21 new community COVID-19 cases, 1 dormitory infection; Jem/Westgate cases form new cluster

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 22 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases as of noon on Sunday (May 23), including 21 in the community and one who resides in a dormitory. 

Nineteen infections are linked to previous cases, while two community cases are currently unlinked. Among them, 12 cases had been placed on quarantine earlier.

There were also three imported cases, who were placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In all, Singapore reported 25 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. 

FIRST DORMITORY CASE SINCE MAY 1

A 46-year-old Malaysian man is Singapore's first dormitory case since May 1; his case is currently unlinked. He works as a construction worker at H&W Communications and resides at Harvest @ Woodlands at 280 Woodlands Industrial Park E5. 

He is asymptomatic and his infection was detected on May 22 as part of rostered routine testing. He was immediately isolated. The man's earlier tests - the last being on May 8 - were negative for COVID-19, MOH said.

Another resident of Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8 has tested positive for COVID-19. The 60-year-old Singaporean woman's infection was detected May 22 as part of MOH testing operations for residents of the block. Case 63609, who is asymptomatic, received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Mar 29 and the second dose on Apr 19.

Another unlinked case is a 74-year-old Singaporean woman who tested positive for COVID-19 at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on May 22. Case 63623 received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Apr 20 and the second dose on May 11. 

Among the 19 infections linked to previous cases, two are McDonald's delivery drivers and one is linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) cluster. 

The case linked to TTSH is a 78-year-old Singaporean woman whose family member was warded at Ward 9D. She was placed on quarantine on May 8 and tested positive on May 22, though she was asymptomatic. 

Two McDonald's delivery riders at the fast food chain's Pasir Ris Elias Community Club outlet have tested positive. They are a 31-year-old Chinese national and a 27-year-old Malaysia national. Both men were identified as workplace contacts of two other delivery drivers who worked at the same outlet. 

READ: Jem and Westgate malls to be closed for 2 weeks amid 'likely ongoing' COVID-19 transmission - MOH

JEM/WESTGATE AND CHANGI AIRPORT CLUSTERS 

Four cases have been linked to Jem/Westgate, forming a new cluster. Three of these infections were picked up by MOH's testing operations for those who worked in or visited Jem and Westgate. 

Of the four cases, two have tested preliminarily positive for the B1617 variant, and is pending further confirmatory tests. The two are a 39-year-old Malaysian national who works as a cleaner at Westgate and a 44-year-old male India national who works at BlackRock Advisors Singapore. 

The other two cases are a 59-year-old Singaporean man who works as a music teacher at Yamaha Music School and a 31-year-old Indian national who works as a delivery truck driver at YHI Corporation. 

The Changi Airport cluster has grown by three cases, including a seven-year-old Singaporean boy who is a student at St Stephen’s School and was last in school on May 12. He developed a fever on May 21 and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.

He is a close contact of two cases - a 44-year-old woman who had visited the airport on multiple locations and an 11-year-old student who also goes to the same school. 

The boy was placed on quarantine on May 12. He developed a fever on May 21 and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day. 

The Changi Airport cluster now has 108 cases. 

Of the three imported cases, two are Singapore permanent residents who returned from India. The third case is a work permit holder who arrived from Malaysia. They had all already been placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore. 

THREE IN CRITICAL CONDITION 

Seventeen more people have been discharged hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 61,294 have fully recovered from the infection. 

There are currently 242 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and three are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. This is down from the five cases who were in critical condition in the ICU a day earlier. 

Another 256 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. 

The Health Ministry also added several new locations to its list of places visited by COVID-19 cases in the community during their infectious period. They include IKEA Jurong, Sim Lim Square and Woodlands Regional Library. 

Earlier on Sunday, MOH and the Ministry of National Development (MND) said 10 cases have been detected from four households living at Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8, while four cases were detected in two households living at Block 559 Pasir Ris Street 51.

Mandatory polymerase chain reaction tests for all residents of the Hougang block were completed on Friday and Saturday, while a two-day swabbing operation began on Sunday for the Pasir Ris block residents.

As of Sunday, Singapore has reported a total of 61,824 COVID-19 cases. The country also reported its 32nd COVID-19 death on Friday, a 70-year-old man linked to the cluster at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

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