Short-term visitors must now pay for virus treatment, tests still free
Tests remain free for them; Government to continue paying for residents and long-term pass holders
Foreigners who are short-term visit pass (STVP) holders and who have been treated for the coronavirus in Singapore from March 7 have to pay for their treatment, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday.
This is to prioritise resources at public hospitals, in view of the rising number of infections globally and the expected rise in the number of confirmed cases in Singapore, the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The Government will continue to pay for the Covid-19 testing fees and hospital bills in full for Singapore residents and long-term pass holders admitted to public hospitals, and will also "continue to waive Covid-19 testing fees for all STVP holders as part of our public health measures to identify and initiate contact tracing for confirmed cases who may have been infectious while in Singapore".
The announcement came after MOH revealed 10 new infections yesterday, with three imported cases, six linked to the private function at Safra Jurong and one linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore. Three more cases were discharged, making it 93 who have recovered.
The first imported case is Case 152, a 65-year-old Indonesian man who arrived in Singapore on March 7.
The man, now in an isolation room at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), fell sick on Feb 28 and went to a hospital in Jakarta on March 2.
He went to SGH on March 7 and was confirmed to be infected on March 8.
Case 153 is a 65-year-old Singaporean who had been in Indonesia from Feb 25 to Feb 28.
While in Indonesia, she had visited her sister who had pneumonia.
The woman, who is now warded in SGH, fell sick on March 3. She went to Choa Chu Kang polyclinic the same day and again on March 7.
She went to the emergency department at SGH later that day and was confirmed to be infected on March 8.
The third imported case, a 52-year-old Briton, arrived in Singapore last Friday and was confirmed to be infected yesterday.
He is warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
PRE-SCHOOL
Six other cases, including a five-year-old Singaporean boy, are linked to the cluster at Safra Jurong.
The boy is a family member of Case 145, a 67-year-old woman who is also linked to that cluster.
He is now warded at KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
The Early Childhood Development Agency said yesterday the boy had last attended his pre-school, The Orange Tree, at Choa Chu Kang, last Friday, and the pre-school will be closed from today to March 20.
The pre-school will be disinfected and all children, teachers and staff will be given leave of absence during the closure period.
The pre-school will resume its programmes on March 21 and contact tracing is ongoing, said the agency.
BY THE NUMBERS
10 New cases
93 Total discharged
160 Total confirmed
67 Total in hospital
3 Discharged yesterday
10 In intensive care unit
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