[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 15 new COVID-19 infections as of noon on Saturday (September 19), including one in the community and five imported cases.
This brings the total number of infections in the country to 57,558.
Thirteen of the new cases are asymptomatic and were detected through proactive examinations and surveillance, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) said.
The only new case from the community is a 22-year-old Singaporean man, who is currently not linked to previous cases. It was detected after being diagnosed with acute respiratory infection.
“Epidemiological investigations into the case are ongoing,” the Health Ministry said. All identified close contacts have been isolated and quarantined, and will be screened for asymptomatic cases.
The Ministry of Health will also perform serological tests on your household contacts to determine if you may have been infected by them.
Two new locations, Hillion Mall in Bukit Panjang and Haniffa at 118 Dunlop Street, were added to a list of places visited by community cases of COVID-19 during their infectious period.
UPDATED MAP: All places that community COVID-19 cases visited while infectious
The number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of two cases per day in the previous week to an average of one per day in the last week. The number of unrelated cases in the community has been stable at an average of one case per day for the past 2 weeks.
3 CHILDREN AMONG 5 IMPORTED CASES
There are three children among the five imported cases reported on Saturday.
These include two children, a six-year-old student pass holder and a one-year long-term visit pass holder, who traveled from India and arrived on September 6.
The remaining child is a one-year-old girl who arrived from Iran on September 15. She is the holder of a dependent pass.
The other two imported cases are a holder of a long-term visit pass and a holder of a work permit.
All imported cases were placed on stay-at-home notices upon arrival in Singapore and tested while their notices were delivered at specialized facilities.
NINE CASES IN BEDROOMS
Of the nine COVID-19 cases reported in bedrooms on Saturday, six were previously identified as contacts from previous cases. They had been quarantined to prevent further transmission.
The remaining three cases were detected by surveillance tests.
Another 71 cases have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities after recovering from COVID-19, the ministry said. This brings the total number of recoveries in Singapore to 57,142.
There are 27 cases found in the hospital, most of which are stable or improving. There is no one in the intensive care unit.
Another 362 cases are isolated and treated in community facilities. These are patients with mild symptoms or who are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19.
Twenty-seven people have died from complications due to COVID-19.
SALIVA TESTS
On Friday, the Health Ministry said it is conducting field tests to assess whether saliva tests can be scaled up for more widespread use in Singapore.
In response to the CNA’s inquiries, the ministry said it must consider factors such as the consistency and integrity of sample collection, the efficiency of laboratory processes and the ability to handle large volumes of tests through pooled tests.
Currently, most samples for COVID-19 testing in Singapore are collected using nasopharyngeal (nose) or oropharyngeal (throat) swabs.
State courts on Havelock Road and a Giant supermarket in the Sunshine Place Mall were also added on Friday to a list of places visited by community COVID-19 cases during their infectious period.
READ: The Ministry of Health conducts field tests to verify the feasibility of generalized saliva tests for COVID-19
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
