COVID-19: 40 new cases detected in Singapore as total crosses 57,000 mark

A couple wearing face mask walk along the Marina Bay in Singapore on August 27, 2020. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
A couple wearing face masks seen walking along the Marina Bay. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 40 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore as of noon on Sunday (6 September), taking the country’s total to 57,022.

A total of 38 of the cases are asymptomatic – detected via the ministry’s proactive screening and surveillance – while two were symptomatic.

Four of the cases are from the community. Of these, three were picked up as a result of proactive surveillance and screening, and one had already been placed on quarantine earlier.

Case 57147 had been identified as a contact of a previously confirmed case, and had been placed on quarantine earlier. Case 57131 is linked to the cluster at CDPL Tuas Dormitory, and was detected as a result of the Rostered Routine Testing of workers in the construction, marine and process sectors who are living outside the dormitories. The other two community cases are currently unlinked, the MOH said. “Both (Cases 57139 and 57149) were detected as a result of our Rostered Routine Testing, even though they are asymptomatic.”

There are also 13 imported cases, and all were placed on Stay-Home Notice since arriving in Singapore, said the MOH.

Among the imported cases, four (Cases 57120, 57123, 57144 and 57145) are Singaporeans and two (Cases 57121 and 57122) are permanent residents who returned to Singapore from India between 24 August and 26 August, and the Philippines on 25 August. Another six (Cases 57114, 57118, 57125, 57126, 57129 and 57132) are work pass or work permit holders currently employed in Singapore who arrived from India on 25 August, Indonesia on 24 August and 25 August, and the Philippines on 23 August and 25 August.

The remaining case – Case 57124, a 45-year-old male Indian national – is a Student’s Pass holder who arrived from India on 25 August.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has decreased, said the MOH, “from an average of three cases per day in the week before, to an average of two per day in the past week”. “The number of unlinked cases in the community has increased, from an average of one case per day in the week before, to an average of two per day in the past week.”

Cases in dormitories

The MOH also announced three new dormitory clusters: Cassia @ Penjuru (15 Penjuru Walk), CDPL Tuas Dormitory (6 Tuas South Street 15) and Kranji Lodge I (12 Kranji Road). These were previously active COVID-19 clusters that had been closed after being declared free of the virus.

Among the 23 cases residing in dormitories, five had been identified earlier as contacts of previous cases, and had already been quarantined to prevent further transmission. They were tested during quarantine to determine their status. The remaining 18 cases were detected through surveillance testing, such as the bi-weekly Rostered Routine Testing of workers living in dormitories.

Since 22 August, several new clusters have been found in dormitories that were previously cleared of the disease.

Over 56,300 discharged, none in ICU

With 66 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Sunday, 56,333 cases have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 51 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while none is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 611 patients with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from 27 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.

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