Covid-19: 71-year-old short-term visit pass holder sole community case, 31 other imported infections

• The sole community case tested negative for Covid-19 during her stay-home notice following her arrival from India
• She tested positive three months later after developing a fever. Her serological test indicates a past infection
• There were 31 other imported Covid-19 infections
   

SINGAPORE — The sole Covid-19 community case reported in Singapore on Saturday (April 10) is a 71-year-old female Indian national, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

The retiree, who is a short-term visit pass holder, arrived from India on Dec 28 last year and served her stay-home notice at a dedicated facility till Jan 10. 

Her test taken on Jan 8 during her stay-home notice was negative for Covid-19, said MOH in its evening update on the coronavirus situation.

As she had travelled with two individuals who had tested positive for Covid-19, she was placed on quarantine on Jan 10 and 11 as well. 

Subsequently on April 5, she developed a fever and was tested for Covid-19 when she sought medical treatment the next day. 

She tested positive on April 8 and was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. A test conducted the following day however came back negative for Covid-19 while her serological test came back positive, indicating a past infection.

“She could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA, which are no longer transmissible and infective to others, but given that we are not able to definitively conclude when she had been infected, we will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure,” said MOH.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has remained stable at two cases per week in the past two weeks, added MOH. 

The number of cases with no known links to the community has also remained stable at two cases pers week in the past two weeks. 

IMPORTED CASES

There were 31 imported cases of Covid-19 registered on Saturday and all had been placed on stay-home notices or isolated upon their arrival here.

They were:

• One Singaporean who returned from Papua New Guinea
• Two dependant’s pass holders who arrived from India
• Three long-term visit pass holders who arrived from India and Myanmar
• Five student pass holders who arrived from India.
• Three work pass holders who arrived from Nepal, the Maldives and Philippines.
• Fifteen work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines  — five of whom are foreign domestic workers.
• Two short-term visit pass holders. One arrived from India with her spouse who is working here, while another arrived from Malaysia to visit his family member who is a Singapore permanent resident.

UPDATE ON REMAINING CASES

The total number of infections in Singapore is now 60,633.

Of these, 60,322 people have fully recovered and been discharged, including 18 on Saturday.

There are still 45 patients in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and one is in critical condition in the intensive care unit, MOH said.

A total of 236 patients are being cared for at community facilities.

Thirty people have died from complications due to the disease.