Singapore's daily COVID-19 cases fall to six-month low with 18 new infections

SINGAPORE: The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Singapore fell to a six-month low on Thursday (Sep 17), with 18 new COVID-19 infections as of noon.

This is the lowest number of cases since Mar 16, when 17 new infections were reported. 

All the new cases reported on Thursday were asymptomatic and were detected from screening and surveillance, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). 

The sole community case, who was unlinked, is a work pass holder. The 48-year-old Indian national was detected during the rostered routine testing of workers in the construction, marine and process sectors who are living outside the dormitories.

MOH said epidemiological investigations of the case are in progress. All identified close contacts have also been isolated and placed in quarantine. Serological tests for the man's household contacts will also be conducted. 

UPDATED MAP: All the places that COVID-19 community cases visited while they were infectious

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The health ministry said the number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of two cases per day in the week before, to an average of one per day in the past week. 

The number of unlinked cases in the community has remained stable at fewer than one case per day in the past two weeks. 

The two imported cases reported on Thursday comprise a work pass holder currently employed in Singapore who arrived from France on Sep 4, and a dependant’s pass holder who arrived from India on Sep 5.

Both of them were placed on stay-home notices upon arrival in Singapore and were tested while serving their isolation period at dedicated facilities.

Among the 15 cases residing in dormitories, 10 were identified earlier as contacts of previous cases, and had already been quarantined to prevent further transmission. MOH said the remaining five cases were detected through surveillance testing.

Serological test results for three cases have come back positive so far, which indicate "likely past infection", said MOH.

Singapore has a total of 57,532 COVID-19 cases, the majority of whom have recovered.

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Of the new cases reported on Thursday, 89 per cent are imported or linked to known cases or clusters while the rest are pending contact tracing.

Further details can be found in MOH's daily situation report. 

Sim Lim Square was added to the list of public places visited by COVID-19 community cases during their infectious period.

The shopping centre joins several malls that were added to the list this week, including People's Park Centre, Plaza Singapura and VivoCity. 

84 MORE PATIENTS DISCHARGED 

MOH said 84 more COVID-19 cases have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, bringing Singapore's total recoveries to 57,039.

There are 43 patients still in hospital, most of whom are stable or improving. Another 423 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

To date, 27 people have died from complications due to COVID-19.

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On Wednesday, a 59-year-old Singaporean who was listed as a COVID-19 case was removed from the tally of cases. Known as Case 57107, the man tested negative twice following an initial positive result, MOH said.

He had been classified as an imported case on Sep 5 after returning from Australia and testing positive for COVID-19.

Investigations by laboratory experts and an expert panel found that his first test result was a false-positive one, MOH said. 

"All necessary public health actions had been taken earlier and neither the case nor his contacts had been exposed to risk of infection due to the initial classification," said the ministry.

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