On 6 Jan 2020, Singapore reported 31 new Covid-19 cases.
29 of them are imported cases while the remaining two are unlinked community cases.
One of them, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH), works at the airport.
Here’s what you need to know.
1 Community Case Reported on 6 Jan Works in the Airport Hotel & Might Have the New Coronavirus Strain
Case 59028 is a 24-year-old male Korean national holding a work permit in Singapore.
He works at Azur at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport and delivers pre-packed meals to air crew and hotel guests as part of his job.
It was clarified that he does not interact with guests at Azur.
During a pooled swab during Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) on 2 Jan, he tested positive and was tested again on 4 Jan 2021.
On the same day, he developed Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) symptoms.
On 5 Jan 2021, his test results came back positive and he was sent by ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
His serological result returned negative, indicating that he is likely suffering from a current infection.
In addition, he has also preliminarily tested positive for the B117 strain.
Tests are being conducted to confirm the Covid-19 variant.
The Second Case Was Supposed To Start Working At The Hospital
The second community case, Case 59034, is a 31-year-old male Filipino who came to Singapore from the Philippines on 4 Dec 2020.
He served his Stay-Home-Notice (SHN) at a dedicated facility upon arrival until 18 Dec 2020.
Throughout the period, both of his Covid-19 tests, a pre-departure test and the test during his SHN, returned negative.
A work permit holder employed by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), he tested positive for Covid-19 on 5 Jan 2021 during his pre-employment health screening.
Similar to the first Covid-19 case, his serological test returned negative, indicating that it’s likely a current infection.
He was sent to SGH via ambulance.
All Close Contacts Quarantined
MOH is currently conducting epidemiological investigations for both cases.
Meanwhile, all identified close contacts of the two cases, including family members and colleagues, have been isolated and placed on quarantine.
They will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period to ascertain their statuses.
Serological tests will also be conducted on the close contacts to check for past infections.
29 Imported Cases
There are no cases in the dormitories and the remaining new Covid-19 cases reported are imported cases.
One is a Singaporean while two others are Singapore PRs who returned from the UK and India.
12 of the 16 Work Permit holders are foreign domestic workers (FDWs) while one is a sea crew holding a Special Pass who arrived in Singapore from China.
He was swabbed upon arrival.
Three of the cases are Short-Term Visit Pass Holders, with two of them here for short-term projects and the last, to visit her Singaporean spouse.
All imported cases were placed on SHN or isolated upon arrival in Singapore.
Many Stores In Shopping Malls Added To Places Visited By Infectious Covid-19 Cases
MOH maintains a list of places visited by Covid-19 patients during their infectious phase, and on 6 Jan 2021, added a whole host of places to the list.
The places include:
- Marina Bay Sands: Apple Store, Dallas Cafe & Bar, Armani Exchange retail outlet
- Plaza Singapura: Spotlight, Cold Storage
- Junction 8: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
- Bugis+: Suki-ya
- Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre in Jurong West
- Goodspeed Cyber Cafe (AMK Ave 8) –Â visited multiple times
You can view the full list here:
If you were in the same area during the same time period, monitor your health for the next 14 days and see a doctor immediately if you feel even the slightest symptom.
All close contacts have already been notified, MOH said.
On a separate note, have you heard about the latest Covid-19 cluster that formed on a bunker tanker? You can read more about it here.
Feature Image: Sorbis / Shutterstock.com
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