Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus: No Singaporeans, PRs among new cases, first time since Feb 23

1,018 patients discharged, after change in criteria; two new clusters in workers' dorms

The average number of new daily community cases has dropped, partly due to active surveillance and screening of pre-school staff. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

A total of 1,018 Covid-19 patients were discharged yesterday, after the Ministry of Health announced earlier in the day a change in its discharge criteria for patients.

All patients assessed to be clinically well and no longer infectious by Day 21 of their illness will be sent home without having to undergo further tests.

As a further precaution, they have to stay at home or in their dormitories for a further seven days until Day 28.

Previously, patients needed two negative swab tests, 24 hours apart, to be discharged, even if they have not been sick for some time.

It is the fourth time since the first case was reported in January that daily discharge figures have exceeded 1,000.

A 49-year-old pre-school employee, who is a work pass holder from China, is the only community case among the 373 new coronavirus cases announced yesterday.

The remaining 372 cases were migrant workers staying in dorms.

Two new clusters have emerged: one in a dormitory at 15 Kaki Bukit Road 4 and another in a dormitory at 31 Kranji Crescent.

There was no new Singaporean or permanent resident patients. The last time this happened was on Feb 23.

With 1,018 new cases discharged yesterday, a total of 18,285 patients have fully recovered from the disease, or 55 per cent of the 33,249 Covid-19 patients here.

Meanwhile, 510 remain in hospital, including seven in the intensive care unit.

A total of 14,422 are in community facilities.

The average number of new daily community cases has dropped, from six two weeks ago to five in the past week.

  • Update on cases

  • New cases: 373

    Imported: 0

    In community: 1 (0 Singaporeans/PRs; 1 work pass holder)

    In dormitories: 372

    Active cases: 14,932

    In hospitals: 510 (7 in ICU)

    In community facilities: 14,422

    Deaths: 23

    Patients with Covid-19 who died from other causes: 9

    Total discharged: 18,285

    Discharged yesterday: 1,018

    TOTAL CASES: 33,249

The number of unlinked community cases has remained stable at two per day for the past two weeks.

Of the new cases, 99 per cent are linked to known clusters, and contact tracing is ongoing for the rest.

Twenty-three people have died from Covid-19 complications in Singapore, while nine who tested positive have died of other causes.

Globally, the outbreak, which began last December, has infected more than 5.8 million people. About 359,000 have died.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 29, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: No Singaporeans, PRs among new cases, first time since Feb 23. Subscribe