SINGAPORE — Singapore reported 10 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday (March 12), including one in the community who is  a 36-year-old work pass holder working as an IT engineer at Deutsche Bank.

The Indian national had arrived in Singapore on Jan 16 and served his stay-home notice at a dedicated facility until Jan 30, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its evening update.

His swab test taken during quarantine on Jan 29 was negative for the coronavirus. He has been working from home since his arrival.

He developed a runny nose on March 1 and sought treatment at a general practitioner clinic on the same day.

As he declined to be tested for Covid-19, he was given five days of medical leave and advised to return for a test if he did not recover.

He tested positive on March 11 during a pre-departure Covid-19 test in preparation for a trip to India and was taken by ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

His serological test result has come back positive, which indicates a likely past infection, MOH said.

All identified close contacts of the case have been isolated and placed on quarantine as investigations are ongoing.

Serological tests will also be conducted for the close contacts to determine if the man could have been infected by them.

“We strongly urge everyone to play their part to reduce the risk of transmission. Those who are advised by their doctor to be tested for Covid-19 should do so, even if they are showing early or mild symptoms,” MOH said.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has remained stable at three cases a week in the past two weeks.

The number of cases with no links in the community has increased from two to three cases a week in the past two weeks.

IMPORTED CASES

There were nine imported cases of Covid-19 registered on Friday and all had been placed on stay-home notices upon their arrival here.

They are:

• A student’s pass holder who came from Indonesia

• Two work pass holders who arrived from Indonesia and Switzerland

• Two short-term visit pass holders who arrived from Cambodia and Indonesia. They were already receiving medical care in Singapore and returned for further treatment

• Four work permit holders who arrived from Indonesia, all of whom were foreign domestic workers

UPDATE ON REMAINING CASES

The total number of infections in Singapore is now 60,080.

Of these, 59,950 people have fully recovered and been discharged, including 11 on Friday.

There are still 21 patients in hospitals.

“Of these, most are stable or improving, and one is in critical condition in the intensive care unit,” MOH said.

Another 80 patients are isolated at community facilities. They have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still tested positive for Covid-19.

Twenty-nine people have died from complications due to the disease.