COVID-19: Cases in Singapore

As of 21 December 2020, 12pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed and verified that there is 1 new case of locally transmitted COVID-19 infection. The case is in the community, and there are no new cases in the dormitories. There are 9 imported cases, who had already been placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Amongst the new cases today, 8 are asymptomatic, and were detected from proactive screening and surveillance, while 2 were symptomatic.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has remained low, with a total of 1 case in the past week who is currently unlinked.

• Cases in the community: 1 (1 asymptomatic)

There is 1 case in the community today who is currently unlinked. She is a Singaporean who is asymptomatic and was detected when she was tested for COVID-19 before a scheduled cruise trip.

She was conveyed in an ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases the following day, when her test came back positive for COVID-19 infection. The National Public Health Laboratory has run further tests to verify that she is positive for COVID-19 infection. Her serological test result is pending.

She stays at Jurong West Street 93, and had been at work at Ruising Chemicals Pte Ltd (18 Boon Lay Way) before her test result was confirmed.

It was revealed that on 14 December, she and her family had gone on a Southern Islands tour with 2 other families, totaling 12 persons in all. Investigations are ongoing to assess if there had been any breach of the relevant safe management measures.

Epidemiological investigations are in progress. In the meantime, all her identified close contacts, including her family members and co-workers, have been isolated and placed on quarantine and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period so that we can detect asymptomatic cases. Serological tests will also be tested on her household and family contacts to determine if she could have been infected by them.

• Cases residing in dormitories: 0

There are no cases residing in dormitories today.

• Imported cases: 9 (2 symptomatic, 7 asymptomatic)

Amongst the 9 imported cases, 3 are Singaporeans who returned from the UK and India. Another 3 are Work Permit holders currently employed in Singapore who arrived from Indonesia and Myanmar, and a Student’s Pass holder who arrived from Myanmar. The remaining cases pare Short-Term Visit Pass holders who are crew members of separate vessels which arrived from Indonesia. They had not disembarked from their ships until they were conveyed to a quarantine facility or hospital.

They had all already been placed on SHN or isolated upon arrival in Singapore and were tested while serving SHN or during isolation.

8 more cases of COVID-19 infection have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In all, 58,287 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities.

Most of the 46 confirmed cases who are still in hospital are stable or improving. None is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

70 cases who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.  

29 have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection. 

Related link: List of public places visited by confirmed cases in the community during Infectious Period

For more details, refer to MOH’s press release.