New cluster with 13 cases at Sungei Kadut Loop dormitory

A new Covid-19 cluster with 13 cases linked to it has emerged at a dormitory at 43 Sungei Kadut Loop, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday.

Another cluster linked to staff at the Bishan bus interchange has grown to 15, with five new cases.

A total of 53 cases were detected yesterday, and of these, 48 were locally transmitted.

Of the 48 cases, 32 were linked to previous cases and already quarantined, while another seven linked cases were not in quarantine when they tested positive. The remaining nine were unlinked.

Five imported cases were also detected and isolated upon arrival in Singapore.

The latest cases bring Singapore's total to 66,225.

MOH also said four clusters have been closed. With that, there are now 99 active clusters, with the number of cases in each cluster ranging from three to 1,155.

The number of new cases in the community has fallen from 526 the week before to 331 in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases, too, has fallen from 148 to 89 in the same period.

This is the lowest number of weekly community cases since July 18.

There are now 426 patients in hospital, and 40 of them are very ill, with 33 requiring oxygen supplementation. The other seven are in critical condition in intensive care units.

Of the 40, seven patients are fully vaccinated.

Of the seriously ill, 32 are seniors aged above 60. Of these 32 seniors, 26 are completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Separately, MOH said surveillance testing operations will be held today at Block 695 Jurong West Central 1.

This involves mandatory testing of all residents of the Housing Board block to uncover community infections. It will take place between 9am and 4pm at the void deck.

Leaflets have been distributed and SMS notifications sent to residents to give them more information.

The tests come after 14 Covid-19 cases were detected in six households living at the block, MOH said. - THE STRAITS TIMES

---

By the numbers

53 New cases

44 Deaths

39 Community, linked

426 In hospital

9 Community, unlinked

99 Open clusters

5 Imported

66225 Total cases