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SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 12 new COVID-19 cases as of noon Saturday (February 20), all imported infections.
It is the third consecutive day with no cases of local transmission in the community or in the dormitories of foreign workers.
The imported cases include two Singaporeans who returned from India and the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
There are also two dependent pass holders and three student pass holders who came from India.
Two of the cases are work pass holders who came from the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Another case involved a work permit holder who is a foreign domestic worker from Indonesia.
The remaining two cases are holders of short-term visitation passes that arrived from India. One came to visit a family member from Singapore, while another traveled here to study.
CLUSTER OF EIGHT COMMUNITY CASES CLOSED
The Ministry of Health also announced that a COVID-19 cluster linked to a sales employee at BS Industrial & Construction Supply, known as Case 59429, has been closed.
The 39-year-old permanent resident was confirmed to have COVID-19 on January 18. It had been linked to seven other cases.
READ: New COVID-19 cluster formed after 3 cases linked to a sales employee at BS Industrial & Construction Supply
READ: 3 More Community Cases of COVID-19 Linked to BS Industrial & Construction Supply; group now into 7 infections
“As there have been no more cases linked to the Case 59429 group during the last two incubation periods (ie 28 days), the group has now been closed,” the Health Ministry said.
Overall, the number of new cases in the community has decreased from eight cases in the week before to one case in the last week.
The number of unrelated cases in the community has also decreased from five cases in the week before to one case in the last week.
Among the 72 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported from February 14 to 20, 47 cases tested positive on their serological tests, 11 tested negative and 14 serological test results are pending, the Health Ministry said.
Twenty-two more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged, bringing total recoveries to 59,719.
There are 20 cases that are still in the hospital, one of them in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
A total of 90 cases are isolated and treated in community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms or are clinically well, but still test positive for COVID-19.
As of Saturday, Singapore has reported a total of 59,858 COVID-19 cases, with 29 deaths.
READ: Singapore opens Connect @ Changi facility, allowing business visitors to gather without serving quarantine
Over the next three weeks, people aged 70 and over will receive COVID-19 vaccination letters, while inoculation for people aged 60 to 69 will begin in late March, the Health Ministry said on Friday.
“Beyond 60 to 69 (age group), then we will probably open up to more groups, and the general public will be able to get vaccinated, probably sometime after April,” said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
As of Thursday, some 250,000 people in Singapore have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
READ: Emerging stronger from the COVID-19 crisis, the focus of Budget 2021
Tighter COVID-19 measures that were introduced before Chinese New Year, including a limit of eight visitors per household per day, will remain in effect for a few weeks after the holidays end, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Friday.
“So we will monitor one, two, a few weeks after the New Years celebrations and holidays are over,” Mr. Wong said.
“And if the situation remains stable, under control, then we will review and consider the measures again and see if there is room to adjust.”
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