Coronavirus / New COVID-19 cluster reported at Singapore's biggest dormitory

Singapore: A new Covid-19 cluster has been reported in Singapore’s biggest dormitory housing foreign workers, including Indian nationals, about a month after it was declared to be fully cleared of the coronavirus.

Two of the new Covid-19 cases reported in Singapore on Saturday were linked to 55 previous cases to form a new cluster at Sungei Tengah Lodge dormitory at 500 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

The cluster at Sungei Tengah Lodge was among the largest in Singapore before the dormitory was declared cleared of Covid-19 by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Jul 21, the Channel News Asia reported.

More than 2,200 confirmed cases had been linked to the cluster and the Health ministry closed the cluster on Jul 18. Sungei Tengah Lodge is Singapore’s biggest purpose-built dormitory, with about 16,000 workers living there, the daily said. Singapore on Sunday reported 87 new Covid-19 cases including 13 imported infections, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

The imported cases had all been placed on stay-home notice upon their arrival in Singapore, it said.

All of the cases were foreign workers including the sole community case on a work pass here.

With 87 new cases, the national tally of the coronavirus cases has reached 56,353. With 269 more cases of Covid-19 infection discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Saturday, 53,920 people have fully recovered from the infection.

There are currently 81 confirmed cases who are still in hospital while 2,238 are isolated and cared for at community facilities for mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19.