year-old Vietnamese woman who is a homemaker (forms a new cluster)

Separately, there is one case linked to a previously reported infection but is not considered part of an active cluster: a 24-year-old Malaysian man who works as a barber at Atatcutz Singapore at 348 Bedok Road. As he was identified as a close contact, he was placed on quarantine on 1 June.

The ministry noted that the number of new cases in the community has decreased from 165 in the week before to 126 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased from 30 in the week before to 27 in the past week.

Two new clusters, 44 in total

1. MINDSville@Napiri cluster, 5 cases in total (22 others tested positive): The cluster is first linked to a 37-year-old Singaporean woman who is a resident at the home and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 31 May. Four other cases in the cluster have been quarantined:

  • a 30-year-old Filipino woman who works as a nursing aide at the home (fully vaccinated)

  • a 55-year-old Singaporean woman who is a resident (fully vaccinated)

  • a 64-year-old Singaporean woman who is a resident (fully vaccinated)

  • a 47-year-old Singaporean woman who is a resident (fully vaccinated)

"One was announced on 1 June, four are included in today’s case count, and another 22 cases will be included in tomorrow’s case count following verification of the test results," said the MOH. Nineteen of the remaining 22 cases are residents while three are staff members.

All 255 staff and residents of MINDSville@Napiri have been tested for COVID-19 since the 37-year-old resident was confirmed on 31 May, added the ministry.

In a separate press release, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) noted that the home has halted all admissions to and discharges, disallowed all visitors, and completed a thorough cleaning and disinfection of its premises.

"All other residents, staff and other close contacts including clients, visitors and vendors, have been placed on quarantine, and will be regularly tested during quarantine," the MSF added.

2. "Case 63941" cluster, 3 in total: It is named after the case number of the 36-year-old Vietnamese woman who is an unlinked case. Two others in the cluster are her family member and a close contact, respectively, and have been quarantined. They are a three-year-old Singaporean boy who is a student at PCF Sparkletots Preschool at Kreta Ayer – Kim Seng and a 71-year-old Singaporean woman who works as a stall assistant at 328 Katong Laksa Tiong Bahru Plaza.

'Case 63806' cluster: 4 new cases, 10 in total

The cluster is named after the case number of a 49-year-old male PR who works as a manager at Success Consultancy and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 28 May.

Three of four new additions on Wednesday have been quarantined earlier as they have been identified as family members or close contacts of previously reported cases linked to the cluster:

  • a 61-year-old Singaporean man who works as a technician at Gleneagles Hospital

  • a 36-year-old female PR who works as a senior executive at ICFC

  • a 61-year-old Singaporean woman who is a canteen vendor at Greenwood Primary School (received first dose of vaccine)

The fourth new case is a 39-year-old Singaporean man who works at Versaform. Separately, a 35-year-old Singaporean man who works at Nur Insan and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 29 May was retroactively added to the cluster.

Hong Ye Group cleaners cluster: 3 new cases, 25 in total

The first case linked to the cluster is a 31-year-old Singaporean man who is employed by the company as a cleaner at Changi Business Park. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 19 May.

Two of three new additions on Wednesday have been quarantined earlier as they have been identified as family members of a previous case in the cluster:

  • a 52-year-old Singaporean woman who is a homemaker

  • a 4-year-old Singaporean boy who is a student at The Spark Playhouse at 406 Hougang Avenue 10

The remaining new case is a nine-year-old Singaporean boy who is a Fu Hua Primary School student and a family member of the younger boy.

'Case 63887' cluster: 2 new cases, 6 in total

The cluster is named after the case number of a 65-year-old Singaporean woman who is a homemaker and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 30 May.

The two new additions on Wednesday are her family members or household contacts, or both, who had been quarantined earlier:

  • a 93-year-old Singaporean woman who is a retiree (fully vaccinated)

  • a 28-year-old Singaporean man who works at Westgate's Typo outlet

Changi Prison Complex cluster: 1 new case, 15 in total

The cluster at the prison was first linked to a 39-year-old male China national who is a chef at its complex. The fully-vaccinated man was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 13 May.

The latest addition, a 46-year-old Singaporean man who is a prison inmate there, brings the total number of inmates in the cluster to 12. The man has tested preliminarily positive for the B1617 variant and is pending further confirmatory tests.

NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Rd) cluster: 1 new case, 10 in total

It was first linked to a 33-year-old Malaysian man who works as a kitchen assistant at Hua Zai Eating House and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 29 May.

The latest addition is a 20-year-old Vietnamese woman who works as a kitchen assistant at the NTUC Foodfare outlet at 308 Anchorvale Road. All 26 Hua Zai Eating House outlets will remain closed from 1 to 14 June.

Chevy’s Bar and Bistro cluster: 1 new case, 7 in total

It was first linked to a 58-year-old Singaporean woman who works at the bar and was confirmed to have COVID-19 on 25 May.

The latest addition is a 30-year-old Malaysian woman who is a massage therapist at Zenith Healing @ La Maison De Ja. She is a close contact of a previously reported case in the cluster, and was placed on quarantine on 28 May.

99% of total cases have recovered, 2 in ICU

With 42 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Wednesday, 61,523 cases – or 99.1 per cent of the total – have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 216 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while two of them are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 328 patients – with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive – are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from the 33 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.

Among the 184 cases reported from 27 May to 2 June, 55 have tested positive for their serology tests, 108 have tested negative, and 21 serology test results are pending.

In a national televised address on Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government should be able to ease COVID-19 safe management restrictions after 13 June if the pandemic situation continues to improve and the number of community cases falls further.

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