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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MINSA) is investigating 13 COVID-19 cases that delivered their stay-at-home notice at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel after they were observed to have “high genetic similarity” despite coming from different countries.
The Singapore Health Ministry and Tourism Board (STB) said on Saturday (December 19) that this suggests that the cases “were likely infected from a similar source.”
The MOH and STB said they cannot exclude that the transmissions may have occurred at the Mandarin Orchard hotel.
As a precautionary measure, the hotel will stop accepting new guests with immediate effect and all current guests will be removed, authorities said in a press release.
“The hotel has made arrangements to screen existing guests progressively,” officials said, adding that restaurants and event spaces within the hotel will also be closed.
Those who are currently complying with their stay-at-home notice will be moved to another dedicated facility.
READ: 17 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore, all imported
13 CASES FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
Thirteen imported cases, which were confirmed between November 2 and 11 to have COVID-19 infection, were observed to have high genetic similarity even though the cases had arrived from different countries, including Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, “MOH and STB said.
“This suggests that these cases were likely infected from a similar source.”
Further investigation by the Ministry of Health found that these 13 cases met their stay-at-home notice at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel between October 22 and November 11.
“Epidemiological investigations were immediately initiated to determine if there is a potential link between these 13 cases, and to study whether the transmission could have occurred locally and not from their country of origin,” the authorities added.
The 13 imported cases include Singapore citizens, permanent residents, work pass holders and short-term visit pass holders.
Short-term visitors included an Indonesian woman who came to visit relatives in Singapore; a British woman who came to visit her son who is a permanent resident; and a US citizen who was on a job project in Singapore.
The MOH and STB said that people with notice to stay at home are housed in a tower and exclusive floors in the hotel, separated from all other guests, with no interaction between them.
They will be taken in dedicated vehicles to an alternative dedicated facility, and the hotel will conduct deep cleaning and disinfection in consultation with the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency.
The Mandarin Orchard Hotel stopped receiving people with notice to stay at home from December 13, as its contract to serve as a dedicated facility will expire at the end of December, the Health Ministry and STB said.
TESTS FOR STAFF MEMBERS
The Health Ministry has launched a “special test operation” to screen about 500 hotel staff for COVID-19, authorities said. These include both the staff members who serve those staying at home as well as those who serve other guests in other parts of the hotel.
Mandarin Orchard said COVID-19 smear tests will be conducted for all full and part-time employees.
The Health Ministry and the STB said those who are currently complying with the stay-at-home notice will also be screened for their status, rather than waiting until they are swabbed out of the stay-at-home notice. House.
“Guests who have stayed at Mandarin Orchard Singapore between November 11 and December 19 are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their last date of stay.
“They should see a doctor immediately if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their history of exposure,” said the authorities.
“HIGH GENETIC SIMILARITY” OUTSTANDING
As part of routine laboratory surveillance, the National Public Health Laboratory performs whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis on all COVID-19 cases.
It takes about four weeks to grow the virus and complete genome sequencing, MOH and STB said. The “high genetic similarity” was detected among the 13 imported cases.
Sequencing and genome analysis continues for cases that stayed at the Mandarin Orchard hotel beyond Nov. 11, authorities said.
The hotel said it is “working closely and fully cooperating” with authorities in their investigations and that it “will continue to implement strict infection control measures” at all of its operations.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains the highest priority for all of us at Mandarin Orchard Singapore,” the hotel said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.
According to a listing on the STB website, Mandarin Orchard Singapore was one of the hotels that have been approved to reopen.
As announced by the STB on July 3, hotels may request to reopen for home stay reservations as Singapore resumed more activities after the end of the COVID-19 “breaker”.
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