Sole COVID-19 Community Case Reported on 7 Feb Works in Changi Airport & Issues SHN Devices to Travellers

Lest you’ve forgotten, on 7 Feb 2020 night, toilet rolls flew off the shelves after the authorities announced that Singapore has raised its alert level to DORSCON Orange.

A year later, things have changed; some people who had worked hard last year stocking up toilet papers in supermarkets are now richer than most of us, and the number of locally transmitted case has dropped.

There was only one community case reported on 7 February 2021, and while he’s listed as an unlinked case, most of us can speculate where he contracted the disease from.

Sole COVID-19 Community Case Reported on 7 Feb Works in Changi Airport & Issues SHN Devices to Travellers

On 7 February 2021, the one-year anniversary of DORSCON Orange, Singapore reported 24 COVID-19 cases.

23 of them are imported while 1 is a community case.

The sole community case is a 43 year-old male Singaporean who is employed by BGC Group and deployed to work at Changi Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.

His job entails issuing electronic monitoring devices to individuals who will be serving SHN outside of dedicated facilities, and helping them to wear the devices.

Since August last year, all incoming travellers will need to wear a tracking device if they serve their SHN outside of dedicated facilities.

While on duty, the man wears a surgical mask, face shield and gloves.

He is asymptomatic, and was detected when he was tested on 4 February as part of Rostered Routine Testing (RRT). His result came back positive for COVID-19 infection the next day, and he was conveyed in an ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

His earlier tests from RRT – the last being on 22 January – were negative for COVID-19 infection. His serology test result has come back negative, indicating that this is likely a current infection.

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing. In the meantime, all the identified close contacts of the case, including his family members and co-workers, have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period so that we can detect asymptomatic cases.

237 Active Cases

There are currently 36 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and 1 is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

201 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.

29 have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection.

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