SINGAPORE — Singapore has confirmed 383 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases here to 32,343.

In a media statement, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the lower number of cases reported on Tuesday was partly due to fewer tests being conducted.

For a third day in a row, no new clusters were reported on Tuesday.

Of the new cases reported, two are from the community. One is a 30-year-old Singaporean woman while the other is a 23-year-old Malaysian man who is a work permit holder.

Their positive test results were picked up as a result of proactive screening of preschool staff members and work permit holders working at institutes of higher learning.

The ministry noted that the number of new cases in the community has increased, from an average of four a day in the week before to an average of seven a day in the past week.

“This is partly due to our active surveillance and screening of nursing home residents and preschool staff, which have picked up more cases in the past week,” it said.

On the other hand, the number of cases in the community with no known sources of infection has remained stable at an average of two a day in the past two weeks.

“We will continue to monitor these numbers, as well as the cases detected through our surveillance programme.”

Aside from the two cases in the community, the remaining 381 new infections were linked to foreign workers staying at dormitories. 

MOH said that it continues to pick up many cases among work permit holders residing in dormitories, including factory-converted dormitories, because of extensive testing at these places, as part of its process to verify and test the status of all workers.

There were no imported cases on Tuesday.

PLACES VISITED BY INFECTED PERSONS

MOH has added two new locations to the list of public places that have been visited by people confirmed to have Covid-19. They are: 

• The wet market at Block 963 Jurong West Street 91 from 6am to 8am on May 24

• The FairPrice Xtra outlet at Jurong Point mall from 1pm to 2pm on May 24

The ministry first released such information on Monday, listing Jurong Point as the first location.

These patients had visited the locations during the time when they were infectious. The list excludes residences, workplaces, healthcare facilities and public transport.

Individuals who have been identified as close contacts of confirmed cases would have already been notified, MOH said.

It also said that the list will be updated on a rolling 14-day basis — which spans one incubation period — as investigations progress. 

As a precautionary measure, members of the public who had been at the listed locations during the specified times should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit. 

They should then see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection. 

This includes having a cough, sore throat or runny nose, as well as fever and the loss of taste and smell.

When visiting the clinic, they should also inform the doctor of their exposure history, MOH said.

UPDATE ON CONFIRMED CASES

In all, 16,444 patients have fully recovered from Covid-19 and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities, including 706 people on Tuesday.

There are still 585 patients in hospitals. Of these, most are stable or improving, and eight are in critical condition or under intensive care.

MOH said that 15,291 patients are isolated and cared for at community care facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19.

To date, 23 people have died from complications due to Covid-19.