SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 49 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore on Thursday (Apr 2), bringing the national total to 1,049 infections.



Of the confirmed cases, 41 are local cases who have no recent travel history abroad. The remaining eight are imported cases who travelled to Europe, North America, ASEAN and other parts of Asia.





Three new clusters have also been identified - Mustafa Centre, a construction site at Maxwell MRT station and Keppel Shipyard.



NEW CLUSTERS EMERGE, EXISTING CLUSTERS GROW

As contact tracing continues, links have been uncovered between previously announced cases and new ones.

Five of the newly confirmed cases are linked to six previous cases, forming a new cluster at Mustafa Centre, which now has a total of 11 cases.



The construction site at Maxwell MRT station at 50 Neil Road was identified as a new cluster after two of the latest cases were linked to three previous cases.



Three earlier cases have also now been linked to a new cluster at Keppel Shipyard at 51 Pioneer Sector 1.



One more person has been linked to the existing cluster at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home at 1 Thomson Lane, which now has a total of 12 cases. Meanwhile, two additional cases have been linked to the cluster at SingPost Centre, which now has a total of eight confirmed cases.

In its daily update, MOH added that three additional cases are linked to the cluster at S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, which has a total of 13 confirmed cases.



A separate cluster at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory now has a total of 10 confirmed cases, after the announcement of two additional cases on Thursday.

One new case is linked to the cluster at the bar Hero’s along Circular Road, which has a total of eight confirmed cases as of Thursday, MOH said.

The cluster at PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Fengshan saw one new case announced on Thursday - a family member of Case 601. This cluster now has a total of 27 cases.







21 MORE CASES DISCHARGED

Twenty-one more cases have been discharged. In all, 266 have fully recovered and have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation services.

Of the 464 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Twenty-three are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 315 cases who are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 are isolated and cared for at Concord International Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Gleneagles Hospital and the Community Isolation Facility at D’Resort NTUC.

Singapore on Thursday reported its fourth death related to COVID-19, a 68-year-old Indonesian national. The patient died from complications due to the disease at 6.43am and had a history of diabetes and hypertension, MOH said.

CASES FROM PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SECTOR

MOH also announced more COVID-19 cases from the public heathcare sector.



CASE 1,028

Case 1028 is a 26-year-old Singaporean woman who had been in India from Mar 2 to Mar 18. She reported onset of symptoms on Mar 20, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Apr 1 afternoon.

She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). She is employed as a healthcare attendant at the Institute of Mental Health but had not gone to work since onset of symptoms.

CASE 963 (announced on Apr 1)

Case 963 is a 26-year-old Bangladeshi man who is a long term pass holder with no recent travel history to affected countries or regions. He reported onset of symptoms on Mar 28, and subsequent test results confirmed COVID-19 infection on Mar 31 afternoon.

He is currently warded in an isolation room at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH). He is employed as a contractor working on the installation of toilet facilities at SKH. Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work but had not interacted with patients.

VISITORS BARRED FROM NURSING HOMES UNTIL END-APRIL

The oldest COVID-19 patient reported in Singapore so far is a 102-year-old woman, known as Case 983 which was announced on Wednesday. She was a resident from Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home in Thomson Lane.



Following the announcement of the cluster, MOH and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) said no visitors will be allowed at all nursing homes in Singapore for the month of April.

Caregivers will be given alternative ways to interact with nursing home residents, such as telephone and video calls, the authorities said.

Singapore on Wednesday reported its highest daily surge of 74 cases.



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