Singapore reports 632 new COVID-19 cases

SINGAPORE: Singapore on Tuesday reported 632 new COVID-19 cases, mostly foreign workers living in packed dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 19,410.

A total of 605 of the new cases are foreign workers on work permits and residing in dormitories, said the Health Ministry said.

Fifteen patients are work permit holders residing outside dormitories and 12 cases were from the community, comprising eight Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners), and four work pass holders (also foreigners).

The number of Singaporeans or permanent residents has been updated from the Ministry's preliminary figures as one case has been "re-classified" following contact tracing, the ministry said.

"The number of new cases in the community has decreased, from an average of 17 cases per day in the week before to an average of 10 per day in the past week," said the ministry.

Twenty-four of the 1,560 coronavirus cases hospitalized are critical and in the intensive care unit.

The rest of stable and improving. A total of 16,289 patients are in isolation facilities while 18 have died from the deadly disease.

The Singapore government is ramping up testing capacity with a view to starting nationwide COVID-19 testing, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong told Parliament.

Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran on Tuesday addressed the concerns of the migrant workers living in dormitories, who have been subject to stringent restrictions and active testing.

Speaking in Tamil for workers from India, Iswaran explained the need to test them and their co-workers.

The Indian-origin Singapore minister said the government has "undertaken numerous efforts to enhance the quality of food and facilities" within the dormitories.

The video was dubbed in Bengali and forwarded to Bangladeshi workers via WhatsApp.

"If tested positive, we will provide (your friends) with the necessary medical care fully paid by the government. We will provide you with the necessary quality medical care as we do for Singaporeans. This is our promise," said Iswaran.