SINGAPORE - Five new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, with a new cluster identified involving a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15.
The dinner function at Joy Garden Restaurant in Safra Jurong has been linked to eight confirmed cases in total, including four of the five new cases announced today. The Raffles Institution student and staff member at Creative O Preschoolers' Bay pre-school previously identified as confirmed cases are also linked to this sixth cluster.
According to Safra, the restaurant was closed for cleaning from Feb 16 to Feb 19, following the dinner function.
"However, as a precautionary measure, the restaurant along with all other possible areas which might have been visited by the affected individuals will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected again starting tonight, with strict adherence to guidelines from the National Environment Agency," Safra said.
"All confirmed cases that gained entry to Safra Jurong on Feb 15, 2020 had cleared the mandatory temperature checks conducted at the entrance of the club. They did not have fever or exhibited any flu-like symptoms," Safra added.
The four new patients are a 62-year-old man, and three women, aged 62, 50 and 52. All are Singaporean citizens and have no recent travel history to affected regions.
The fifth new patient is an imported case, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday.
He was on a Turkish Airlines flight that arrived in Singapore on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old male French national is a Singapore Work Pass holder with no recent travel history to affected countries and regions but had been in France, Portugal and the UK between Feb 8 and March 3.
He is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
He had reported onset of symptoms on March 3 during his flight on Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Singapore. He went to the NCID on March 4 and was confirmed to be infected.
Prior to hospital admission, he had visited Gleneagles Hospital for an unrelated matter. He stays in the Mount Sophia area.
The five new confirmed cases bring the total number of cases to 117.
Two more patients have recovered. In all, 81 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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