SINGAPORE: Five more COVID-19 patients have been discharged after making a full recovery, including a one-year-old baby, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Feb 18).

This means 29 cases have now been discharged from hospital. The one-year-old baby is Singapore's 76th case and was among the group evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9.



MOH also announced four new cases on Tuesday, taking the country's total to 81.

Three of the new cases are linked to the cluster at the Grace Assembly of God church, and one is the family member of a previous case.

Four patients are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.



ONE-YEAR-OLD DISCHARGED

The one-year-old baby was evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9 and was without symptoms when he boarded the plane. He was quarantined upon landing in Singapore.

He was admitted to KK Women's and Children's Hospital and tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, before he was discharged on Tuesday.

The other patients discharged are cases 5, 8, 21 and 38.

THREE NEW CASES LINKED TO CHURCH

Three of the new cases – 78, 80 and 81 – are linked to the cluster at the Grace Assembly of God church, which has 21 COVID-19 cases in total.

All of the three new cases have no recent travel history to China.

Case 78 is a 57-year-old Singaporean who reported the onset of symptoms on Feb 9 and sought treatment at two GP clinics on Feb 10 and Feb 17.

She was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on Tuesday, and tested positive for the coronavirus the same afternoon.

Prior to hospital admission, she had gone to work at a VWO-run community hospital, MOH said.

“She performs an administrative function at the community hospital, and had not interacted with patients since onset of symptoms,” the health ministry added.

She stays at the Dairy Farm area.

Grace Assembly of God in Tanglin. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)

Case 80 is a 38-year-old Singaporean who works at the National University Hospital (NUH) in an administrative function.

She is linked to case 66 – a 28-year-old Singaporean who works at Grace Assembly of God and attended God’s Kingdom Bread of Life Church at 37 Jalan Pemimpin.

She tested positive for the infection on Tuesday morning and is currently warded in an isolation room at NUH. The health ministry said she had not interacted with patients since the onset of symptoms.

She had limited contact with her colleagues while symptomatic, a NUH spokesperson said in an update on Wednesday.

"She had promptly sought medical treatment since the onset of symptoms, and informed her supervisor upon learning of the contact with a confirmed case," the spokesperson said.



"We have taken precautionary measure and have conducted thorough cleaning, disinfected the toilets, pantry, office space, as well as the common staff areas.

"We are working with MOH to monitor the situation."



Case 81 is a 50-year-old Singaporean who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning. He is currently warded at NCID.

MALAYSIAN LINKED TO PREVIOUS CASE

The 79th case is a 35-year-old Malaysian who is a Singapore work pass holder. She is the family member of a 40-year-old Chinese national who was announced as Singapore's 72nd case of COVID-19. The latter was a "non-medical contact" of case 59 – a 61-year-old anesthesiologist at a private hospital in Singapore.

The Malaysian woman reported onset of symptoms on Feb 12, and was placed under home quarantine from Feb 15 after she was identified as a close contact of case 72.

She was taken to NCID by ambulance on Monday, and tested positive for the coronavirus the same afternoon.

Before she was under quarantine, she had gone to work at FoodXchange @ Admiralty at 8A Admiralty Street.

“Her job function at FoodXchange does not entail handling of food,” MOH said.

She stays at Woodlands Crescent and has no recent travel history to China.



Of the 52 confirmed cases still in hospital, most are "stable or improving", MOH added.

As of noon on Tuesday, MOH has identified 2,486 close contacts. Of these, 1,160 are currently quarantined, and 1,326 have completed their quarantine.



Singapore Airlines on Tuesday said it will temporarily cut flights across its global network in the three months to May as the COVID-19 outbreak hits demand for services to and through Singapore.

On Monday, MOH announced a new Stay-Home Notice for Singapore residents and long-term pass holders with recent travel history to mainland China outside the Hubei province.

From 11.59pm on Tuesday, such travellers will be required to stay home at all times during their 14-day leave period. This is stricter than the Leave of Absence measure, which allows them to leave their homes briefly, for example for meals or to buy household supplies.

Singapore on Feb 7 raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) to Orange, prompting additional precautionary measures.

COVID-19 has killed more than 1,800 and infected more than 72,000, mostly in mainland China. It has spread to more than 25 countries, including Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

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