Orchard Road is no longer a dengue hot spot, after having been classified as a high-risk red zone for more than a month.

The cluster was deemed closed yesterday, as no new cases had been reported in the past two weeks.

To date, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has checked more than 200 residences and 20 buildings in the area in an attempt to stem the spread of dengue.

The source of the epidemic was the Orchard Gateway construction site, where 54 dengue cases were reported.

The total number of dengue cases reported in the area before the cluster was closed was 107.

The NEA said yesterday that the three construction sites in the Orchard area are checked for mosquito breeding twice a week.

Daily inspections are carried out at public spaces in the district, and insecticide is applied weekly. Mosquito traps are also used. To date, 14 breeding sites have been destroyed.

In a statement, the NEA added that "enforcement action, including fines and stop-work orders, have been imposed on the construction site and owners of premises with breeding sites".

As of yesterday, there were 66 active dengue clusters in Singapore. The largest is in the Kovan area, with 71 reported cases.

Dengue cases have continued to decline, with 373 cases reported last week, down from 459 four weeks earlier.

There have been 20,682 cases of dengue reported since the beginning of the year.

LINETTE LAI