Record community cases of Covid-19

As of noon on Thursday, there were 16 community cases among the 35 new COVID-19 infections recorded in Singapore (Apr 29).

This is the most community infections recorded in Singapore since July 11 of last year, when 24 cases were reported.

There are currently eight active COVID-19 clusters, the largest of which has nine cases and is connected to a nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

An Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer stationed at Changi Airport Terminal 1 is connected to the next largest cluster, which has eight events. His family members are involved in seven of the incidents, including a three-year-old child. They had all been quarantined previously.

CLUSTER IN THE HOSPITAL

Case 62541, the TTSH nurse, is associated to eight other group events.

A doctor, a health assistant trainee, and six patients are among them. Except for one patient who had moved from Ward 7D, they were all from Ward 9D, where Case 62541 served.

Ward 7D, as well as Ward 9D, has now been secured. Except for seriously ill patients, no visitors will be allowed into the facility.

A CASE OF A DISCONNECTED COMMUNITY

A 39-year-old Vietnamese woman who works as a cleaner is the last unconnected group event.

She works with Octo Jet Building Maintenance Services and was stationed at a Tuas South community care centre.

MOH said she wears full personal protective equipment (PPE) at work, including a N95 mask, face shield, gown, and gloves, as case 62553.

"She also periodically helps out at a food stall at The Summit located at the National University of Singapore’s Bukit Timah campus," the ministry said.

She is asymptomatic and was discovered when she was swabbed as part of routine monitoring on April 26. The next day, her pooled test result for COVID-19 came back positive, and she was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

On April 27, she had an individual examination, which revealed that she had COVID-19 infection.

Her previous routine checks, the most recent of which was on April 14, had all come back negative for COVID-19 infection.

"Her serology test result has come back positive but we have assessed that this is likely a recent infection," MOH said.

On January 27, she received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and on February 19, she received her second dose.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is effective in preventing symptomatic disease for the vast majority of those who are vaccinated," MOH continued, "but it is possible for vaccinated individuals to become infected."

Overall, there have been 28 new cases in the city in the last week, up from 10 the week before. The number of unrelated cases in the city has also risen, from five the week before to seven this week.

"We will continue to closely monitor these numbers, as well as the cases detected through our surveillance programme," the Ministry of Health said.

Read more about Covid-19 in Singapore - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Singapore