Foodies' place now epicentre of virus spread

Not too long ago, 115 Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre was a popular destination for foodies, even amid phase two (heightened alert) restrictions that prevented dining in from May 16 till Monday. Long queues formed for takeaway packets of hawker favourites despite the pandemic. Then came the community cases, starting on June 9 with a 74-year-old man who works in a sundry store there. The heart of the Bukit Merah View neighbourhood is now an epicentre of Covid-19 community transmission. As at yesterday, 82 cases had been linked to it. The market and food centre, which is closed till Saturday, is now the largest open infection cluster in Singapore, and has spawned clusters in nearby blocks 119 and 121.