NSman due to start ICT among 4 Covid-19 community infections; 35 other imported cases
SINGAPORE — A 35-year-old Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) national serviceman, who tested positive for Covid-19 before the start of his in-camp training (ICT), was one of four community cases reported on Saturday (April 17).
In its update on the coronavirus situation here, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the man, who works as a freelance photographer, was detected when he was tested on Thursday as part of the SAF’s protocol to test NSmen at the start of their training.
After his pooled test came back positive for Covid-19, an individual swab test was done the next day, which was also positive. He was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and developed a fever the same day, said MOH.
Another test conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) on Friday was negative for Covid-19 infection, but a later test on Saturday by NPHL was again positive.
“His serological test result has come back positive, which is indicative of a past infection. He could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA from a past infection, but given that we are not able to definitively conclude when he had been infected, we will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure,” MOH added.
In a separate statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the NSman was “well and asymptomatic” when he reported for training at Nee Soon Camp.
Mindef added that the SAF has disinfected the premises that the NSman had been in. Those who had been identified as his close contacts during the training have also been swab tested.
“None have been tested positive for Covid-19 thus far, and are under quarantine. They will be monitored and re-tested to confirm their negative status before they are released from quarantine,” said Mindef.
Two of the community cases are linked to a 34-year-old senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS), who was reported as a local case on Friday. They are his brother and a colleague, a 31-year-old Swiss national who is also a senior research fellow at NUS.
The colleague had interacted with the man on April 12. She developed a sore throat on Thursday but did not seek medical treatment, said MOH.
As she had been identified as her colleague’s close contact, she was contacted by MOH on Friday and placed on quarantine. She reported her symptom and was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where she was tested for Covid-19. Her test came back positive the same day, and her serology test result is pending.
Meanwhile, the brother of the NUS research fellow is 35-year-old Indian national. He works at DBS Bank at 2 Changi Business Park Crescent, but has largely been working from home, said MOH. He last went back to his workplace between April 6 and April 9.
He was placed on home quarantine on Thursday, after being identified as a close contact of his brother.
He developed a fever on Friday and was taken to NCID after he informed MOH of his symptom. His Covid-19 test came back positive on Saturday, and his serology test result is pending, said MOH.
The remaining community case is a 41 year-old Singapore permanent resident. She works as an accountant at OM Universal at 11 Kaki Bukit Road 1, but has not gone to work since onset of symptoms.
She developed a cough in the evening of April 14 after work, and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic the next day, where she was tested for Covid-19.
Her test result came back positive on April 16 and she was taken to NCID. Her serology test result is pending.
IMPORTED CASES
There were 35 imported cases of Covid-19 registered on Saturday and all had been placed on stay-home notices upon their arrival here.
They are:
Five Singaporeans and five Singapore permanent residents who returned from Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Liberia
Four dependant’s pass holders who arrived from Nepal
One student’s pass holder who arrived from India
One work pass holder who arrived from India
Seventeen work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, of whom eight are foreign domestic workers
Two short-term visit pass holders. One arrived from Bahrain for a work project while the other arrived from India to visit his family member who is a Singapore permanent resident
UPDATE ON REMAINING CASES
The total number of infections in Singapore is now 60,808.
Of these, 60,463 people have fully recovered and been discharged, including 17 on Saturday.
There are still 62 patients in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and two are in critical condition in the intensive care unit, MOH said.
Another 253 patients are isolated at community facilities. They have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still tested positive for Covid-19.
Thirty people have died from complications due to the disease.
In its update, MOH said that the recent locally transmitted cases “are a stark reminder that the virus has not been eradicated and new cases and clusters can easily emerge in our community, if we let our guard down”.
“We urge everyone, including those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, to continue to exercise social responsibility, and keep up our discipline in adhering to the safe management measures,” it said.
“This is even more critical as we resume and scale up more activities in Phase Three of re-opening, and interactions in the community increase. Together we must work to avoid an uncontrolled resurgence of cases that may necessitate a tightening of measures,” the ministry added.
