Coronavirus: No new cases in Singapore on Sunday, total stays at 89, while 2 more are discharged

SINGAPORE - There are no new cases of the coronavirus disease, said the Health Ministry (MOH) on Sunday (Feb 23), meaning that the total number stays at 89.

Meanwhile, two more have been discharged. A total of 51 have fully recovered since the first case was confirmed a month ago, on Jan 23.

Most of the 38 confirmed cases who are still hospitalised are stable or improving. Five are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

As of noon on Sunday, MOH has identified 2,812 close contacts, with 908 currently quarantined. Another 1,904 have completed their quarantine.

The ministry also provided more information on Case 89, a 41-year-old Singapore permanent resident, announced on Saturday.

He had no recent travel history to China and is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

He first reported symptoms on Feb 3 and then saw general practitioners the same day and on Feb 7, 10, 17 and last Friday (Feb 21).

Later that day, he was referred to NCID and tested positive for Covid-19, the coronavirus disease, the next morning (Feb 22).

Before being admitted to hospital, he worked at Affinity Equity Partners, a fund manager, in Temasek Boulevard and visited Bishan Community Club. He lives in Serangoon.

On Sunday (Feb 23), the community club said on Facebook that its tenant Gymmboxx had stopped operations after one of its members was diagnosed with Covid-19 the day before.

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The member had last visited the gym on Feb 6.

The club added that the gym would be disinfected and is working closely with MOH for contact tracing.

Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Chong Kee Hiong also posted about the gym's closure, adding that the community club would continue to clean its premises thoroughly and reminded residents to see a doctor if unwell.

The Grace Assembly of God remains the largest cluster.

Other clusters so far are the Life Church and Missions Singapore, the Yong Thai Hang health products shop, the Grand Hyatt Singapore and a Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.

When asked on Friday, health officials did not comment on whether Singapore would be lowering its disease outbreak status to yellow given that more than half the total cases have recovered.

Singapore's Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) level has been at orange for two weeks, since Feb 7.

Yellow refers either to a mild infection, or a severe infection that is not spreading here, but about which the community needs to be careful.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.