Coronavirus: 4 new cases including 3 linked to Grace Assembly of God church

[SINGAPORE] Another four people have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection, bringing the total to 81. All four are linked to earlier cases.

Three are part of the largest cluster, the Grace Assembly of God Church which now accounts for 21 people, or a quarter of the cases here.

The fourth person is linked to two others - the anaesthetist and a Chinese national who is a non-medical contact of his.

The three who are linked to the church are:

- Case 78 is a 57-year-old Singaporean woman who fell ill on Feb 9. She saw two general practitioners (GPs) on Feb 10 and 17. She was sent to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID)on Feb 17 and confirmed to have infection that afternoon.

Before she was warded, she had worked at a community hospital run by a voluntary welfare organisation. She had no interaction with patients there as she was doing administrative work.

- Case 80 is a Singaporean woman, 38, who works at the National University Hospital (NUH) in an administrative capacity. She is linked to Case 66, who works at works at the Grace Assembly of God church and had been to God's Kingdom Bread of Life Church.

She has been warded in an isolation at the NUH.

- Case 81 is a Singaporean man, 50, linked to Grace Assembly of God church. He was confirmed to be infected on Feb 18

The patient who is linked to the doctor is Case 79 - a Malaysian woman, 35, who is a work pass holder here. She is a family member of the Chinese national who is linked to the doctor. She became sick on Feb 12 and was on home quarantine as a close contact from Feb 15. Before that, she had gone to work at FoodXchange @ Admiralty.

She was taken to the NCID on Feb 17 and confirmed to be infected the same day.

Most of the 52 patients still hospitalised are doing well, but four people are still in critical condition and in intensive care.

At the same time, five coronavirus patients have discharged, including the one-year-old boy evacuated from Wuhan that was announced on Monday.The number who have been discharged is 29.

He was picked up through screening. He had only mild symptoms, but had been warded in an isolation room since Feb 13. He was confirmed on Feb 16, but cleared of infection on Feb 18. He is now well, but has been put back on quarantine with his parents.

THE STRAITS TIMES