SINGAPORE: Singapore reported nine more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday (Feb 14), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a daily update.
Of them, six are linked to a cluster from the Grace Assembly of God church, director of medical services at MOH Kenneth Mak said at a press conference.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis brings the total number of novel coronavirus cases in Singapore to 67, with six patients in critical condition.
Two more patients have been discharged from hospital as of Friday, meaning 17 people have now fully recovered from the disease.
MOH also announced that 900 GP clinics will be re-activated as Public Health Preparedness Clinics to provide subsidised treatment for patients with respiratory symptoms.
One of the newly confirmed cases on Friday is an employee at PUB, the national water agency said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementPUB said in a media statement that the employee is an administrative staff member who works in the agency’s Environment Building, and is not involved in plant or field operations.
All employees on the affected level of the building - 70 staff members in total - were asked to leave the office and telecommute for the rest of the day, so that the space could be disinfected.
The first two cases linked to the Grace Assembly of God church, which has a branch in Tanglin and another in Bukit Batok, were announced on Wednesday, while five others were announced on Thursday. At least three of them work at the church, including a senior pastor.
[h=3]READ: Coronavirus cases in Singapore - Trends, clusters and numbers to watch[/h][h=3]READ: F&B, retail businesses in CBD feel the pinch as people work from home amid COVID-19 concerns[/h]Singapore last week raised its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange, prompting additional precautionary measures.
Singapore is bracing itself for the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on its economy, with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat saying that the upcoming Budget statement on Feb 18 will contain detailed measures for the hardest-hit sectors - tourism and transport.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday that the ongoing COVID-19 situation will have a significant impact on the country’s economy for the next couple of quarters, calling the current outbreak “very intense”.
[h=3]READ: S$77 million package to help taxi, private-hire drivers affected by COVID-19 outbreak[/h][h=3]READ: Commentary: What to do with all these health rumours and forwarded messages in the time of COVID-19?[/h]The virus, officially named COVID-19 on Tuesday, has killed nearly 1,400 people, with tens of thousands infected, mostly in mainland China.
It has now spread beyond China to more than 25 countries, with the World Health Organization declaring a public health emergency last month.
Japan on Thursday reported its first death of a person infected with the virus - a woman in her 80s living in Kanagawa prefecture, west of Tokyo. Her death brings to three the number of fatalities from the virus outside mainland China.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of novel coronavirus and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the novel coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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