17 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, all imported

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 17 new COVID-19 cases, all imported, as of noon on Thursday (Mar 25).

No new cases were found in the community and in foreign workers' dormitories, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its preliminary daily update.

This marks the 13th consecutive day with no locally transmitted cases.

The imported cases were all placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon their arrival in Singapore, said the ministry. 

Details of the new cases will be released on Thursday night, MOH said. 

READ: Weddings, live performances to have increased capacities with pre-event COVID-19 tests

READ: COVID-19 vaccination now open to Singapore residents aged 45 to 59

Singapore residents aged 45 to 59 can now register their interest for the COVID-19 vaccine online at vaccine.gov.sg. 

"With the vaccination for the prioritised groups well under way, we are now ready to expand the vaccination programme to younger age groups in the population," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at a press conference by the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force on Wednesday.

Registrants will receive within a few days an SMS with a personalised URL to book their appointments. However, it may take longer if there is a delay in the vaccine delivery schedule, said MOH.

READ: COVID-19: More employees may return to the workplace, split teams not required from Apr 5 

READ: Back to the office: 7 things you need to know as Singapore shifts to more flexible way of working amid COVID-19

The task force also announced that more people may return to the workplace from Apr 5, and split team arrangements are no longer mandatory. The current cap on the time an employee spends at the workplace will also be lifted.

Employers are still "strongly encouraged" to stagger start times and implement flexible working hours, said the task force.

Some events like weddings and live performances will be allowed to have more attendees from next month if pre-event COVID-19 testing is implemented.

Those who have taken both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks before the event will not have to be tested.

As of Thursday, Singapore has reported a total of 60,253 COVID-19 cases. 

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