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SINGAPORE – Eight more hotel employees in Mandarin Orchard Singapore were tested positive for serological tests, indicating probable past Covid-19 infections, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday afternoon (December 21).
This is in addition to the three cases announced on Sunday. Epidemiological investigations of these 11 cases are ongoing, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is testing their identified close contacts as a precautionary measure, and will also conduct serological tests to determine whether these people could have been infected by these 11 cases.
All 11 cases were excluded from the daily Covid-19 counts reported by the Ministry of Health, as the results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test are negative for infection, indicating that it is likely that are past infections and not current.
The Health Ministry said: “Singapore reports Covid-19 cases in accordance with international practice. All cases that have tested positive through a PCR test and are considered an acute infection are reported and included in our case count. We follow the criteria of the World Health Organization that only positive results from confirmatory tests (ie PCR tests) are included in the case count. “
The ministry added that it has examined 571 employees of Mandarin Orchard Singapore and that 570 PCR test results have come back negative for Covid-19.
The Health Ministry said it is facilitating testing for the remaining individual who has not yet had the PCR test.
Special test operations have been completed to test all the people and personnel of Mandarin Orchard Singapore, it added.
In total, 394 people who were compliant with the stay-at-home notice (SHN) were sampled at the hotel. Of these, three tested positive on Sunday and were immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance.
These cases were included in the ministry’s daily case count on Sunday.
As they have a recent travel history, it is likely that these were imported cases that were infected while abroad, the Health Ministry said.
However, the National Public Health Laboratory will carry out whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to determine if they could be related to the 13 cases.
As a precautionary measure, all existing guests at the hotel were removed by 9pm on Sunday.
Those serving SHN there were transported in dedicated vehicles to an alternative dedicated SHN facility on the same day, the Health Ministry said.
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