Worker staying at Westlite Woodlands dorm among 2 locally transmitted cases of Covid-19; 43 others imported
A bus carrying migrant workers leaving Westlite Woodlands dormitory on April 22, 2021. The workers are being sent to a government quarantine facility for 14 days.
- There were 45 cases of Covid-19 reported on April 26, including two locally transmitted ones
- One was a 35-year-old Bangladeshi national who stays at the Westlite Woodlands dormitory
- Another was a 19-year-old Singaporean woman who studies in the United Kingdom
- The woman was detected when she took a Covid-19 pre-departure test to return to the UK
- There were 43 imported cases, all of whom were isolated on arrival
SINGAPORE — Another foreign worker staying at the Westlite Woodlands dormitory is one of two locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (April 26).
The remaining 43 are imported cases.
The 45 new cases reported that day is the highest daily tally since Jan 30, when there were 58 reported cases in Singapore.
The worker, a 35-year-old Bangladeshi man, resides at the Westlite Woodlands dormitory but in a different block from two previously confirmed cases. He also did not interact with them, MOH said.
The work permit holder, who works in construction and is employed by Jenta Decoration Contractor, had been in Bangladesh from Feb 17 to Dec 21 last year.
He then served his stay-home notice at a dedicated facility from Dec 21 to Jan 4.
His swab test conducted during his stay-home notice on Jan 1 was negative for the coronavirus, as did his latest routine testing of workers that was last conducted on April 20.
MOH said that the man was placed on quarantine on April 22 following the detection of a previously confirmed case — another Bangladeshi man who works at the Sembcorp Marine Admiralty Yard.
The latest case, who did not have any symptoms, was tested for Covid-19 on April 23 during quarantine to determine his status.
His test result came back positive and he was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
However, MOH said that another test conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory on April 25 was negative for the virus.
“His Ct value was very high, and his serology test result has also come back positive,” said MOH.
“Based on his travel history, he was likely to have been infected while he was overseas, and is shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA, which are no longer transmissible and infective to others.”
ONE CASE IN THE COMMUNITY
The one case in the community on Monday is a Singaporean female student in the United Kingdom.
The 19-year-old had been in the UK from Sept 11 to Dec 1 last year and had developed acute respiratory infection while she was there but did not get tested for the coronavirus.
She returned to Singapore on Dec 1 and served her stay-home notice at a dedicated facility until Dec 14.
The test conducted during her quarantine then was negative for the coronavirus.
The woman, who did not have any symptoms, was detected when she took a Covid-19 pre-departure test on April 23 in preparation for her trip back to the UK.
Her result came back positive for the coronavirus on April 24 and she was taken to the NCID.
MOH said that the woman’s Ct value was very high, which is indicative of a low viral load, and that her serology test result (for a past infection) has also come back positive.
“She could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA from a past infection which are no longer transmissible and infective to others, but given that we are not able to definitively conclude when she had been infected, we will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure,” said MOH.
Overall, the number of new cases in the community has gone up slightly from nine in the week before to 10 in the past week.
The number of cases with no known links in the community has remained stable at four a week in the past two weeks.
IMPORTED CASES
There were 43 imported cases of Covid-19 registered on Monday and all had been placed on stay-home notices or isolated upon their arrival here, MOH said.
They were:
Eight Singaporeans and five permanent residents who returned from India and Indonesia
Four dependant’s pass holders who arrived from India and Nepal
Three student's pass holders who came from India
Six work pass holders who arrived from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka
Eight work permit holders who came from India and Malaysia
One short-term visit pass holder who arrived from Bangladesh who was already receiving medical care here and had returned for further treatment
Eight special pass holders who are seafarers. They had arrived from Indonesia on a vessel and were tested onboard without disembarking
UPDATE ON REMAINING CASES
The total number of infections in Singapore is now 61,051.
Of these, 60,682 people have fully recovered and been discharged, including 20 on Monday.
There are still 109 patients in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and none is in critical condition under intensive care, MOH said.
Another 230 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.
