13 new Covid-19 cases confirmed in S'pore

Singapore has confirmed 13 new Covid-19 cases, including nine that are imported, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday.

The imported cases include two Singaporeans who got the virus after attending a mass religious event in Malaysia. There are now four local cases linked to the event.

Both have been admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). One of them, Case 197, is a 30-year-old man who was in Malaysia from Feb 28 to March 2. The other, Case 199, is a 37-year-old man who was there from Feb 26 to March 2.

Singapore now has 200 Covid-19 infections.

Separately yesterday, MOH responded to media queries regarding reports that quoted an Indonesian Health Ministry official as saying that Singapore did not disclose the identities of Indonesian nationals with Covid-19.

MOH said Singapore and Indonesia are state parties to the World Health Organisation International Health Regulations (IHR).

"Singapore has promptly shared information with Indonesia through the official IHR channel on all the confirmed Covid-19 cases involving Indonesians to facilitate contact tracing in Indonesia," it said. "The Indonesian IHR National Focal Point, who is an official from the Indonesian Health Ministry, has acknowledged receipt of all the correspondences on these cases sent by Singapore's IHR National Focal Point."

As of yesterday, Indonesia had reported 69 confirmed cases, with four deaths.

Among the imported cases in Singapore reported yesterday is a 47-year-old Singaporean man - Case 195 - who was in the United States from Feb 4 to 17, and in Canada from Feb 17 to March 9.

Another is Case 191, a 24-year-old Malaysian woman and Singapore work-pass holder who was in Germany from Feb 24 to 28, and in Malaysia from Feb 28 to March 3.

As for the four non-imported cases reported yesterday, one of them is linked to the private dinner function at Safra Jurong, which remains Singapore's largest cluster with 44 cases. The woman, aged 73, is a contact of Cases 107 and 148, and has no history of recent travel to affected places.

The second is linked to Case 172, announced on Wednesday. Case 172 is a 42-year-old Philippine national who is a Singapore work-pass holder and works at AXA Singapore.

The third is a 61-year-old Singaporean woman currently not linked to any other cases. She has been admitted to NCID.

The last is Case 200, a 62-year-old woman who is a family member of Case 165, who is a Republic of Singapore Air Force regular serviceman who was in France on official duty for three weeks from Feb 15.

As of noon yesterday, a total of 97 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Of the 103 confirmed cases still in hospital, most are stable or improving, while 11 are in critical condition in intensive care.