Source: BI.

As of 19 February 2020, 12 pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed and verified three additional cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore. Of these, one is linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore and one is linked to Grace Assembly of God. Contact tracing of the remaining case is underway to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to China.

This brings the total number of cases to 84 so far.

About the confirmed cases

Case 82

Case 82 is a 57-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China. She is currently warded in an isolation room at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH).

More details

She reported onset of symptoms on 9 February and had sought treatment at Jurong Polyclinic on 10 February on 14 February, as well as a general practitioner (GP) clinic on 12 February. She went to the emergency department at NTFGH on 13 February and 15 February, and was admitted as a dengue patient in a general ward on 15 February. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 18 February afternoon, and she was immediately transferred to an isolation room.

As a precautionary measure, the patients who had shared the same room as the case while she was in the general ward have been transferred to single rooms. They have been tested for COVID-19 infection, and the results are pending. So far, none of the contacts have any respiratory symptoms. Contact tracing of NTFGH staff who had been in contact with the case is underway. The room has also been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Prior to hospital admission, she had mostly stayed at her home at Jurong West Street 41, except to seek medical treatment.

Case 83

Case 83 is a 54-year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China, but who travels frequently to Malaysia for work purposes. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 19 February morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 84

Case 84 is a 35-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 19 February morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 66.

Case 80 (Announced on 18 February)

Case 80 is a 38-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China. She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National University Hospital (NUH). She is linked to Case 66.

More details

She reported onset of symptoms on 4 February and had sought treatment at a GP clinic on 4 February and 10 February. She was referred to NUH for a chest X-ray on 11 February and went back to NUH again on 17 February. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 18 February morning.

Prior to hospitalisation, she had gone to work at NUH, where she performs an administrative function and had not interacted with patients since the onset of symptoms. She stays at Fernvale Link.

Case 81 (Announced on 18 February)

Case 81 is a 50-year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God.

More details

He reported onset of symptoms on 16 February and had been conveyed by ambulance to NCID following a phone consultation with a GP. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 18 February morning.

Prior to hospitalisation, he had mostly remained at his home at Lower Delta Road.

Update on condition of confirmed cases

To date, a total of 34 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from the hospital. Of the 50 confirmed cases who are still in the hospital, most are stable or improving. Four are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Links between previous cases found

Further epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between previously announced and new cases. This was made possible with the assistance of the Singapore Police Force.

a) Four of the locally transmitted confirmed cases (Cases 31, 33, 38 and 83), as well as Cases 8 and 9, are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore (146B Paya Lebar Road).

b) Nine of the confirmed cases (Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 34 and 40) are linked to Yong Thai Hang (24 Cavan Road).

c) Three of the confirmed cases (Cases 30, 36 and 39) are linked to the private business meeting held at Grand Hyatt Singapore from 20 to 22 January.

d) Five of the confirmed cases (Cases 42, 47, 52, 56 and 69) are linked to the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.

e) 22 of the confirmed cases (Cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81 and 84) are linked to the Grace Assembly of God.

Investigations on these clusters are ongoing. In addition to the clusters, MOH’s investigations have identified the following links between cases:

  • Case 44 is linked to Cases 13 and 26;
  • Case 72 is linked to Cases 59 and 79;
  • Case 50 is linked to Cases 55, 65 and 77; and
  • Case 75 is linked to Case 41.

Contact tracing is underway for the other eight locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to mainland China.

Update on contact tracing for confirmed cases

Contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing. Once identified, MOH will closely monitor all close contacts. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.

As of 19 February 2020, 1 pm, MOH has identified 2,593 close contacts who have been quarantined. Of these, 1,172 are currently quarantined, and 1,421 have completed their quarantine.

More than 74,000 people have now been infected in China and around the world with a death toll of nearly 1,900 that is mainly concentrated in China, Wuhan where the virus originated from.

 

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