Two RSAF regulars on home quarantine after four others diagnosed with COVID-19
RSAF personnel prepping a helicopter for flight. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
SINGAPORE: Two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) regular servicemen have been placed on home quarantine after four others were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, said the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday (Mar 11).
In its daily update on the coronavirus situation in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had said that a total of four RSAF national servicemen - cases 165, 169, 173 and 175 - tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from official duty in France.
They were all identified as imported cases.
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MINDEF confirmed that the four regulars were on official duty in Marseille between Feb 15 and Mar 7, and arrived back in Singapore on Mar 8. They developed symptoms thereafter and tested positive either on Mar 10 or Mar 11.
Three are warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases while one is at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
None of the four servicemen had been at their workplace or other Singapore Armed Forces premises after returning from France.
Two RSAF regulars who had been on the same overseas duty as the affected servicemen have also returned to Singapore and are "currently well, but placed on home quarantine as they were close contacts", said the ministry.
Explore our interactive: All the COVID-19 cases in Singapore and the clusters and links between them
MINDEF said it had already reduced overseas training deployments and exercises in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
"(SAF) will continue to adjust such activities where necessary depending on the conditions within the host country,” it added.
"All SAF personnel, both locally and abroad, have been instructed to take precautionary measures that include social distancing to mitigate the risk of infection."
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