Another COVID-19 cluster formed; 4 community cases among 30 new infections in Singapore
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SINGAPORE: Four community cases were among the 30 new COVID-19 infections reported in Singapore as of noon on Tuesday (Jan 19).
Two of the community infections are linked to a previous case, forming a new cluster.
The cluster involving the police para-vet, meanwhile, has grown to seven cases, after an eight-year-old boy tested positive for the coronavirus.
There were no cases reported in foreign workers' dormitories, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Twenty-six of the new cases are imported infections and were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival.
NEW COVID-19 CLUSTER
Two of the new community cases have been linked to Case 59343, a
food processing worker at Golden Bridge Foods Manufacturing who tested positive last week.
The first of the two is a 31-year-old work permit holder who is a co-worker and housemate of Case 59343. Both are Chinese nationals.
The 31-year-old man had been identified as a close contact of Case 59343 and was placed on quarantine on Jan 15. He was tested on Jan 17 during quarantine even though he was asymptomatic, and his result came back positive for COVID-19 infection the next day.
He was then taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
His serological test result is negative, indicating that this is likely a current infection, said MOH.
The second case is 48-year-old work permit holder who is the wife of Case 59343.
The Chinese national is a food processing worker at Soon Lee Heng Satay Foodstuff Manufacturer, located at 15 Woodlands Loop.
She was placed on quarantine on Jan 15 and tested on Jan 17, even though she is asymptomatic.
Her infection was confirmed the next day.
Her serological test result is negative.
CLUSTER LINKED TO POLICE K-9 UNIT GROWS
The third community case is an 8-year-old Singaporean boy linked to the
cluster involving the police K-9 unit para-veterinarian.
The boy is the son of
Case 59365, a 44-year-old Singaporean man who works as an administrative officer at the same location as the para-vet, and
Case 59393, a 43-year-old woman.
He is a student at Chua Chu Kang Primary School and had last gone to school on Jan 15. He was placed on quarantine on Jan 16.
"He was swabbed on the same day and his result came back negative for COVID-19," said MOH. "There is therefore no risk of transmission to the students he had contact with previously."
However, the boy developed a fever on Jan 17 while he was in quarantine, and was tested again at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. This test came back positive for COVID-19 infection.
His serological test result is negative.
This cluster now has a total of seven confirmed infections.
UNLINKED CASE
The fourth case is a 39-year-old permanent resident who works as a sales personnel at BS Industrial & Construction Supply, located at 34 Kallang Place.
He developed a fever on Jan 16 and sought treatment at a polyclinic on Jan 18, where he was tested for COVID-19 as part of MOH's enhanced community testing.
His test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection on the same day, and he was taken to NCID.
His serological test result has come back negative.
Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, said MOH, adding that all identified close contacts of the cases, including their family members, household members and co-workers, have been isolated and placed on quarantine. Serological and COVID-19 tests will also be conducted for them.
MOH added that the overall number of new cases in the community has increased from six cases in the week before to 14 cases in the past week.
The number of unlinked cases in the community has increased from four cases in the week before to five cases in the past week.
MOH also added several new places to its list of locations visited by cases in the community during their infectious period - Church of Singapore, Marina Square and Gain City Megastore @ Sungei Kadut.