13 new COVID-19 community infections all linked to earlier cases; new cluster at barber shop at Simpang Bedok

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 13 new COVID-19 infections in the community as of noon on Saturday (Jun 5).

All were linked to previous cases and were already placed on quarantine, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The last time there were zero unlinked cases in the community was on May 5.    

There were also five new imported infections, taking the daily case count on Saturday to 18.

NEW CLUSTER IDENTIFIED AT ATATCUTZ BARBER SHOP

Four of the new cases, including two barbers, have been linked to a new cluster at Atatcutz Singapore in Simpang Bedok. 

The earliest case in this cluster, Case 63936, was identified on Jun 1. He is a 26-year-old Malaysian man who works as a delivery rider for Pizza Hut (Hougang Green).

Then on Jun 2, a 24-year-old Malaysian man who works as a barber at Atatcutz tested positive.

Among the new cases reported on Saturday, there is a 35-year-old Malaysian man who works as a delivery rider for Pizza Hut (Kampong Ubi Community Centre).

He was identified as a household contact of Case 63936 and placed on quarantine on Jun 1. He was tested for COVID-19 on Jun 3 and developed a cough the following day. His infection was confirmed on Jun 4.

The latest two barbers linked to this cluster are both Malaysians, aged 25 and 27.

The younger man developed a fever on the same day of his positive test result, while the 27-year-old is asymptomatic. 

A 46-year-old Singaporean who is a manager at Workforce Singapore also tested positive. She has been working from home since April, said MOH.

She is a household contact of the 25-year-old barber and was placed on quarantine on Jun 2. She developed a fever the following day but did not report it.

She was tested on Jun 3 and her infection was confirmed the next day. She received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on May 18.

The cluster now has a total of six cases.

READ: One COVID-19 case found after completion of mandatory testing at two Hougang blocks

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Atatcutz said it will be closed until Jun 15. All employees who were at work between May 29 and Jun 2 have been quarantined.

They added that deep cleaning and disinfection will be carried out.

Atatcutz Singapore urged customers who have been at the shop to visit the doctor if they experience any symptoms.

MINDSVILLE CLUSTER GROWS TO 30 CASES

Three more people at MINDSville@Napiri have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total cases in the cluster to 30.

Two of the new cases are residents at the adult disability home, while the third is a nursing aide. 

All three were vaccinated against COVID-19. Their infection was detected as part of MOH's proactive testing of residents and staff members.

READ: COVID-19 cluster at MINDSville@Napiri: Why is it so hard to keep the virus out of adult care homes?

ONE-MONTH-OLD BOY TESTS POSITIVE

Other community cases include a one-month-old boy and a 25-year-old student at Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).

They are both linked to the cluster involving Case 63714 - a 74-year-old Singaporean retiree whose infection was confirmed on May 24. 

The one-month-old boy is a family member of Case 63714 and was placed on quarantine on May 24. He developed a fever on May 26 but his test result came back negative.

His second test on Jun 4 was positive.

The baby is a family member and household contact of the SIM student. 

She was also placed on quarantine on May 24 and her COVID-19 test on May 26 was negative.

However, she developed a fever on May 28, followed by a cough and sore throat on May 30, but did not report the symptoms.

She was tested again on Jun 3, which returned positive.

TEKTRONIX CLUSTER

A 25-year-old Indonesian foreign domestic worker was added to the cluster involving a Singaporean man who works as an engineer at Tektronix Southeast Asia. 

The maid was placed on quarantine on May 25. 

Her COVID-19 test on May 26 was negative, but she developed a fever on Jun 3 and was re-tested on the same day. Her infection was confirmed on Jun 4.

ENGINEER LINKED TO CLUSTER INVOLVING FAIRPRICE EMPLOYEE

A 29-year-old engineer at Thermo Fisher Scientific was added to the cluster linked to Case 63964 - a 61-year-old woman who works at the NTUC FairPrice outlet at Clementi Avenue 3.

The 29-year-old is also a part-time student at Singapore Polytechnic and was last in school on May 12, said MOH. 

There are now five cases in this cluster.

Further details of Saturday's cases can be found in MOH's daily report.

5 IMPORTED CASES, NO NEW CASES IN DORMITORIES

Among the five imported infections, one is a Singaporean who returned from Canada and two are permanent residents who arrived from India.

The remaining cases are a student's pass holder from the UAE and a sea crew member on a special pass who arrived from Thailand on a vessel.

The imported cases were placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore.

No new infections were reported in migrant workers' dormitories.

LOCATIONS VISITED BY COVID-19 CASES WHILE INFECTIOUS

A handful of places were on Saturday added to MOH's list of places visited by COVID-19 community cases during their infectious period.

These include Marsiling Lane Food Centre, POPULAR Bookstore at Causeway Point and an NTUC FairPrice outlet at Woodlands Civic Centre.

The new locations are as follows: