S'porean man linked to MRT worker is only new case in community

Number discharged again exceeds new cases; fall in ICU patients another positive sign

The Singaporean lives with another previously announced case who had gone to work at Bishan MRT station. PHOTO: ST FILE

A Singaporean man who is a household contact of the Bishan MRT station staff member previously confirmed to have the virus is the only new case in the community announced yesterday.

The 30-year-old man began showing symptoms on May 11 and was confirmed to have Covid-19 on Monday.

The single case, among the 451 new cases announced yesterday, makes this the second time in a week that just one Singaporean or permanent resident was among the new cases.

It was one of several positive signs in yesterday's Covid-19 numbers.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily update that of the 1,004 patients who are still in hospital, 10 are in critical condition in the intensive care unit - the lowest number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care since the start of the circuit breaker period.

Yesterday was also the third time in the last 10 days that there were no new unlinked community cases, with the other two days being May 11 and last Thursday.

A total of 530 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals and community facilities yesterday. The number of patients discharged has exceeded new patients in the past seven days.

This means that as of yesterday, 10,356, or about 36 per cent, of the total of 28,794 Covid-19 patients in Singapore have fully recovered from the virus.

For Singaporeans, permanent residents and pass holders, the average number of new daily cases has fallen from six cases two weeks ago to three in the past week.

The corresponding figures for work permit holders staying outside dormitories in the same period are four cases and one.

The number of cases among Singaporeans, permanent residents and pass holders that are unlinked also decreased from two per day two weeks ago to one in the past week.

Of the new cases, only 1 per cent were unlinked, and contact tracing is ongoing.

  • Update on cases

  • NEW CASES: 451

    Imported: 0

    Work permit (WP) holders in dormitories: 450

    COMMUNITY CASES

    Singaporeans/PRs: 1 Work passes: 0

    Visit passes: 0

    WP holders outside dorms: 0

    CASES TO DATE

    Total: 28, 794

    Community: 1,311

    WP holders not in dorms: 362

    WP holders in dorms: 26,541

    Imported: 580

    In ICU now: 10

    Deaths from Covid-19: 22

    Deaths from other causes: 9

MOH also announced the closure of two clusters: NCS Hub at 5 Ang Mo Kio Street 62 and CitiWall at 34 Kaki Bukit Crescent, as both have not had more cases linked to them for 28 days, or two incubation periods.

However, another two new clusters were announced yesterday - 2 Sungei Kadut Street 4 in Kranji and 13 Kaki Bukit Road 4.

The remaining 450 new cases are foreign workers staying in dormitories.

As of yesterday, 26,541 of the 323,000 migrant workers staying in dormitories, or slightly more than 8 per cent, have tested positive for Covid-19.

Among the patients who have yet to be discharged, 17,403 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

In total, 22 patients have died from Covid-19 complications and nine who tested positive have died from other causes.

Globally, the outbreak, which began in December last year, has infected more than 4.9 million people. Over 321,000 have died.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 20, 2020, with the headline S'porean man linked to MRT worker is only new case in community. Subscribe