2 more Bangladeshis infected with coronavirus in Singapore

Two more Bangladeshi expatriate workers in Singapore have been infected with the novel coronavirus— recently named Covid-19—with links to the previous two cases being confirmed, The Straits Times reported today.

A total of 58 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection including eight new cases reported in the country, the Ministry of Health in Singapore said today.

The two Bangladeshis are Singaporean work pass holders, aged 30 and 37, and are linked to a worksite in Seletar Aerospace Heights. They are cases 52 and 56.

The worksite is now linked to a cluster of four cases, all of whom are Bangladeshi nationals.

One of the Bangladeshis confirmed to be infected today, case 52, fell ill on February 7.

He reported that he had mostly stayed in his rental apartment in Campbell Lane since he fell ill.

The 37-year-old was identified as a close contact of the two previously identified Bangladeshi work pass holders, who both worked at the Seletar Aerospaces Heights worksite.

The other cases include five linked to the Grace Assembly of God church, including a 54-year-old professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), The Straits Times reports.

The latest case is a 30-year-old Singaporean man who is a family member of case 50, the 62-year-old male DBS Bank employee who was confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday. He is case 55.

None of the new cases has recent travel history to China. They are all currently warded in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Earlier, two Bangladeshi nationals aged 35 and 39, who are work permit holders in Singapore, were reported to be diagnosed with novel coronavirus on February 9 and 11.

Both were being kept in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Meanwhile, the MOH also said that Singapore will continue to rely on laboratory tests to confirm cases of infection and will not change its approach to confirming cases of the virus despite the Chinese authorities adopting new broader guidelines, including the use of CT scans and clinical diagnosis of symptoms.

New diagnostic guidelines for confirming cases in China kicked in yesterday, allowing doctors to assess patients clinically and diagnose cases.

This means a patient can be confirmed to be suffering from Covid-19 if they have symptoms of severe respiratory tract disease and a CT scan shows lesions in their lungs.

Previously, cases would only be confirmed after laboratory tests.