FairPrice staff, nursing home assistant among 5 new unlinked Covid-19 cases

FairPrice staff, nursing home assistant among 5 new unlinked Covid-19 cases
A healthcare assistant at Grace Lodge (left) is among the 24 new Covid-19 cases in the community. MOH is also investigating cases of infection at Block 455 Sengkang West Avenue.
PHOTO: Gracelodge.org.sg, Google Maps

SINGAPORE - A nursing home assistant, a massage therapist and a woman who works at Singapore Pools at a FairPrice outlet are among 24 Covid-19 cases in the community reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday night (June 2).

The FairPrice case and nursing home assistant are among the five unlinked infections.

The first is a 61-year-old woman who works at Singapore Pools at FairPrice in Clementi Avenue 3 and was last at work on May 26.

The second is a 22-year-old healthcare assistant at Grace Lodge in Sengkang.

She is asymptomatic and was detected when she was tested on Monday as part of surveillance testing for nursing home staff.

The third unlinked case is an employee at Changi Prison Complex who was detected as part of special testing operations for residents of Hougang Avenue 8.

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The 43-year-old woman works in an administrative role at the prison and was last at work on March 2. She was tested for the virus on Tuesday.

Separately, another inmate at Changi Prison Complex was also added to the cluster there, taking its total to 15.

Meanwhile, free Covid-19 testing will be offered to those who have visited shops at Block 455 Sengkang West Avenue from May 12 to May 30 as MOH is investigating cases of infection among people who have visited the location.

All visitors to these shops during this period are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit, said the Health Ministry.

They are encouraged to visit a regional screening centre or a Swab and Send Home (Sash) Public Health Preparedness Clinic for a free Covid-19 test.

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Nineteen of the community cases reported on Wednesday are linked to previous patients, including a 30-year-old massage therapist at Zenith Healing @ La Maison De Ja in People's Park Centre.

With the exception of a Fuhua Primary School pupil linked to the Hong Ye Group cleaners cluster and a 39-year-old employee of interior design firm Versaform, the other 17 cases were already under quarantine.

The nine-year-old boy was last in school on May 18 and developed a fever on Monday. He sought medical attention at a general practitioner's clinic the day after and was tested for Covid-19. He was later identified as a close contact and placed under quarantine.

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Four of the linked cases reported on Wednesday are residents or staff at Mindsville @ Napiri in Hougang, forming a new cluster there.

The cluster was first detected when a 37-year-old resident at the home for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The cases reported on Wednesday comprise a 30-year-old nursing aide and three female residents aged 47 to 64.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development said on Wednesday night that a total of 27 people at the home have tested positive for Covid-19, including those who have been announced by MOH.

The new linked cases take the total number of open clusters to 44.

There were also seven imported cases placed on stay-home notice on arrival in Singapore, said MOH.

With 31 new cases, Singapore has a total of 62,100 cases.

This article was first published in The Straits TimesPermission required for reproduction.

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