SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old Indonesian man announced on Thursday (June 17) as a new Covid-19 case in Singapore was part of a group of five arrested for illegally trying to swim to the Republic via the sea off Changi.

This was confirmed by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Saturday in response to media queries.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said the man had entered Singapore waters from Indonesia without valid documentation.

An SPF spokesman said he was among five male swimmers first detected by the Police Coast Guard at sea off Aviation Park Road on Monday evening. The coast guard moved in to detain the group of men, aged 24 to 31, for unlawful entry into Singapore under the Immigration Act.

The men were allocated individual lock-up cells and had nasal swabs the next day. SPF said this was protocol for anyone arrested for unlawful entry.

The 26-year-old tested positive on June 16, after which he was isolated until he was sent to hospital, MOH had earlier said. The ministry also said the man had been asymptomatic.

SPF said the other four were immediately transferred to a quarantine facility.

Police officers who had been in close contact with the infected man were also quarantined and asked to monitor their health.

The police also said that officers deployed for operations that may involve encountering others regularly are equipped with personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and disposable gowns. Selected front-line officers are also placed on regular routine testing.