Covid-19: Single-day high of 17 more cases, new cluster emerges in Bukit Timah church

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (March 16) announced 17 more cases of Covid-19 and the emergence of a new cluster at the Bukit Timah branch of the Church of Singapore.

Of the 17, 11 were imported cases. This is the highest number of cases reported in a single day — the previous high being the 14 on Sunday.

This brings the total number of infections in the country to 243. Four of the confirmed cases are linked to the Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah) at 2B Hindhede Road near Bukit Timah Shopping Centre.

In all, 109 people have fully recovered and have been discharged, including four announced on Monday.

Of the 134 people who are still in hospital, most are in stable condition or improving. Thirteen people are in critical condition under intensive care.

THE LATEST CASES

CASE 227

• A 53-year-old Singaporean who had been in France from March 7 to 12 and is an imported case.

• He is warded at the National University Hospital (NUH).

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 11 while in France and had gone to the emergency department of NUH on March 14. He tested positive on March 15 in the afternoon.

• He is a staff member of Lighthouse Evangelism Church (Tampines Street 82) but had not gone to work since the onset of symptoms. He lives along Pasir Panjang Road.

CASE 228

• A 67-year-old Singaporean with no recent travel history to affected countries or regions.

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 3 and sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic and Bedok Polyclinic on March 3, 11 and 13.

• He went to the emergency department of Changi General Hospital  on March 13. Test results came back positive on March 15 in the afternoon. He is warded at the hospital.

• Before he was warded, he mostly stayed home on Sea Breeze Avenue near Simei Avenue, except to seek medical treatment.

CASE 229

• A 26-year-old Singapore permanent resident who had been in Spain from Feb 14 to March 14. She is an imported case.

• She is warded at NUH and is a family member of Case 240 below.

• She reported an onset of symptoms on March 15, sought treatment at a GP clinic, went to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and tested positive on the same day. 

• She lives on Kim Keat Road near Jalan Bukit Merah.

CASE 230

• A 38-year-old Singaporean who had been in Eastern Europe from March 3 to 14. She is an imported case.

• She reported an onset of symptoms on March 14 and went the next day to NCID, where test results showed that afternoon that she was infected. She is warded at the centre.

• She is employed as an adjunct teaching staff member at Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic, but had not gone to work since she fell sick. She lives on Ewe Boon Road near Stevens Road.

CASES 231 and 232

• A 78-year-old Australian man and a 65-year-old Australian woman who are both Singapore work pass holders. They are family members and are imported cases.

• He had been in the United States from Feb 23 to March 14 while she was there from Feb 15 to March 7.

• She reported an onset of symptoms on March 2 while in the US; he developed symptoms on March 4.

• Both went to the emergency department of the Singapore General Hospital on March 14, tested positive the next day and are warded there.

• They live in the Robertson Quay area. 

CASE 233

• A 61-year-old Briton who is a Singapore long-trm pass holder and an imported case. He had been in the United Kingdom from March 6 to 14 and is warded at NCID.

CASE 234

• An 86-year-old Singaporean warded at SGH. He did not travel recently to affected countries or regions.

CASE 235

• A 31-year-old Singaporean warded at SGH. She has no recent travel history to affected countries or regions.

• She is a medical social worker at SGH and is linked to Case 208, a 26-year-old Singaporean woman who is also a medical social worker at the hospital.

CASE 236

• A 30-year-old Singaporean woman who did not go recently to affected countries or regions.

• She is warded at NCID and is a family member of Case 219, a 30-year-old Singaporean man linked to Case 211, a 35-year-old Filipina. They are all linked to Case 142, a 26-year-old Singaporean man who went to a rock-climbing gym at Asperia Mall in Kallang and who has links to the Safra Jurong cluster.

CASE 237

• A 36-year-old Indonesian woman who is a Singapore work pass holder, she did not travel recently to affected countries or regions.

• She is warded at NCID and is linked to Case 225, a 63-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Indonesia from March 3 to 7.

CASE 238

• An 83-year-old Belgian who is an imported case. He is warded at NCID.

CASE 239

• A 28-year-old Briton who is a Singapore work pass holder, he had been in France from March 7 to 14 and is an imported case. He is warded at NCID.

CASE 240

• A 27-year-old Singapore permanent resident who had been in Spain from March 7 to 14. He is an imported case and is warded at NUH.

• He is linked to Case 229 above.

CASE 241

• A 28-year-old Briton who is a Singapore work pass holder, he had been in France from March 7 to 14 and is an imported case. He is warded at NCID.

CASE 242

• A 64-year-old Singaporean who had been in Malaysia on March 7 and 8.

• She is warded at the NCID and is a contact of Case 166, a 55-year-old Singaporean woman linked to the cluster in Safra Jurong where a private dinner event was held on Feb 15. 

CASE 243

• A 36-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Germany from Feb 26 to 29, Italy from Feb 29 to March 7 and Switzerland from March 7 to 14.

• He is an imported case and is warded in an isolation room at NCID.

UPDATE ON PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED CASES

Case 219 

• A 30-year-old Singaporean with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. 

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 13 and went to the emergency department of Sengkang General Hospital on the same day. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room there.

• He is a family member of Case 236 above and is linked to Case 211, a 35-year-old Filipina who is a Singapore long-term visit pass holder. They are all linked to Case 142, a 26-year-old Singaporean man who went to a rock-climbing gym at Asperia Mall in Kallang and who has links to the Safra Jurong cluster.

• Before he was warded, he went to work at Sengkang Fire Station (50 Buangkok Drive) as a Singapore Civil Defence Force officer, and visited mould and plastic manufacturer Meiban Mold Manufacture (26 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2) and Furama Riverfront hotel (405 Havelock Road). He lives along Bishan Street 22.

Case 220

• A 53-year-old Singapore permanent resident who is an imported case as he had been in France from March 10 to 12.

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 12 while in France and went to NCID on March 14. He tested positive on March 15 in the morning and is warded in an isolation room there.

• He is a teaching staff member at Insead Asia Campus (1 Ayer Rajah Avenue) at One-north, but has not gone to work since the onset of symptoms. He lives on Dover Rise.

Case 221 

• A 28-year-old Filipina and Singapore work pass holder who did not travel recently to affected countries and regions. She tested positive on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room at NCID.

• She is a contact of Case 204, a 32-year-old American man who is a Singapore work pass holder and is an imported case. She is employed as a teaching staff member at MY World Preschool located at 52 Lengkok Bahru near Redhill.

• She reported an onset of symptoms on March 11. As she had been identified as a contact of Case 204, she was referred by MOH to NCID on March 14. Test results came back positive on March 15 in the morning.

• Besides teaching at the preschool before she was hospitalised, she had been on course at Training Masters Workforce Institute (10 Arumugam Road) in MacPherson. She also visited OUE Downtown Gallery (6A Shenton Way). She lives along Tanjong Pagar Road.

Case 222 

•  A 41-year-old Frenchman who is a Singapore work pass holder. He is an imported case, having been to France from Feb 28 to March 7 and from March 9 to 10. He was also in Spain from March 7 to 9, and the Philippines from March 12 to 13. 

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 13 and sought treatment at a GP clinic on March 14. He was referred to NCID on the same day. He tested positive on March 15 morning, and is warded in an isolation room there.

• Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at Airbus Singapore (12 Seletar Aerospace Link). He lives on Kensington Park Road in the Serangoon Gardens estate.

Case 223 

• A 60-year-old Singaporean man who is an imported case, having been in the United States from Feb 28 to March 7 and Australia from March 7 to 13. 

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 13 and the next day, sought treatment at a GP clinic and was referred to NCID. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room there.

• Before he was warded, he mostly stayed home on Serangoon Garden Terrace in the Serangoon Gardens estate.

Case 224 

• A 50-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Malaysia from March 1 to 4. He is a contact of Case 117, a 52-year-old Singaporean woman, and both have links to the Safra Jurong cluster.

• As he was identified as a contact of Case 117, he has been placed under quarantine since March 5. He reported an onset of symptoms on March 13 and was taken by ambulance to NCID on March 14. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room there. 

Case 225

• A 63-year-old Singaporean who is an imported case. He had been in Indonesia from March 3 to 7 and lives along Newton Road.

• He is linked to Case 237 above, who is a 36-year-old Indonesian woman. 

• He reported an onset of symptoms on March 9 and sought treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital on March 12. He was referred to NCID on March 14. He tested positive on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room there.

Case 226

• A 49-year-old Dutchman who is an imported case.

• He had been in the Netherlands from Feb 29 to March 13 and reported an onset of symptoms on March 12 while there.

• On March 14, he sought treatment at the emergency department of Gleneagles Hospital and was referred to NCID on the same day. He tested positive on March 15 morning and is warded in an isolation room at NCID.

• He stays in the Sixth Avenue area.

LINKS BETWEEN PREVIOUS CASES

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, MOH said.

• Eight of the locally transmitted confirmed cases (Cases 31, 33, 38, 83, 90, 91, 138 and 151), as well as Cases 8 and 9, are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore. These cases are linked to another 23 confirmed cases (Cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81, 84, 88) who are linked to the Grace Assembly of God.

• Fourteen of the confirmed cases (Cases 93, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108 and 110) are linked to Wizlearn Technologies.

• Forty-seven of the confirmed cases (Cases 94, 96, 107, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 164, 166, 174, 179, 185, 186, 196, 201, 218 and 224) are linked to a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15. Two of these (Cases 142 and 144) are then linked to the clusters at Boulder+ Gym at 12 Kallang Avenue and Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah).

  • Three of the confirmed cases (Cases 142, 162 and 163) are linked to Boulder+ Gym.

  • Four of the confirmed cases (Cases 144, 208, 214 and 235) are linked to the Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah).

Investigations on these clusters are ongoing, MOH said.

It added that contact tracing is underway for 12 locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions.