Singapore reports 897 new coronavirus cases, 853 are foreign workers

The Singapore Health Ministry on Friday said 853 foreign workers from packed housing dormitories were among the 897 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections to 12,075 in the island nation.

A total of 853 of Friday's cases were work permit holders residing in dormitories and another 19 were work permit holders staying outside the dormitories, the ministry confirmed.

Among the rest, 12 were work pass holders (foreigners working here) and 13 were Singaporeans (citizens) as well as permanent residents (also foreigners).

The ministry stated that an Indian national died on Thursday due to "multiple injuries consistent with those resulting from a fall from height and was not due to complications from COVID-19 infection".

The 46-year old was found motionless at the staircase landing in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and died of injuries. He was a confirmed coronavirus case.

Twenty-four of the 1,229 confirmed cases still in hospital are in critical condition and in the intensive care unit. Most of the others are stable or improving.

A total of 38 virus patients have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities. In total, 956 have fully recovered from the infection in city-state.

The number of patients who are isolated and cared for at community facilities stands at 9,878.

"These are those who have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19," said the ministry.

Twelve people in Singapore have died due to COVID-19. The ministry identified nine new clusters on Friday. These included a budget hotel in the central business district.

Four more dormitories were gazetted as isolation areas for housing foreign workers on Friday, according to media reports.

To date, 25 dormitories, housing foreign workers, have been gazetted as isolation areas as a large number of COVID-19 cases have emerged from these lodging houses.

Meanwhile, the Manpower Ministry has given a “stern warning” on Friday to a dormitory operator for having locked 20 migrant/foreign workers in their room after one of their close contacts tested positive for COVID-19.

The Ministry said operator of Joylicious dormitory for foreign workers will not be allowed to hire new foreign workers, pending police investigations.

The incident came to light on Tuesday after an NGO for migrant workers' rights, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), said on its Facebook page that it received a "distress call" from workers in the dormitory.

Investigations revealed that on April 20, the dormitory operator had confined the workers in their room, to prevent them from moving around after a close contact was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, the ministry spokesperson said.

Separately, Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Friday warned those who disregard safe distancing measures. He also cautioned against abusing enforcement officers.

"Whether you are old or young, you should be staying home," the minister said.

Those who think "it is fun" to flout the rules could end up being infected and infect others as well, said Masagos told The Straits Times. His comments come after a spate of offences were reported.

The police have reported a rise in the number of abuse cases against the 3,000 officers and safe distance ambassadors deployed across the island daily to ensure compliance with circuit breaker measures, according to The Straits Times.

Singapore is more than two weeks into its "circuit breaker" period, a move by the Government to break the cycle of transmission of COVID-19.

The period with measures introduced to control the spread of the deadly disease, was initially scheduled to end on May 4, but was extended to June 1.

Under these measures, citizens can leave their homes only to perform essential tasks such as buying groceries, see a doctor, or if they are an essential service worker. They must wear a mask if they go out.

First-time offenders of the rules could be fined SGD300.

A rising wave of infections among Singapore's migrant worker population threatens to derail the city-state's success in fighting the coronavirus, authorities have said.

Indians make up the second-largest group -- in terms of nationality -- of coronavirus patients in Singapore.