SINGAPORE: A Bangladeshi national, Singapore’s first imported case of COVID-19 in more than a month, had been granted a waiver to enter Singapore on medical grounds, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
On Sunday (Jun 14), MOH said the man had come to Singapore for medical treatment unrelated to COVID-19.
AdvertisementAdvertisementResponding to media queries, the ministry added on Monday: "He had been under the care of a doctor at Mount Elizabeth Hospital and had two operations performed earlier in Singapore.
"He needed to seek follow-up specialist medical care in Singapore as he is facing medical complications and is not responding well to treatment in his home country."
Short-term visitors have not been allowed to enter or transit through Singapore since Mar 23 as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The ministry added that the Bangladeshi man was placed on stay-home notice at a designated hotel when he arrived in Singapore on Jun 10.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"He was conveyed from the airport to his hotel via a dedicated vehicle, and could only leave his designated place of residence for medical consultation and follow-up," MOH said.
[h=3]READ: No entry or transit through Singapore for all short-term visitors amid heightened risk of imported COVID-19 cases: MOH[/h][h=3]READ: COVID-19 - All travellers entering Singapore from Mar 27 must submit health declaration forms online[/h]The health ministry earlier on Sunday said that the man was tested for COVID-19 after arriving in Singapore, with his results coming back positive three days later on Jun 13.
According to MOH, the man had not been diagnosed or suspected to have COVID-19 based on his health declaration. The document also indicated he did not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
MOH also said contact tracing was ongoing, and identified close contacts had been placed on quarantine.
Since Mar 27, all arriving travellers, including residents and long-term pass holders, have been required to submit an online health declaration before proceeding with immigration clearance.
Before Sunday, the last time Singapore reported an imported COVID-19 case was May 10.
[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 COVID-19 outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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