26 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, all imported

SINGAPORE: There were 26 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of noon on Friday (Apr 9), said the Ministry of Health (MOH). 

All the new infections were imported and were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore.

Four Singaporeans and three permanent residents who returned from Canada, India, Indonesia and Kenya were among the new cases reported on Thursday. 

Two are dependant's pass holders who arrived from India. A long-term visit pass holder also travelled from India as well.

Another two are student's pass holders who arrived from France and India, as well as two work pass holders who travelled from India and the UK. 

The remaining 12 cases are work permit holders who came from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Two of these cases are foreign domestic workers. 

No new infections were reported in foreign worker dormitories.

Twenty more cases have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, taking the total recoveries to 60,304.

There are 44 cases who are still in hospital. Most are stable or improving, and one is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

​​​​​​​A total of 223 cases are isolated and cared for at community facilities. 

Overall, the number of new cases in the community have remained stable at two cases per week in the past two weeks, said MOH, adding that the number of unlinked cases in the community have also remained stable at two per week in the past two weeks. 

Of the 151 confirmed cases from Apr 3 to Apr 9, 55 cases have tested positive for their serology tests. Sixty-eight have tested negative and 28 test results are still pending. 

4 MMA EVENT PARTICIPANTS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19

Four men who recently arrived in Singapore to participate in a ONE Championship mixed martial arts event in Singapore have tested positive for COVID-19, the organiser confirmed on Thursday.

Three of the men, who were from Brazil, Canada and Serbia, were among the imported cases reported on Monday.

They have been identified as Cases 61571, 61577 and 61578. They arrived on short-term visit passes to “participate in a sporting event”, MOH had said.

"One foreign participant who was on the same flight as one of these individuals also tested positive for COVID-19," said ONE, adding that he was isolated upon arrival in Singapore.

ONE Championship did not specify where the fourth person travelled from.

READ: 4 men who came to participate in ONE Championship MMA event test positive for COVID-19

On Wednesday, MOH said another man who travelled from Canada had tested positive for COVID-19. The cases is a contact of Case 61577, the previously reported case from Canada.

Known as Case 61624, the ministry said the 35-year-old also entered Singapore for a sporting event.

READ: One Championship vows strict COVID-19 measures for Singapore MMA

All four participants had tested negative for COVID-19 prior to flying into Singapore, ONE Championship said.

They were taken to hospital after testing positive for the virus, and serological tests have been conducted to find out if the infections are current.

One of the men tested positive in the serological test, indicating a likely past infection, said ONE Championship, adding that he had taken a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on Apr 6 and tested negative.

As such, he will be allowed to participate in the event.

As of Friday, Singapore has reported a total of 60,601 COVID-19 cases and 30 fatalities.

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