246 new coronavirus cases in Singapore; 78 more dorms cleared of Covid-19

Three blocks for recovered workers in three purpose-built dormitories, including Block 37 at Homestay Lodge (above), have also been cleared of Covid-19. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

SINGAPORE - There are 246 new coronavirus cases confirmed as of Tuesday noon (June 30), taking Singapore's total to 43,907.

They include five community cases comprising two Singaporeans and three work permit holders, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Earlier, MOH had reported six community cases, including a 44-year-old permanent resident who had returned to Singapore from India on June 24. Her case was later reclassified on Tuesday night as an imported one after contact tracing.

Migrant workers living in dormitories make up the vast majority of the other cases.

As of Tuesday, 78 more dormitories have been cleared of Covid-19, bringing the total number of such dormitories to 241, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a separate statement. They include 72 factory-converted dormitories and six temporary quarters at construction sites.

In addition, three blocks for recovered workers in three purpose-built dormitories (PBD) have been cleared of the virus, taking the total number of PBDs cleared to 14.

As of Sunday, 87,000 workers have recovered or been tested to be free from the virus and are in cleared premises. They can return to work once their dormitories have taken steps to minimise the rise of new infections as the workers return to work.

As of Sunday, 176 dormitories and 16 blocks of recovered workers have completed these steps that will allow their residents to resume work, MOM said.

On Monday, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post that all 39 students and 11 staff of East Spring Secondary School who were in contact with a Covid-19-infected student have tested negative.

MOH also announced on Monday that a durian stall in Geylang, a spa in Toa Payoh and a Thai eatery in Bukit Batok were among places visited by Covid-19 patients while they were still infectious.

A patient also visited Causeway Point, while Mustafa Centre and the Sheng Siong supermarket at New World Centre - both previously on the MOH list of locations visited by Covid-19 patients - were included again with new timings visited by patients.

Among the six community cases announced by MOH on Monday, four are Singaporeans, one of whom is a contact of a previously confirmed case and had already been quarantined earlier.

Two were detected by the ministry's proactive surveillance of persons working in dormitories or deployed to front-line Covid-19 operations. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing for the fourth Singaporean.

The two remaining community cases are work permit holders in essential services or those working in dormitories who were picked up by MOH screening.

Three new clusters in dormitories were also announced, at 38 Woodlands Industrial Park E1, 210 Woodlands Industrial Park E5 and 170 Woodlands Industrial Park E7.

Of the 202 new cases announced on Monday, 196 are linked to dormitories.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased, from an average of four cases per day in the week before, to an average of seven per day in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased, from an average of two cases per day in the week before, to an average of four per day in the past week.

With 477 new cases discharged on Monday, 37,973 patients have fully recovered from the disease.

A total of 197 patients remain in hospital, including one in the intensive care unit, while 5,453 are recuperating in community facilities.

Note: This article has been edited for clarity.

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