11 new community Covid-19 cases; 3 from family cluster

Infections in the community have increased with a five-year-old Singaporean boy among 11 new community cases confirmed yesterday by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The boy belongs to a family cluster of two other Singaporean patients - a 35-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman.

They had already been quarantined and swabbed.

They were contacts of a previously confirmed case, who had been tested as he works at a dormitory. All of them were asymptomatic.

According to the MOH, the 11 community cases comprise five Singaporeans, two work pass holders and four work permit holders.

Migrant workers living in dormitories make up the other 280 new cases confirmed yesterday.

This takes the total infection number in Singapore to 43,246.

Overall, the average number of new cases in the community has increased, from four a day in the week before to six a day in the past week. The average number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased, from two a day in the week before to three a day in the past week.

"With more activities resuming in phase two (of reopening), it is critical that we continue to exercise caution to keep the number of new cases under control," warned the MOH in a statement late last night.

The ministry also reminded residents to limit social gatherings to not more than five people to prevent the formation of large infection clusters.

Another Singaporean patient confirmed yesterday is a 66-year-old man who was tested as he works at dormitories, even though he is asymptomatic.

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing for the last Singaporean, a woman aged 63.

The two 37-year-old female work pass holders from Myanmar and Indonesia had been identified as contacts of previously confirmed cases, and had been quarantined.

The remaining four male patients from India and Bangladesh were detected as part of the screening of workers in essential services.

A 27 year-old male Bangladeshi national, who tested positive on June 6, died last Thursday from injuries consistent with those sustained from a fall from height.

He is the 12th person here who tested positive for the coronavirus to die from other causes.

Singapore has had 26 deaths from Covid-19 complications.

Four new clusters emerged.

Three are in dormitories: 79 Kaki Bukit Industrial Terrace, 208 Woodlands Industrial Park E5 and 230 Woodlands Industrial Park E5.

In community: 11 (5 Singaporeans, 2 work pass holders and 4 work permit holders)

In dormitories: 280

In hospitals: 174 (one in ICU) In community facilities: 5,883

Deaths: 26

Patients with Covid-19 who died from other causes: 12

Total discharged: 37,151

Discharged yesterday: 338

TOTAL CASES: 43,246

The last cluster is at The Florence Residences construction site at 713 Hougang Avenue 2.

A previous cluster at 564 A-E Balestier Road has been closed as no new cases have been linked to it for 28 days, or two incubation periods.

With 338 cases discharged yesterday, 37,151 patients, or about 86 per cent of those infected, have fully recovered from the disease.

A total of 174 patients remain in hospital, including one in the intensive care unit, while 5,883 are recuperating in community facilities.