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23 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Singapore; 17 imported cases from multiple countries

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5 years ago

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As of 17 March 2020, 12 pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed and verified 23 more cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore. Of these:

  • 17 are imported cases (Cases 244, 246, 247, 249, 250, 253, 254, 255, 257, 258, 259, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265 and 266); and
  • Two are linked to previous cases (Case 251 is linked to Case 186; and Case 256 is linked to Case 205); and
  • Four are currently unlinked (Cases 245, 248, 252 and 260).

That makes a total of 266 infected cases in Singapore so far.

About the confirmed cases

Case 244 is an imported case involving a 53-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Germany from 26 February to 29 February, Italy from 29 February to 7 March, and Switzerland from 7 March to 14 March. He is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). He is linked to Case 243.

He reported onset of symptoms on 7 March. He presented at the emergency department of Gleneagles Hospital on 15 March and was referred to NCID on the same day. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 16 March afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at a home office at River Valley Road. He stays at Alexandra Road.

Case 245 is a 76-year-old male Singaporean Citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. He is currently warded in an isolation room at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

He reported onset of symptoms on 12 March, and was conveyed by ambulance to SGH on 15 March. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 16 March afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at Marina One West Tower (9 Straits View). He stays at Boon Lay Drive.

Case 246 is an imported case involving a 39-year-old male Canadian national who had been in Japan from 23 February to 7 March. He is currently warded in an isolation room at SGH.

He reported onset of symptoms on 9 March. He presented at the emergency department of SGH on 15 March and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 16 March afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, he had visited Singtel Comcentre (31 Exeter Road). He stays in the Tanjong Pagar area.

Case 247 is an imported case involving a 41-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in the United Kingdom from 5 March to 8 March, and again from 10 March to 12 March, and France from 8 March to 10 March. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

He reported onset of symptoms on 16 March and had presented at NCID on the same day. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on 16 March afternoon.

He stays at Tampines Avenue 8.

Case 248 is a 23-year-old female Malaysian national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and had been in Malaysia from 12 March to 13 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 249 is an imported case involving a 42-year-old male Singapore Permanent Resident who had been in the United States from 4 March to 16 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 250 is an imported case involving a 28-year-old male British national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and had been in the United Kingdom and Austria from 29 February to 14 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 251 is a 59-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a family member of Case 186.

Case 252 is a 66-year-old male Singapore Citizen, who had been in Malaysia from 25 February to 29 February. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 253 is an imported case involving a 24-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Spain from 12 February to 16 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 254 is an imported case involving a 43-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who had been in France from 22 February to 13 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 255 is an imported case involving a 44-year-old male Swedish national, who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and had been in Norway, Denmark and Sweden from 1 March to 9 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 256 is a 32-year-old female Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 205.

Case 257 is a 19-year-old male French national, who is a Singapore Long Term Pass holder, and had been in the United Kingdom from 16 October 2019 to 14 March 2020. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at the National University Hospital (NUH).

Case 258 is an imported case involving a 47-year-old male Indian national who had been in Europe from 9 February to 15 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 259 is an imported case involving a 30-year-old female Singapore Citizen, who had been in the Philippines from 7 March to 9 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 260 is a 48-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at Farrer Park Hospital.

Case 261 is an imported case involving a 30-year-old male American national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and had been in the United States from 23 February to 9 March, and France from 9 March to 15 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 262 is an imported case involving a 20-year-old female Indonesian national, who had been in the United Kingdom from late January to 16 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 263 is an imported case involving a 52-year-old female Singapore Citizen who was in Spain from 6 March to 8 March and again from 9 March to 14 March, and Portugal from 8 March to 9 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning, and is currently warded is an isolation room at NCID. She is linked to Case 266.

Case 264 is an imported case involving a 41-year-old female Indonesian national who arrived in Singapore on 16 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 265 is an imported case involving a 25-year-old female Singapore Citizen who had been in the United Kingdom from 6 March to 14 March. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 266 is an imported case involving a 63-year-old male Singapore Citizen who had been in Spain from 6 March to 8 March and again from 9 March to 14 March, and Portugal from 8 March to 9 March. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 17 March morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to case 263.

Update on condition of confirmed cases

To date, a total of 114 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from the hospital. Of the 152 confirmed cases who are still in the hospital, most are stable or improving. 14 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

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Current Affairs

TJC issued 3rd POFMA order under Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods

The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) was issued its third POFMA correction order on 5 October 2024 under the direction of Minister K Shanmugam for alleged falsehoods about death penalty processes. TJC has rejected the government’s claims, describing POFMA as a tool to suppress dissent.

Published

5 days ago

on

6 October 2024

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The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an advocacy group opposed to the death penalty, was issued its third Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction on 5 October 2024.

The correction was ordered by Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, following TJC’s publication of what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) alleges to be false information regarding Singapore’s death row procedures and the prosecution of drug trafficking cases.

These statements were made on TJC’s website and across its social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter).

In addition to TJC, civil activist Kokila Annamalai was also issued a correction direction by the minister over posts she made on Facebook and X between 4 and 5 October 2024.

According to MHA, these posts echoed similar views on the death penalty and the legal procedures for drug-related offences, and contained statements that the ministry claims are false concerning the treatment of death row prisoners and the state’s legal responsibilities in drug trafficking cases.

MHA stated that the posts suggested the government schedules and stays executions arbitrarily, without due regard to legal processes, and that the state does not bear the burden of proving drug trafficking charges.

However, these alleged falsehoods are contested by MHA, which maintains that the government strictly follows legal procedures, scheduling executions only after all legal avenues have been exhausted, and that the state always carries the burden of proof in such cases.

In its official release, MHA emphasised, “The prosecution always bears the legal burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and this applies to all criminal offences, including drug trafficking.”

It also pointed to an article on the government fact-checking site Factually to provide further clarification on the issues raised.

As a result of these allegations, both TJC and Annamalai are now required to post correction notices. TJC must display these corrections on its website and social media platforms, while Annamalai is required to carry similar notices on her Facebook and X posts.

TikTok has also been issued a targeted correction direction, requiring the platform to communicate the correction to all Singapore-based users who viewed the related TJC post.

In a statement following the issuance of the correction direction, TJC strongly rejected the government’s claims. The group criticised the POFMA law, calling it a “political weapon used to crush dissent,” and argued that the order was more about the exercise of state power than the pursuit of truth. “We have put up the Correction Directions not because we accept any of what the government asserts, but because of the grossly unjust terms of the POFMA law,” TJC stated.

TJC further argued that the government’s control over Singapore’s media landscape enables it to push pro-death penalty views without opposition. The group also stated that it would not engage in prolonged legal battles over the POFMA correction orders, opting to focus on its abolitionist work instead.

This marks the third time TJC has been subject to a POFMA correction direction in recent months.

The group was previously issued two orders in August 2024 for making similar statements concerning death row prisoners.

In its latest statement, MHA noted that despite being corrected previously, TJC had repeated what the ministry views as falsehoods.

MHA also criticised TJC for presenting the perspective of a convicted drug trafficker without acknowledging the harm caused to victims of drug abuse.

Annamalai, a prominent civil rights activist, is also known for her involvement in various social justice campaigns. She was charged in June 2024 for her participation in a pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana. Her posts, now subject to correction, contained information similar to those presented by TJC regarding death penalty procedures and drug-related cases.

POFMA, which was introduced in 2019, allows the government to issue correction directions when it deems falsehoods are being spread online.

Critics of the law argue that it can be used to suppress dissent, while the government asserts that it is a necessary tool for combating misinformation. The law has been frequently invoked against opposition politicians and activists.

As of October 2024, Minister K Shanmugam has issued 17 POFMA directions, more than any other minister. Shanmugam, who was instrumental in introducing POFMA, is followed by National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who has issued 10 POFMA directions.

Major media outlets, including The Straits Times, Channel News Asia, and Mothership, have covered the POFMA directions. However, as of the time of writing, none have included TJC’s response rejecting the government’s allegations.

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Current Affairs

Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

1 week ago

on

4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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