NSman tests positive for COVID-19 before in-camp training; new cluster linked to NUS employee

SINGAPORE: A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) national serviceman (NSman) has tested positive for COVID-19 before the start of his in-camp training.    

He was swabbed as part of routine safety measures for all NSmen before they begin their training, said the Ministry of Defence on Saturday (Apr 17). 

The NSman, a 35-year-old Singaporean, was identified as Case 62032 by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

He was among four new community cases reported on Saturday. 

Two of the community cases are linked to the NUS senior research fellow who was reported as a local infection on Friday, forming a new cluster.

The remaining community case is a Singapore permanent resident who is a household contact of a previous imported infection.

In total, Singapore confirmed 39 new infections on Saturday, 35 of them imported.

NSMAN TESTS POSITIVE

The NSman who tested positive works as a freelance photographer, said MOH.

He was tested on Apr 15 as part of SAF's protocol. His pooled test on Apr 15 came back positive for COVID-19 and an individual swab done on Apr 16 was also positive.

He was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in an ambulance and developed a fever on the same day. 

Another test conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) on Apr 16 was negative for COVID-19 infection but a later test on Apr 17 by NPHL was again positive for COVID-19.

"His serological test result has come back positive, which is indicative of a past infection," said MOH.

"He could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA from a past infection, but given that we are not able to definitively conclude when he had been infected, we will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure."

TWO COMMUNITY CASES LINKED TO NUS SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW

The two cases linked to the NUS senior research fellow are his brother and a colleague - a 31-year-old Swiss national who is also a senior research fellow at NUS.

The work pass holder, who is identified as Case 62057, had interacted with him on Apr 12. She later developed a sore throat on Apr 15 but did not seek medical treatment. 

"As she had been identified as a close contact of Case 61993, she was contacted by MOH on Apr 16 and placed on quarantine," said MOH.

The woman reported her symptoms and was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in an ambulance where she was tested for COVID-19. Her test came back positive for COVID-19 infection on the same day. Her serology test result is pending. 

The brother of the NUS research fellow who first tested positive is a 35-year-old Indian national.

He works at DBS Bank at 2 Changi Business Park Crescent. However, he has largely been working from home, said MOH, adding that the man last went back to his workplace between Apr 6 and Apr 9. 

READ: Gardens by the Bay, Bollywood Veggies among places visited by COVID-19 cases during infectious period

He was placed on home quarantine on Apr 15 after being identified as a close contact of the earlier case. He developed a fever on Apr 16 and informed MOH. He was later taken to NCID in an ambulance. 

The man was tested for COVID-19 and his test came back positive on Apr 17. His serology test result is pending. 

SINGAPORE PR TESTS POSITIVE

The remaining community case is a 41-year-old woman who is a permanent resident. Identified as Case 62045, she works as an accountant at OM Universal at 11 Kaki Bukit Road 1 but has not gone to work since the onset of symptoms. 

She developed a cough in the evening of Apr 14 after work and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic the next day, where she was tested for COVID-19. 

Her test result came back positive on Apr 16 and she was taken to NCID in an ambulance. Her serology test result is pending. 

One of her household contacts is a previously reported case. He is a work pass holder who arrived from India on Apr 2. 

He tested positive for COVID-19 infection on Apr 2 but was later assessed to be a recovered case based on his positives serology result on Apr 4. 

Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, said MOH. 

"In the meantime, all the identified close contacts of the cases, including their family members and co-workers, have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the start and end of their quarantine period so that we can detect asymptomatic cases," it said. 

IMPORTED CASES

Among the 35 new imported cases, five Singaporeans and five permanent residents returned from Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Liberia

Four are dependant's pass holders who arrived from Nepal. 

Seventeen are work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Eight of these cases are foreign domestic workers. 

A student's pass holder and a work pass holder travelled from India.

The remaining two cases are short-term visit pass holders. One arrived from Bahrain for a work project in Singapore and the other arrived from India to visit his family member who is a permanent resident.

All the imported infections were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore, said MOH.

No new infections were reported in foreign workers' dormitories.

RECOVERIES

Seventeen more cases have been discharged, bringing the total who have fully recovered from the infection to 60,463.

There are 62 cases still in hospital, with two in critical condition in the intensive care unit. 

A total of 253 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased from two cases in the week before to seven cases in the past week, said the ministry.

The number of unlinked cases in the community has also increased from two cases in the week before to four cases in the past week, MOH added.

"The recent locally transmitted cases are a stark reminder that the virus has not been eradicated and new cases and clusters can easily emerge in our community, if we let our guard down," said MOH.

It urged members of the public to continue to exercise social responsibility and be disciplined in keeping to safe management measures, even for those who have been vaccinated.

"This is even more critical as we resume and scale up more activities in Phase 3 of reopening, and interactions in the community increase," the ministry added.

"Together we must work to avoid an uncontrolled resurgence of cases that may necessitate a tightening of measures."

As of Saturday, Singapore has reported 60,808 COVID-19 cases and 30 fatalities.

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