51-year-old Chinese national is first migrant worker in Singapore to die from Covid-19

SINGAPORE — A 51-year-old Chinese national died on Sunday (May 31) from complications due to Covid-19, the first migrant worker in Singapore to succumb to the disease and the country’s 24th fatality.

The man — identified as Case 17239 — was diagnosed with lymphoma — a type of cancer — that was complicated by multi-organ failure while he had been warded in the intensive care unit in end-April, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday.

“Despite being treated for lymphoma, his condition had deteriorated and he subsequently passed on,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the man was confirmed to have Covid-19 on May 1.

“The National University Hospital has reached out to his family and is extending assistance to them,” MOH said.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) expressed its deepest condolences to the deceased’s family, adding that the family members, employer and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China have been informed of the man’s death.

MOM said that the man started working in Singapore in 2001, and had worked as a foreman under his current employer for close to a year and had no employment issues.

MOM added that it is working with the Migrant Workers’ Centre, a non-governmental organisation, to provide financial assistance to the man’s family to tide over their immediate needs.

“The employer will also be assisting the family members on the funeral arrangements,” MOM said.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo offered her condolences to the man's family, saying that her thoughts and prayers are with them.

"I have no doubt that our doctors and nurses at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and subsequently, the National University Hospital tried their very best and the patient was given the same high level of medical attention that they have committed to," Mrs Teo said in a Facebook post.

"With the passing of the worker, the community of migrant workers here would naturally be concerned," she added.

"Singapore's Ministry of Manpower will continue to reach out to these migrant workers as we have done so in the past weeks, to offer any assistance and assurance that they would need."

Separately, MOH announced on Monday that there are three new clusters of infections at foreign workers' dormitories. They are located at the HSJV Dormitory (33A Tanah Merah Coast Road), 10 Tuas South Street 12 and 109 Tuas View Walk 1.

There are 408 new cases of Covid-19 on the day, bringing the total number of infections here to 35,292.

All of the infections were linked to foreign workers living in the dormitories, it added.