SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 623 new cases of COVID-19 as of noon on Friday (Apr 17), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5,050.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) released the preliminary figures at about 6pm, saying the new cases were mostly foreign workers in dormitories.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"We are still working through the details of these cases and further updates will be shared via the MOH press release that will be issued later tonight," said the ministry.
MORE DORMS GAZETTED, EMPLOYERS FINED OVER TRANSPORT OF WORKERS
A large proportion of Singapore's COVID-19 cases can be traced back to foreign worker dormitories, which have seen a surge in confirmed cases recently.
[h=3]READ: Two weeks and a 70-fold increase: A look into the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore's foreign worker dormitories[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementThree more foreign worker dormitories - Tuas View Dormitory, Shaw Lodge Dormitory and North Coast Lodge - were declared as isolation areas under the Infectious Diseases Act, with effect from Friday.
A total of 12 foreign worker dormitories have now been gazetted as isolation areas.
On Friday, the Ministry of Manpower announced that 28 employers had been fined S$1,000 and another four were under investigation for not complying with safe distancing measures while ferrying workers in lorries.
With immediate effect, transport companies and drivers will also be fined if they do not comply with safe distancing regulations when ferrying workers in lorries, the ministry said.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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