61 new coronavirus cases, lowest daily figure since April 2

Migrant workers living in dormitories made up the vast majority of confirmed cases. PHOTO: ST FILE

A total of 61 new Covid-19 patients were announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday, the lowest daily total in more than four months since April 2, when 49 new infections were reported.

Two young children were among the cases. The first, a one-year-old Singaporean girl, experienced onset of symptoms last Saturday. She was one of two patients in the community announced yesterday. Both are family members and were linked to previous cases. They were tested while under quarantine, said MOH.

The other was a three-year-old girl, a long-term visit pass holder. The Indian national was asymptomatic when tested and was one of three imported patients announced yesterday.

All three arrived from India and had been placed on 14-day stay-home notices upon arrival in Singapore. They had been tested while serving their notices, said MOH.

Meanwhile, Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre, 111 Somerset and a FairPrice outlet at Bukit Panjang Plaza were added to the list of places visited by coronavirus patients while they were infectious.

The ministry provides the list of locations and the times that infectious patients have visited for at least 30 minutes, to inform those who were there at those times to monitor their health closely for two weeks from the date of their visit.

The full list of locations and times can be found on MOH's website. It said close contacts would already have been notified and there is no need to avoid these places as they would have been cleaned if needed.

Migrant workers living in dormitories made up the remaining 56 new coronavirus patients announced yesterday, taking Singapore's total to 55,353.

MOH added that 37 clusters in dormitories have been closed, and the dormitories now house only recovered individuals and those who have recently tested negative for Covid-19 infection. About 22,500 workers were still serving out their quarantine period as of yesterday.

  • Update on cases

  • New cases: 61

    Imported: 3 (2 long-term visit pass holders, 1 dependant's pass holder)

    In community: 2 (2 Singaporeans)

    In dormitories: 56

    Active cases: 5,198

    In hospitals: 104 (0 in ICU)

    In community facilities: 5,094

    Deaths: 27

    Patients with Covid-19 who died from other causes: 15

    Total discharged: 50,113

    Discharged yesterday: 519

    TOTAL CASES: 55,353

These workers will be tested when their isolation ends, and MOH expects the number of cases announced daily to remain high, before tapering down.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 12, 2020, with the headline 61 new coronavirus cases, lowest daily figure since April 2. Subscribe