Three students, pre-schooler and Sengkang General Hospital staff among 18 new Covid-19 community cases

[SINGAPORE] Three students, a pre-schooler and a housekeeper at Sengkang General Hospital were among 18 cases in the community announced on Tuesday (May 25).

The affected schools were Westwood Secondary School, Kranji Secondary School, Rulang Primary School and My First Skool at Block 211 Jurong East Street, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The 15-year-old student at Westwood Secondary School was one of six unlinked cases.

He was last in school on May 18.

The student developed a fever and runny nose last Saturday (May 22) and was tested for Covid-19 on Monday after seeking treatment at a polyclinic.

The other children were linked to previous cases.

The 13-year-old student at Kranji Secondary School and seven-year-old pupil at Rulang Primary School was linked to the Jem/Westgate cluster, which has grown to 53 cases.

The 13-year-old was last in school on May 17 and developed a fever on Sunday while the seven-year-old was last in school on May 14 and developed symptoms on Monday.

The pre-schooler is a family member of two previous cases and was placed on quarantine on May 21.

The six-year-old boy is asymptomatic and was detected when he was tested for Covid-19 during quarantine.

The 27-year-old Sengkang General Hospital housekeeper developed a fever on Sunday and was tested when he sought medical treatment at a polyclinic on Monday.

Also infected was a 29-year-old staff who works at Tiger Sugar Bubble Tea (Holland Piazza) who was among the six patients whose infections are currently unlinked.

Of the community cases, 12 community cases were linked to previous patients.

A delivery rider for Domino's Pizza (Tanjong Katong), a kitchen staff at McDonald's (Pasir Ris Elias Community Club) and a kitchen staff at McDonald's (Bedok Reservoir) were added to the cluster linked to McDonald's delivery riders. The cluster now has 13 cases linked to it.

There were also three new clusters announced by the Ministry of Health.

Of the three, one of them was linked to Harvest @ Woodlands dormitory after three cases were reported in the dormitory on Tuesday.

There were also nine imported cases placed on stay-home notice on arrival in Singapore, said MOH.

The 30 new cases takes Singapore's total to 61,890.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased from 163 cases in the week before to 176 cases in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases in the community has decreased from 37 cases in the week before to 30 cases in the past week.

Separately, the ministry said another 116 residents and visitors to Block 559 Pasir Ris Street 51 have tested negative for Covid-19.

They were swabbed after four cases were detected in two different households there.

In total, 304 people were found negative as at Tuesday.

THE STRAITS TIMES