COVID-19 Cluster in Anchorvale Foodcourt Grew to 9 After 31 May’s Cases

Yesterday (31 May), PM Lee addressed the nation in yet another pink shirt. (But no magic cup, sadly).

His famous pink shirt has been something of a bad omen during the pandemic, but this time, he gave us good news.

It seems that the tightened measures are working, and that Singapore is on track to contain its recent community outbreak, he said.

Since residents have been abiding by the authorities’ advice to stay at home and avoid social interactions, the number of infections have started to drop.

Yesterday (31 May), 16 cases in the community were reported. Here are the details.

NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) Cluster

The cluster at an NTUC Foodfare outlet along Anchorvale Road continues to grow as two new infections were linked to it yesterday.

They are:

• A 33-year-old male Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) who works as a supervisor at Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delight Rice Noodle (308 Anchorvale Road)
• A 33-year-old male Malaysia national who works as a kitchen assistant at Hua Zai HK Style Roasted Delights (308 Anchorvale Road and 476D Upper Serangoon View)

The Singapore PR is a household contact of five previous cases and was placed on quarantine on 29 May.

He is asymptomatic, and was tested for COVID-19 on 30 May.

His test result came back positive on the same day. His serology test result is negative.

The cluster now has nine cases linked to it. The food court has been closed for two weeks since Sunday (30 May) because of viral transmission among workers there.

Hong Ye Group Cleaners Cluster

Four more cases have been linked to the cluster involving cleaners at Hong Ye Group. They are:

• An 18-year-old male Singaporean who is employed by Hong Ye Group Pte Ltd as a cleaner at Changi Business Park
• An 18-year-old male Singaporean who is a full-time National Serviceman (NSF) at the Civil Defence Academy
• A 16-year-old male Singaporean who is currently unemployed
• An 11-year-old male Singaporean who is a student at New Town Primary School and was last in school on 18 May

The NSF was placed on quarantine on 28 May after being identified as a family member and household contact of three previous cases.

He was swabbed for COVID-19 on 30 May and was confirmed to be carrying the virus. He also developed a sore throat that day.

His serology test result is pending. The teenager received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on 8 March, and the second dose on 1 April.

New Cluster Linked to Case 63844

A new cluster has been formed and it is linked to a 49-year-old Singaporean who works as an executive at Eng Soon Chair & Table Hire Service.

Known as Case 63844, the woman’s infection was reported on 28 May.

The two new cases linked to her are:

• An 82-year-old female Singaporean retiree
• A 54-year-old male Singaporean who is works as a senior executive at Eng Soon Chair & Table Hire Service

More Cases With Established Links, Including to 3 Existing Clusters

At least one new infection has been linked to three existing clusters each.

The first cluster, which is linked to Case 63660, had a 33-year-old female Singaporean manager at Changi Airport Group added to it yesterday. Case 63660 is a 31-year-old male Singaporean who works as a property agent with ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd.

A 56-year-old female Singaporean homemaker was also linked to the Case 63714 cluster, originating from a 74-year-old male Singaporean retiree.

Finally, two more infections were linked to the Case 63708 cluster. Case 63708 is a 15-year-old male Singaporean student at Westwood Secondary School.

The two new cases linked to the student are:

• A 45-year-old female Singaporean who is a homemaker
• A 9-year-old female Singaporean who is a student at Chua Chu Kang Primary School

The last case with an established link that wasn’t connected to any cluster is a 30year-old male Malaysia national who works as an administrative staff at Sin Wei Precision Mechanical.

He’s a household contact of a previous case.

Unlinked Cases

Of the 16 community cases reported yesterday, three had no known links.

They are:

• A 72-year-old female Singaporean who is a homemaker
• A 68-year-old male Singaporean who works as a manager at Phoenix Entertainment Karaoke TV Music Lounge Pte Ltd
• A 60-year-old female Singaporean who works in an administrative role at White Sands Primary School

7 Imported Cases

In addition, seven cases from abroad were detected, namely:

• One Singaporean and three Singapore PRs who returned from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
• Three Work Permit holders who arrived from Indonesia and Myanmar, including one foreign domestic worker

All seven cases had been placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon arrival in Singapore and were tested during their quarantine.

223 Cases in Hospital

At the moment, there are 223 confirmed cases in hospitals, of whom most are stable or improving. Two are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Another 336 cases with mild symptoms and lower risk factors are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

25 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities recently.

Feature Image: Google Maps