No Covid-19 transmission beyond previous 13 cases who had served SHN at Mandarin Orchard, hotel to reopen on Jan 2: MOH
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health said on Friday (Jan 1) that it has found no further Covid-19 transmission at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore beyond 13 previously reported cases at the hotel, and it will reopen on Saturday.
MOH had announced on Dec 19 that it was investigating 13 previously reported cases of Covid-19 infection amongst individuals who had served Stay Home Notice at the hotel located along Orchard Road between Oct 22 and Nov 11, 2020.
It had said then that the 13 people could have been infected here even though they had flown in from 10 different countries — such as the United States, South Korea, Britain, the Philippines and Bahrain — as they have coronavirus strains that have “high genetic similarity”, implying that the infections may have come from one source.
“We have since completed investigation into these 13 cases and determined that there was no further transmission beyond them,” said MOH in a press statement on Friday night.
“The other Covid-19 cases who had served SHN at Mandarin Orchard Singapore were determined to be unlinked to the 13 cases.”
It added that all the hotel staff tested under its special testing operations had tested negative for Covid-19 infection using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
The serological tests of 11 staff are positive, indicating likely past infections.
“These findings indicate that there is no ongoing transmission at Mandarin Orchard Singapore,” said MOH.
“In view that the premises have been thoroughly disinfected, and there is no longer risk of transmission to hotel guests, MOH has approved the re-opening of Mandarin Orchard Singapore from Jan 2, 2021 (14 days after its closure on Dec 19), including its restaurant and event spaces.”
