158 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore, including 9 in the community and 3 imported cases

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (July 8) reported 158 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore. Of these, three were imported while nine were identified as cases in the community.

Of the three imported cases, one is a 24-year-old Singaporean man who had arrived from the Philippines on June 26. The other two are teenagers from India aged 13 and 15 who are holders of the dependant’s pass — which is a pass issued to spouses and children of foreign employees working here on an S-pass or employment pass.

MOH said that all three patients had been placed on a 14-day stay-home notice upon their arrival in Singapore and had been tested while serving the notice.

Of the nine cases in the community, four are Singaporeans or permanent residents, two are work pass holders and the remaining three are work permit holders.

Three of the community cases on Wednesday are linked to previous cases or clusters.

Overall, MOH said that the number of new cases in the community has gone up from an average of eight cases a day in the week before to 14 a day in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from an average of four cases a day in the week before to six a day in the past week.

The remaining 146 infections on Wednesday are foreign workers living in dormitories.

Separately, MOH said that the Inter-Agency Task Force has been systematically and progressively clearing dormitories through aggressive testing of migrant workers residing in dormitories.

It identified seven dormitories that have been cleared, and now house only recovered individuals and those who have recently tested negative for Covid-19 infection.

Even as it closed those clusters, MOH identified a dormitory at 12 Kian Teck Crescent as a new cluster of infections.

MORE PLACES VISITED BY COVID-19 CASES WHILE INFECTIOUS

MOH on Wednesday identified two new locations to a list of public places that had been visited by Covid-19 cases during their infectious period.

The infectious patients had visited:

• Mustafa Centre on June 24 between 3.40pm and 4.20pm

• Penang Culture foodcourt and Don Don Donki at Jem mall in Jurong East on July 3 between 8.30pm and 9.50pm

MOH said that it would have already notified individuals who had been identified as close contacts of the confirmed cases.

"As a precautionary measure, persons who had been at these locations during the specified timings should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit," the ministry said.

MAN WHO DIED ON TUESDAY CONFIRMED TO HAVE COVID-19

Separately, MOH said that a 69-year-old Singaporean man died on Tuesday after he was found unresponsive at his home.

The man was taken to Sengkang General Hospital’s emergency room on July 7 and was found to have Covid-19 the same day.

“He had a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, hypothyroidism and chronic kidney disease. The preliminary cause of death is cardiorespiratory failure, pending further investigations by the coroner,” MOH said.

UPDATES ON THE REMAINING CASES

The total number of infections here now stands at 45,298.

Out of that, 41,323 people have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, including the 321 on Wednesday.

There are currently 215 patients who are still hospitalised. Of these, most are in stable condition or improving, and one is in critical condition.

MOH said that 3,734 patients are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19.

Twenty-six people have died from complications due to Covid-19 infection.