As of 5 February 2020, 2pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed four additional cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Singapore. Of these, three cases are linked to the cluster of local transmission announced yesterday, and one is an imported case involving a Chinese tourist from Wuhan.
2. There is as yet no evidence of widespread community transmission in Singapore.
About the confirmed cases
Cases 22 and 23 (announced on 4 February)
3. Cases 22 and 23 are male Singapore Citizens aged 41 and 17 respectively. They were among the Singaporeans who had been evacuated from Wuhan on 30 January. They are now warded in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
Case 24 (announced on 4 February)
4. Case 24, a 32 year-old female Singapore Citizen, went to NCID on 3 February, and was confirmed to have 2019-nCoV infection on 4 February at about 2pm. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
5. While she had previously reported that she was asymptomatic when she went to NCID, she subsequently informed NCID on 4 February night that she had developed a fever on 30 January.
6. Prior to hospital admission, the case stayed at her home at Buangkok Green,and worked at Jalan Besar. She visited Hougang Polyclinic on 30 January, and went to a supermarket near her home.
Case 25
7. Case 25, a 40 year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to China, is the husband of Case 24. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
8. The case reported that he developed a fever on 24 January. He visited Hougang Polyclinic with his wife on 30 January, and self-presented at NCID on 3 February, where he was immediately isolated. Subsequent test results confirmed 2019-nCoV infection on 4 February at about 8pm.
9. Prior to hospital admission, the case stayed at his home at Buangkok Green, and worked at Diamond Industries Jewellery Company at Harbour Drive which was visited by the same tour group from Guangxi. He indicated that he had visited Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre and had travelled by public transport. The risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or in public places, is assessed to be low.
Case 26
10. Case 26 is a 42 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 21 January, and is the daughter of Case 13[1]. As she was symptomatic, she was conveyed by ambulance to NCID on the same day as her mother, and immediately isolated. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. Subsequent test results confirmed 2019-nCoV infection on 4 February at about 8pm.
Cases 27 and 28
11. Cases 27 and 28 are family members of Case 19[2] who have no recent travel history to China. Case 27 is a 45 year-old male Singapore Citizen who is the husband of Case 19. He was tested positive for 2019-nCoV infection on 5 February at about 2pm, and is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.
12. Case 28 is a six month-old male Singapore Citizen who is the child of Cases 19 and 27. He was tested positive for 2019-nCoV infection on 5 February at about 2pm, and is currently warded in an isolation room at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
13. MOH has initiated epidemiological investigations and contact tracing to identify individuals who had close contact with the cases.
Overseas cases who had been in Singapore
14. The local cluster of transmission (involving Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27 and 28) can be traced to contact with a tour group from Guangxi comprising 20 tourists who had visited Singapore from 22 to 23 January, and on 27 January (transit from 3 to 6am). The Chinese health authorities have confirmed that two travellers from the group have since been confirmed with 2019-nCoV infection.
15. Besides Yong Thai Hang (24 Cavan Road) and Diamond Industries Jewellery Company (Harbour Drive), the tour group also visited Meeting You Restaurant (14 Hamilton Road), Royal Dragon Restaurant (2 Havelock Road), T Galleria by DFS (25 Scotts Road) and D’Resort @ Downtown East (1 Pasir Ris Close). It has been almost 14 days since the tourists visited these places. We have reached out to 142 contacts, and all but one are well. The person has been isolated as a suspect case and test results are pending.
16. We have also conducted contact tracing of the crew and passengers of the departing flight on 27 January. Five are still in Singapore and they have been quarantined.
17. In addition to the above cases, Malaysia and South Korea had on 4 February and 5 February respectively announced confirmed cases linked to a private business meeting involving 109 participants from the same company at Grand Hyatt Singapore from 20 to 22 January. There were 94 overseas participants, and all have left Singapore. We have informed the relevant overseas health authorities.
18. Of the 15 Singapore residents, 11 are well and four have reported symptoms and have been referred to NCID for assessment.
Update on condition of confirmed cases
19. All new cases today are stable. Amongst the earlier 24 confirmed cases, one has been discharged. Of the remaining 23, most are stable or improving, except for one who requires additional oxygen support, but is not in the intensive care unit.
Update on suspect cases
20. As of 5 February 2020, 12pm, 295 of the suspect cases have tested negative for 2019-nCoV, and 28 have tested positive (Cases 27 and 28 were confirmed at about 2pm, 5 February). Test results for the remaining 62 cases are pending.
Update on contact tracing for confirmed cases
21. Contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing. Once identified, MOH will closely monitor all close contacts. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.
22. As of 5 February 2020, 12pm, MOH has identified 379 close contacts. Of the 304 who are still in Singapore, 299 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated. Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining five close contact.
Health advisory
23. Singaporeans are advised to defer all travel to Hubei Province and all non-essential travel to Mainland China.
24. All travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return to Singapore and seek medical attention promptly if they feel unwell. Travellers should inform their doctor of their travel history. If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath), they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit.
25. Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times:
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness;
- Observe good personal hygiene;
- Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing);
- Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath;
- Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and
- Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell.
26. MOH will continue to monitor the situation closely. As medical practitioners are on the lookout for suspect cases who have recently been in China, Singapore is likely to see more cases that will need to be investigated.
[1] The 13th confirmed case is a 73 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 21 January, and was tested positive for 2019-nCoV on 30 January.
[2] Case 19 is a 28 year-old female Singapore resident who has no recent travel history to China. She was tested positive for 2019-nCoV on 3 February.