Singapore reports highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases, PM Lee warns of strict measures

By Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Apr 9 () Singapore reported 287 coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest single-day rise, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,910, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned of tough action on people gathering in public places.

The prime minister warned that the authorities will strictly enforce the "circuit breaker" measures from Thursday, noting there are still far too many public gatherings taking place.

There were still crowds seen in nature reserves, markets and other places, on the third day of strict measures that include closing most workplaces and barring social gatherings of any size in homes or public spaces like parks, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, authorities said Thursday's 219 cases are linked to existing clusters, with at least 160 cases linked to the S11 Dormitory in Punggol, where a large number of foreign workers are lodged.

While only three new cases are imported, 19 infections are linked to previous cases, with 46 unlinked cases, the multi-ministry task force dealing with the coronavirus said during a press conference.

Singapore has also seen six fatalities from COVID-19, the task force said. The sixth was of a 32-year-old Indian national who died after taking a swab test and was confirmed to have COVID-19 after his death on Wednesday.

The task force said that, with the help of the police and Defence Ministry, it has established a link between the cluster at the Indian origin Mustafa Centre shopping mall and the Project Glory construction site as well as a number of foreign worker dormitories -- S11 Dormitory@Punggol, Sungei Tengah Lodge, Tampines Dormitory Cochrane Lodge II and Toh Guan Dormitory.

Director of medical services at the Health Ministry Assoc Prof Kenneth Mak described how some of the dormitory cases were linked to the megastore Mustafa Centre, defined as a cluster.

"We believe that the workers had visited Mustafa and they subsequently transmitted the infection to their co-workers," he said.

"Transmission most likely occurred through close contact, for example at mealtimes, during breaks, and also between co-workers at work due to physical proximity at work sites," he said.

Subsequently, they could have spread the infection to colleagues and friends within the dormitories, he added.

Mustafa Centre, a popular shopping mall with local and tourists, has been closed.

Singapore has seen a rise of COVID-19 cases at dormitories for foreign worker recently.

Sungei Tengah Lodge became the fourth foreign worker dormitory to become an isolation area from midnight on Thursday, in a move aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, reported Channel News Asia.

The other three dormitores that have been gazetted as isolation areas are: S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, Westlite Toh Guan dormitory and Toh Guan Dormitory.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, in a Facebook post on Thursday, said first timer offender will get a stern written warning. Second-time offenders will be fined SGD300, and those nabbed a third time will be charged in court.

Prime Minister Lee has in a Facebook post said people must comply with stay home measures "very strictly", pointing out that the number of new Covid-19 cases is increasing sharply.

On Thursday, the Land Transport Authority announced additional measures to ensure social distancing on public transport networks to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore.

This includes thermal scanners at select train stations and safe distancing stickers on buses, trains, train stations, bus interchanges and bus stops.

This came after heightened safe distancing measures kicked in on Tuesday as part of a "circuit breaker" period until May 4 to stem the spread of COVID-19.

About 10,000 written advisories were issued on the first two days of the circuit breaker for breaches, including individuals who gathered in public and those who failed to adhere to safe distancing rules. GS PMSPMS