Coronavirus: Two new cases in Singapore, two more patients discharged

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By Massita Ahmad

SINGAPORE, Feb 11 – Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) today confirmed  two new cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the republic, bringing the total to 47.

In its latest update, MOH said one of the new positive cases involved a 35-year-old male Singapore Permanent Resident who lives in Johor Bahru and works at Resorts World Sentosa Casino, 8 Sentosa Gateway.

The man had no recent travel history to China and is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). the ministry said in its statement.

According to the statement, he reported onset of symptoms on Feb 5, and had sought treatment at a general practitioner (GP) clinic on Feb 9.

He was transferred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital via an ambulance on the same day, and was immediately isolated before subsequent test results confirmed infection on Feb 10.

The other new case involved a 39 year-old male Bangladeshi national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder and had no recent travel history to China.

He was a contact of Case 42, a 39 year-old male Bangladesh national confirmed to be infected on Feb 8.

Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at 10 Seletar Aerospace Heights, the same location where Case 42 worked.

Meanwhile, MOH said two more confirmed cases had been discharged from hospital today, thus, in all, nine had fully recovered from the infection.

Of the 25 locally transmitted cases, MOH noted that epidemiological investigations and contact tracing uncovered links between 15 of the cases with the three currently known clusters.

The known clusters are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore, Yong Thai Hang and a private business meeting held at Grand Hyatt Singapore from Jan 20 to 22.

To date, the ministry said, of the 38 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving while seven are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

-- BERNAMA