SINGAPORE: Nine new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Singapore on Thursday (Mar 12), including two people who attended a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia.
The two are among five new imported cases reported on Thursday.
Three new cases are linked to a cluster involving a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong, raising the total in the cluster to 43.
The latest confirmed cases bring Singapore’s total to 187.
READ: Singapore faces ‘serious situation’, needs to plan for spike in COVID-19 cases: PM Lee
A total of 96 patients have fully recovered to date, said MOH. Of the 91 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Nine are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
The World Health Organization had on Wednesday declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, in view of the rising number of cases reported around the world.
“Singapore has been planning ahead, and we have been progressively putting in place a suite of measures in preparation for a possible escalation of the situation, both locally and globally. The situation in Singapore remains under control, and we are not changing the DORSCON level,” MOH said.
READ: More than 7,000 Stay-Home Notices issued for COVID-19; checks done through GPS, photos: ICA
Explore our interactive: All the COVID-19 cases in Singapore and the clusters and links between them
NEW CASES
CASE 179
Case 179 is a 66-year-old female Singapore citizen who was in Malaysia on Feb 22. She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National University Hospital (NUH). She is a contact of case 121 and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.
She reported onset of symptoms on Feb 27 and sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic on Feb 29, Mar 9 and Mar 11. She was referred to NUH on Mar 11 and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 afternoon.
Prior to hospital admission, she had mostly stayed at her home at Jurong West Street 73.
CASE 180
Case 180 is an imported case involving a 71-year-old Singaporean man who was in the United States from Feb 27 to Mar 10. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning, and is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
CASE 181
Case 181, an imported case, is a 83-year-old Indonesian man who arrived in Singapore on Mar 9. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded at Gleneagles Hospital. He is a family member of case 182.
CASE 182
Case 182, an imported case, is a 76-year-old female Indonesian national who arrived in Singapore on Mar 9. She was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning, and is currently warded in an isolation room at Gleneagles Hospital. She is a family member of case 181.
CASE 183
Case 183 is a 29-year-old Singaporean man who was in Malaysia from Feb 29 to Mar 4. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
He had attended a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia, and the Malaysian authorities subsequently reported several confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the event.
READ: 2 Singaporeans who attended religious event in Malaysia diagnosed with COVID-19; MUIS closes mosques and suspends Friday prayers
CASE 184
Case 184 is a 35-year-old Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and was in the Philippines from Feb 24 to Mar 1.
He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to case 172.
CASE 185
Case 185 is a 34-year-old male Singapore citizen who was in Malaysia from Feb 22 to Feb 23. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to case 142.
CASE 186
Case 186 is a 64-year-old male Singaporean man with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions.
He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to case 166.
CASE 187
Case 187 is a 48-year-old Singaporean man who was in Malaysia from Feb 28 to Mar 2. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on Mar 12 morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
He had attended a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia and the Malaysian authorities subsequently reported several confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to the event.
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DORSCON LEVEL WILL NOT BE RAISED
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday that the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level will not be raised to Red, adding that the situation is “serious” but “under control”.
Speaking in a televised address, Mr Lee noted that the outbreak is expected to “continue for some time – a year, and maybe longer”.
MOSQUE CLOSURE
All of Singapore’s mosques will be closed for five days beginning Friday, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in a press conference earlier on Thursday.
The announcement came after MOH announced it was working to identify a number of Singaporeans who had attended the religious event in Malaysia last month. Brunei earlier reported its first case of COVID-19 had attended the same event.
Mr Masagos said the estimated number of Singaporeans who attended the event is 82.
COVID-19 OUTBREAK “A PANDEMIC”: WHO CHIEF
The World Health Organization described the coronavirus as a pandemic for the first time on Wednesday, saying that Italy and Iran were now on the frontline of the disease and other countries would soon join them.
“We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction. We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
The United States has suspended all travel from Europe for 30 days in an effort to curb the outbreak.
The restrictions will not apply to the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump announced.
The president, facing a re-election in November, has taken fire for what critics say is a slow response to the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,500 lives worldwide.
READ: Singapore stocks plunge amid global sell-off after COVID-19 pandemic declared
SINGAPORE STOCKS FALL
US stocks plummeted on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Index dropping around 1,465 points, or 5.9 per cent, leaving it more than 20 per cent below its peak, making it a bear market.
In Singapore, the benchmark Straits Times Index fell as much as 4.2 per cent to 2,666.05 during intra-day trading, Bloomberg data showed.
This is the lowest since March 2016, when it touched 2,654.98, according to data from investing.com.
The index closed down 3.7 per cent at 2,681.31, with losers outpacing winners at 449 to 99.
Year-to-date, the STI has fallen about 16.8 per cent.
UPDATES ON PREVIOUS CASE
CASE 171
Case 171 is an imported case involving a 27-year-old Singaporean man who was in France from Feb 25 to Mar 1, and Spain from Mar 1 to Mar 6. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 9 and sought treatment at a GP clinic on Mar 10. He was referred to the emergency department of NCID on Mar 10, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. Prior to hospital admission, he mostly stayed at his home at Jalan Haji Salam.
CASE 172
Case 172 is a 42-year-old female Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass Holder, and had been in the Philippines from Feb 27 to Mar 2. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a contact of case 184.
She reported onset of symptoms on Mar 5 and sought treatment at a GP clinic on Mar 9. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. Prior to hospital admission, she had gone to work at AXA Singapore (8 Shenton Way). She lives at Lorong 28 Geylang.
CASE 173
Case 173 is a 31-year-old Singaporean man who was in France from Feb 15 to Mar 7. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is a contact of cases 165, 169 and 175, and is one of the imported cases who had been in France on official duty.
He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 9 and presented at the emergency department of NCID on Mar 10. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. He is a Republic of Singapore Air Force serviceman but had not gone to work since returning to Singapore. He lives at Telok Blangah Street 31.
READ: Two RSAF regulars on home quarantine after four others diagnosed with COVID-19
CASE 174
Case 174 is a 67-year-old Singaporean woman with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. She is a contact of case 122 and is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.
As she had been identified as a contact of case 122, she was placed under quarantine on Mar 6. She reported onset of symptoms on Mar 7, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. Prior to hospital admission, she had mostly stayed at her home at Gangsa Road.
CASE 175
Case 175 is a 44-year-old Singaporean man who was in France from Feb 15 to Mar 7. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is a contact of cases 165, 169 and 173, and is one of the imported cases who had been in France on official duty.
He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 10, and was conveyed by ambulance to NCID on the same day. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning.
He is a Republic of Singapore Air Force serviceman but had not gone to work since returning to Singapore. He lives at Toh Tuck Road.
CASE 176
Case 176 is an imported case involving a 37-year-old female British national who works in Singapore, and was in Japan from Feb 24 to Mar 4, and the UK from Mar 4 to Mar 8. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
She reported onset of symptoms on Mar 7 while in the UK and sought treatment at Gleneagles Hospital on Mar 10. She was conveyed by ambulance to NCID on the same day. Subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. She lives in the Dover Road area.
CASE 177
Case 177 is an imported case involving a 26-year-old Singaporean man who was in the US from Feb 14 to Feb 24, UK from Feb 28 to Mar 1, and France from Mar 2 to Mar 7. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 9 and sought treatment at a GP clinic on Mar 10. He was taken by ambulance to NCID and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. Prior to hospital admission, he had mostly stayed at his home at Telok Blangah Street 31.
CASE 178
Case 178 is an imported case involving a 37-year-old male Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder. He was in the Philippines from Feb 11 to Feb 19, and again from Feb 23 to Mar 2 to visit a relative with pneumonia who has since passed on. He is currently warded in an isolation room at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). He is a family member of case 167.
He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 8 and sought treatment at a GP clinic on Mar 9. He presented at NTFGH on Mar 10 and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 11 morning. Prior to hospital admission, he mostly stayed at his home at Jurong East Street 21.
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