Covid-19: Singapore sees new high of 47 cases in a day, 33 are imported

SINGAPORE — Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced that there were 47 more cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday (March 18), making this the sharpest jump in infections by far reported in a single day.

Of these, 33 are imported, nine are linked to previous cases and five have no established links yet.

Mr Gan told reporters that of the 33 imported cases, 30 were returning Singapore residents who were infected overseas and had “brought the infection to Singapore”.

Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said that of the 33, 19 had travel history to Europe, six to the United States, six to Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, one to other parts of Asia and one case had been to both the US and the European Union.

“It’s clear from the cases and travel history that imported cases… go beyond countries we had travel restrictions on,” Assoc Prof Mak said.

Singapore now has 313 reported cases so far.

Of these, 117 people have fully recovered from the infection, including three who were discharged on Wednesday.

For the rest of the 196 patients still in hospital, most are stable or improving, MOH said.

Fifteen people are in critical condition under intensive care.

In its latest statement, the ministry highlighted the presence of a new Covid-19 cluster in the country: The Al-Muttaqin mosque in Ang Mo Kio.

One new infected patient — Case 310 — is linked to Cases 183 and 252 at this mosque cluster.

Case 183 is a 29-year-old Singaporean man who attended a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia where participants were infected by the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.  Case 252 is a 66-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Malaysia from Feb 25 to 29.

Two other newly infected patients — Cases 283 and 305 — are linked to the clusters at Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah) and Boulder+ Gym at Aperia Mall in Kallang.

Separately, at the multi-ministry Covid-19 taskforce briefing on Wednesday, Mr Gan said that the authorities are further stepping up its travel advisory and restrictions to reduce the risks of infections coming in from abroad.

“(We are) planning additional measures to maintain physical distance among our people, especially among the vulnerable, like seniors, to reduce the risk of social transmission.”

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry Covid-19 taskforce, said that the rise in the number of infected cases on Wednesday and in recent days “is a concern for all of us”.

“Most of these cases are imported ones and majority are Singaporeans and residents coming back from overseas,” he said.

“Fortunately, we've been able to pick them up early; some right at the airport or some shortly after they come home. We know that these cases have not gone on to spread to other people but we can’t afford to take further risks if the number of these cases continue to rise.”

Mr Wong said that Singaporeans have to be mentally prepared for the number of imported cases to continue to go up.

“(This is) because we already know there are more Singaporeans wanting to come back at this time,” Mr Wong said, adding that students in the US and Europe, as well as people working overseas all want to come back “during this critical period”.  

For the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic: https://tdy.sg/covid19 

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