SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 47 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (Mar 18), taking the total in the country to 313.



Three more patients were also discharged, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).



To date, a total of 117 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Of the 196 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving.

Fifteen are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Of the new cases, 33 are imported. Thirty of the cases were returning residents and long-term pass holders while three were visitors.





The imported cases had travelled to various countries such as the United Kingdom, Turkey, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, France, Germany and the United States.



Nine imported cases, comprising both Singaporeans and Singapore Work Pass holders, had been in the UK. Another two cases had been in the UK and other European countries.

Two of the new cases (270 and 272) are family members with Case 230, which MOH said on Tuesday was a 38-year-old Singaporean.

Case 270, a 62-year-old Singaporean woman, had travelled to Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia and Austria. Case 272, a 65-year-old Singaporean man, had travelled to Eastern Europe, according to MOH.

They also travelled together with Case 309, a 60-year-old Singaporean man who had visited Croatia and Austria.



Two (Cases 283 and 305) are linked to the clusters at Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah) and boulder+ gym.

One (Case 310) is linked to Cases 183 and 252 at a new cluster at Masjid Al Muttaqin in Ang Mo Kio.

Six are linked to previous cases, while five are currently unlinked.

LINKS BETWEEN PREVIOUS CASES

MOH said that further epidemiological investigations and contact tracing with the assistance of the police have uncovered links between previously announced and new cases.

There are now four cases linked to boulder+ gym (Cases 142, 162, 163 and 305). Five cases (Cases 144, 208, 214, 235 and 283) are linked to the Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah).



Authorities have also found that the two clusters are linked through Cases 142 and 144.



No new cases were added to Singapore's largest cluster, a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong, which has 47 cases linked to it.

MOH said that contact tracing is underway for another 17 locally transmitted cases to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions.



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