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SINGAPORE: A stall owner who works at a sundries store in Chinatown Complex and his son who works at Changi Swensen’s Airport were among three Singaporean community COVID-19 cases reported on Thursday (Feb.11) .
The owner of the stall is a 66-year-old permanent resident identified as Case 60138. He first developed a dry cough on January 28 and “anosmia,” or loss of smell, on February 9, but did not seek medical attention, the ministry said. Health (MOH).
His infection was detected through community surveillance tests of merchants and shop owners in Chinatown on February 9.
READ: Chinatown Complex, City Square Mall Amongst Places Visited by Community COVID-19 Cases During Infectious Period
The man’s test result came back positive for COVID-19 on February 10 and he was taken by ambulance to the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
His serological test result was negative, indicating that it is likely a current infection, the Health Ministry said.
The stall owner’s 32-year-old son, identified as Case 60150, is from Singapore and was identified as a contact for his father.
He works part-time as a waiter at Swensen’s in Changi Airport Terminal 3, last working on February 8.
The man developed a runny nose on February 8 after work, but did not seek medical treatment, the Health Ministry said. As he had been identified as a close contact with his father, the man was contacted by the Health Ministry on February 10 and quarantined.
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He reported symptoms and was taken to NCID, where he was tested for COVID-19 the same day. His test came back positive on February 11.
His serological test result also came back negative, the Health Ministry said.
FATHER, SON DID NOT USE TRACETOGETHER
“Cases 60138 and 60150 do not use the TraceTogether application, and although they both have TraceTogether tokens, they do not carry their tokens with them,” the Ministry of Health said.
“People are reminded to turn on their TraceTogether app or carry their TraceTogether token at all times so that we can quickly identify and isolate close contacts from COVID-19 cases and limit subsequent infections.”
READ: Behind the scenes of a COVID-19 contact tracker’s work, tough cases and how TraceTogether has helped
The ministry added that effective contact tracing is an “important enabler for community transmission.”
“We strongly urge everyone to do their part to reduce the risk of transmission,” the ministry said.
“Those who are unwell, including those showing early or mild symptoms, should be socially responsible, seek immediate medical attention, and stay home to prevent the spread of the disease to others.”
OVER 1,200 PEOPLE TESTED IN CHINATOWN
Singapore’s multi-ministries COVID-19 task force has been conducting community surveillance tests for identified community groups.
“This allows us to contain cryptic cases in the community at an early stage and prevent further transmission,” the Health Ministry said.
In the lead up to Chinese New Year, surveillance tests were conducted on February 8 and 9 for merchants, shop owners, people in the food and beverage industry, and food delivery workers operating in and around Chinatown.
READ: Merchants, Store Owners, and Food Delivery Workers in Chinatown to Get COVID-19 Test Before Chinese New Year
A total of 1221 people were evaluated using this exercise. Of these, one, Case 60138, the owner of the Chinatown Complex stall, tested positive for COVID-19.
The lab rejected a test sample and the remaining 1,219 people tested negative for the virus, the Health Ministry said.
SYMPTOMS DEVELOPED BY NSF AFTER MEDICAL LICENSE
The remaining case from the Singaporean community reported on Thursday is a full-time national serviceman (NSF).
He works at the Singapore Armed Forces facility at Paya Lebar Air Base and does not stay in the camp. His job does not involve interacting with other units, the Health Ministry said.
The 20-year-old felt ill on February 3 and sought medical treatment at a general medicine clinic. Since she had no symptoms associated with an acute respiratory infection, she was not tested for COVID-19, but was granted a medical license, the Ministry of Health added.
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Subsequently, the NSF returned to work on February 8. The next day, he developed a fever and a runny nose. He sought medical treatment at the medical center located at the Paya Lebar air base and was cleaned.
His test result came back positive for COVID-19 on February 10, and he was taken by ambulance to NCID. His serological test result came back negative, the Health Ministry said.
Epidemiological investigations of the three community cases are ongoing.
Meanwhile, all identified close contacts of the cases, including their families and coworkers, have been isolated and quarantined, the Health Ministry said. Tests will be done at the beginning and end of your quarantine period to detect asymptomatic cases.
The Health Ministry said it would perform serological tests on close contacts to determine whether the cases could have been infected by them.
Singapore reported a total of 12 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, bringing the country’s case count to 59,759.
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