Covid-19: 6 new cases in Singapore, including 3 linked to Safra Jurong cluster, bringing tally to 166

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (March 10) confirmed six more cases of Covid-19 infections in Singapore. Of these, three are linked to a private dinner event at Safra Jurong, bringing the total number of cases in the cluster to 39, it added.

The other two patients are linked to a previously confirmed case while one more did not have any connections found as yet.

The total number of reported infections in the country is now 166. Of these, 93 people have fully recovered and have been discharged.

No patients were discharged on Tuesday, MOH said. There are still 73 patients in hospital and among these, 12 are in critical condition under intensive care.

Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at MOH, said at a media briefing on Tuesday that in the case of two clusters, new cases had not been reported during the two incubation periods of 14 days each. They are the Yong Thai Hang medicinal hall cluster and the cluster linked to a private business conference at the Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel.

“Therefore we are removing those clusters from further surveillance, and (they) will not appear in the list of new clusters in the subsequent press releases,” Assoc Prof Mak said.

THE LATEST CASES

Case 161

• Case 161 is a 73-year-old Singaporean man who did not travel recently to affected countries and regions. He is warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

• He is a family member of Case 107, a 68-year-old Singaporean woman linked to Case 94 (a family member of a Raffles Institution student).

• The man is linked to the Safra Jurong cluster, where people had attended a dinner event at Joy Garden Restaurant. 

• He reported an onset of symptoms on Feb 27. As he had been identified as a contact of Case 107, he was referred by MOH to NCID on March 1. Test results confirmed Covid-19 infection on the afternoon of March 9.

• He lives along Bishan Street 13.

Case 162

• Case 162 is a 28-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Indonesia from Feb 29 to March 2.

• He is linked to Case 142, a 26 year-old Singaporean man who is connected to the Safra Jurong cluster and had visited Aperia Mall on Kallang Avenue.

• Case 162 is now warded in an isolation room at NCID.

• He reported onset of symptoms on March 7 and because he had been identified as a contact of Case 142, he was referred by MOH to NCID on March 9. He tested positive for Covid-19 that afternoon.

• Before he was warded, he had visited a shop at 26 Jalan Membina near Bukit Merah. He lives on Kim Tian Road.

Case 163

• Case 163 is a 27-year-old Singaporean woman who has no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is warded in an isolation room at NCID and is also linked to Case 142.

• She reported onset of symptoms on March 8 and since she had a connection with Case 142, she was referred by MOH to NCID on March 9. Test results confirmed Covid-19 infection that afternoon.

• Before that hospitalisation, she had visited Funan Mall and PUB Recreation Club. She lives on Redhill Road.

Case 164

• Case 164 is a 57-year-old female Singapore permanent resident who did not go recently to affected countries and regions.

• She tested positive on the morning of March 10, and is warded in an isolation room at NCID.

• She is a contact of Case 134, a 56 year-old Singaporean woman, and both are linked to the Safra Jurong cluster.

Case 165

• Case 165 is a 30-year-old Singaporean man who had been in France from Feb 15 to March 7.

• He was confirmed to have Covid-19 infection on March 10 in the morning, and is warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Case 166

• Case 166 is a 55-year-old Singaporean woman who did not travel recently to affected countries and regions. She tested positive for Covid-19 on March 10 in the morning, and is warded in an isolation room at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

• She is also a contact of Case 134, and both are linked to the Safra Jurong cluster.

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.

• 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 church cluster.

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

• 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 in Science Park.

• Thirty-nine 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 and 166) are linked to a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15.

Investigations of these clusters are ongoing, MOH said.

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