COVID-19 : Nine new cases in S’pore, two linked to mosque gathering in M’sia
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Health Ministry (MOH) has confirmed nine more cases of COVID-19 infection in the republic, with two linked to a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia.
In a statement yesterday, MOH said the cases involved male Singapore citizens, aged 29 and 48, both of whom had attended the gathering.
Both were confirmed to have COVID-19 infection this morning, and were currently warded in isolation rooms at the city-state’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases, it said.
With the new development, the COVID-19 tally in the republic now stands at 187.
Earlier, in KUALA LUMPUR, the Malaysian Health Ministry had confirmed that a Malaysian man had contracted COVID-19 at the mosque gathering in Malaysia’s federal capital.
Responding to the World Health Organisation which on March 11 declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, MOH said : “Singapore has been planning ahead, and we have been progressively putting in place a suite of measures in preparation for a possible escalation of the situation, both locally and globally.”
“The situation in Singapore remains under control, and we are not changing the DORSCON level,” it said.
Singapore raised the DORSCON (Disease Outbreak Response System Condition) level to “Orange” from “Yellow” on Feb 7.
The levels are Green, Yellow, Orange and Red with Green the lowest alert level and Red the highest.
To date, the ministry said a total of 96 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.
Of the 91 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving while nine are in critical condition in the intensive care unit, it added.
As at noon, MOH has identified 4,550 close contacts who have been quarantined.
Bernama
