Raffles Institution student among 3 new confirmed coronavirus cases
School, Bishan language centre closed for disinfection; four other patients discharged
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Raffles Institution has suspended school for today. While classes will reopen on Monday, RI will suspend co-curricular activities for two weeks.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Toh Ting Wei, Rei Kurohi
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Raffles Institution (RI) has suspended school today after a 12-year-old student was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) Language Centre in Bishan, which the boy had been to, is also closed. Both premises will be thoroughly cleaned, MOE said.
The student was one of three new Covid-19 cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday. The other two cases are the student's 64-year-old family member and a 44-year-old man.
This brings the total number of cases here to 96.
Meanwhile, four others have recovered and were discharged.
In a statement after the cases were confirmed, MOE said students, teachers and staff who recently came into contact with the student will be issued a 14-day leave of absence, with contact tracing ongoing.
While classes will resume on Monday, co-curricular activities at RI will be suspended for two weeks.
MOE will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with students, parents and the community of the two institutions, the statement said.
In a Facebook post, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said the school's principal had told him that the student is "feeling well and in good spirits". Mr Ong said: "It is good that the student was very considerate and did not go to school when he felt unwell. Plus, with the distancing measures schools have implemented, the exposure has been significantly limited."
The student's 64-year-old family member - it is not clear how they are related - who lives in the Jalan Jurong Kechil area fell ill on Feb 11, MOH said.
She saw a doctor at a GP clinic on Feb 17, and again on Feb 20.
On Feb 24, she saw the GP again, and was referred to the Singapore General Hospital, where she was warded in an isolation room.
Tests confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that she had the virus.
The RI student, who has no recent travel history to China - or to Daegu city and Cheongdo county in South Korea, where a significant number of coronavirus cases have been reported - was confirmed to have the infection yesterday.
He is currently warded in an isolation room at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
The 44-year-old man who was infected tested positive yesterday morning. He is linked to case 93, a 38-year-old man who was confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday.
Neither had recent travel history to China, Daegu or Cheongdo.
The newly discharged cases are two Chinese nationals and two Singaporeans from the Grace Assembly of God church cluster.
To date, 66 people have been discharged.
With 23 cases, the Grace Assembly of God church remains the largest cluster.
It has been linked to another cluster at the Life Church and Missions Singapore, which was visited by tourists from Wuhan on Jan 19.
Other clusters so far include the Yong Thai Hang health products shop, the Grand Hyatt Singapore and a Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.
MOH said eight of the 30 patients who are still in hospital are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
