SINGAPORE - One of the three Covid-19 community cases announced on Friday (July 24) was linked to three previous cases, forming a new coronavirus cluster at Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub.
He is a 28-year-old work permit holder who went to work at Ulu Pandan Bus Depot and the transport hub, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The Malaysian national was confirmed to have the virus on Thursday after showing symptoms on July 1.
He was detected as part of the ministry's proactive case finding of individuals working at a newly emergent workplace cluster.
In total, there were 277 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Friday, taking Singapore's total to 49,375.
They included the three community cases, all of whom are work permit holders, said MOH.
The figure was updated from five announced on Friday afternoon, as two cases were reclassified following contact tracing.
There were also two imported coronavirus cases on Friday.
Both were dependant's pass holders and were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore from India on July 12. They were tested while serving their notice.
Migrant workers in dormitories made up the 272 remaining cases.
The average number of new daily cases in the community in a week has decreased from 11 cases two weeks ago to eight in the past week.
The number of unlinked cases in the community in a week has decreased from the daily average of six cases two weeks ago to the daily average of four in the past week.
MOH also added several new locations to a list of places visited by Covid-19 patients while they were still infectious, including Hillion Mall in Bukit Panjang, which is integrated with the Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub linked to Friday's new cluster.
Hillion Mall's My Briyani House eatery was also on Friday's list, together with Jem mall's Robinsons outlet, and the Gandhi Restaurant in Chander Road in Little India.
The ministry provides the list of locations and times that infectious Covid-19 patients visited for at least 30 minutes to get those who were at these places at specific periods to monitor their health closely for two weeks from the date of their visit.
MOH has said that close contacts would already have been notified and that there is no need to avoid these places as they would have been cleaned, if needed.
With 157 cases discharged on Friday, 45,157 patients have fully recovered from the disease.
A total of 157 patients remain in hospital, while 4,019 are recuperating in community facilities. None is in intensive care.
Singapore has had 27 deaths from Covid-19 complications, while 15 who tested positive have died of other causes.
