• MOH found 25 new Covid-19 cases among those who worked in or visited Haig Road Market and Food Centre
• Another 10 other cases were detected at Chong Pang Market
• Both places will be closed till Aug 4
• In total, there were 195 new Covid-19 cases confirmed on July 20, including 182 locally transmitted infections
• Of these, 142 have been traced to the growing cluster at the Jurong Fishery Port and 14 to karaoke lounges and clubs

SINGAPORE — The authorities have detected 25 people who were infected by the coronavirus among those who worked in or visited Haig Road Market and Food Centre, and 10 others at Chong Pang Market.

In its update on the coronavirus outbreak here past midnight on Wednesday (July 21), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that both venues will be closed from July 21 to Aug 4.

This is to break the chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, it added.

MOH earlier announced the closure of Chong Boon Market and Food Centre from July 18 to Aug 1. 

“All individuals who work in the market and food centre have earlier been placed on quarantine and tested during quarantine,” it said, adding that it will extend free Covid-19 testing to members of the public who had been there between July 3 and 17.

More details of the testing operations can be found at https://go.gov.sg/cbmfc-testing.

NEW INFECTIONS AND PATIENTS IN SERIOUS CONDITION

In total, there were 195 new Covid-19 cases confirmed on Tuesday.

These included 182 new locally transmitted infections, 142 of which have been traced to the growing cluster at the Jurong Fishery Port and 14 to karaoke lounges and clubs.

The total number of cases linked to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster is now 321 and the total from KTV lounges is 207.

MOH’s investigations have found that there is likely ongoing transmission at one more nightclub: Club MX at 401 MacPherson Road.

Twenty-six of the community cases have no known sources of infection.

Of the 182 locally transmitted cases, 81 were linked to confirmed cases and had already been placed on quarantine.

Another 75 five were also linked to previous cases and were detected through surveillance.  

Among the locally transmitted cases are two seniors above 70 years who are not vaccinated and are at risk of serious illness.

As of Tuesday, there were five patients with serious illness requiring oxygen support and one in critical condition under intensive care. These numbers have not changed in the last four days, even though the number of cases has gone up.

None of these six patients were fully vaccinated.

The remaining 13 cases in Tuesday’s tally were imported ones, who have already been placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore.

Six were detected upon arrival here, while seven developed the illness when serving the stay-home order or in isolation.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Singapore is now 63,440.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has shot up from 37 cases in the week before to 643 cases in the past week. 

“We are likely to see rising cases in the coming days as we step up efforts to detect them to contain their spread in the community,” MOH said.

The number of cases in the community with no known sources of infection has also increased from 10 cases in the week before to 68 cases in the past week. 

The seven-day moving average number of all linked community cases and all unlinked community cases are 82.1 and 9.7 respectively.

There are now 26 active clusters, each having between three and 321 cases. 

MOH said that for the past two incubation periods or 28 days, there have been no more cases linked to the cluster at 90 Redhill Close as well as a cluster tied to case 64233, who is a foreign domestic worker from the Philippines, so these two clusters have been closed.

HOSPITALISED CASES AND VACCINATION RATES

There are 332 Covid-19 patients warded in hospital. Most are well and under observation, MOH said. 

Over the last 28 days, 10 patients required oxygen support, were admitted to ICU or died. Seven were not vaccinated, three were partially vaccinated and none were fully vaccinated.

As of July 19, about 6.84 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme, covering 4,16 million individuals. 

Some 2.79 million people have completed the full vaccination regimen, consisting of 120,152 recovered persons who received at least one dose and 2.67 million who received their second dose. 

In addition, 69,095 doses of Sinovac vaccines have been administered as of July 19, covering 63,194 individuals.