There were nine new Covid-19 clusters announced yesterday as the total number of cases in Singapore crossed 12,000 - even as small positive signs started to emerge.
The number of Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) confirmed being infected yesterday was the lowest since March 29, when 13 patients were reported to be infected. Together with the 12 work pass holders who tested positive, there were 25 new cases in the community announced yesterday.
The Ministry of Health noted that the number of unlinked cases in the community has decreased to a daily average of 17 cases in the past week, down from a daily average of 20 cases in the week before.
The nine new clusters include the Natureland East Coast spa at 907 East Coast Road and The Strand Hotel at 25 Bencoolen Street, as well as several more dormitories. The spa was linked to six earlier confirmed cases, while the hotel was linked to five new cases.
The Agency for Integrated Care said that one of the cases confirmed yesterday is a 21-year-old healthcare assistant at All Saints Home (Hougang). The assistant was last at work on Tuesday.
It added that the nursing home has been thoroughly cleaned and affected areas disinfected as part of additional precautionary measures.
"Contact tracing is ongoing, and those who had close contact with the confirmed case will be quarantined," the agency said.
There was also a new case in the public healthcare sector - a 43-year-old nurse who works at Bukit Merah Polyclinic. She reported having Covid-19 symptoms on Monday, and has not been to work since.
Foreign workers staying in dormitories continue to make up the bulk of new coronavirus cases, with 853 such workers among the 897 new cases yesterday, the ministry said in its daily update. There are now 9,929 foreign workers from dorms diagnosed with Covid-19, or about 3 per cent of the 323,000 foreign worker dorm residents here.
The total number of cases in Singapore as of noon yesterday is 12,075.
Foreign workers not staying in dorms made up 19 of the new cases. The number of new cases among this group has continued to increase to a daily average of 28 cases in the past week, up from a daily average of 19 cases from the week before.
There were no imported cases reported yesterday. The last imported case was identified on April 17.
Yesterday, the ministry also provided more information on the 46-year-old construction worker from India who was found motionless at a staircase landing at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on Thursday morning.
The ministry said that the worker had died because of multiple injuries consistent with those resulting from a fall from height, and not because of complications from Covid-19.
A further 38 people were discharged yesterday, bringing the total for those who have recovered to 956. Twelve people have died from complications arising from Covid-19.