Myanmar maid who tested negative during SHN is sole community case

The sole new community Covid-19 case reported yesterday is a foreign domestic worker who tested negative during her stay-home notice (SHN).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the 40-year-old Myanmar national arrived from Myanmar on Nov 13 and served her SHN at a dedicated facility.

Her test taken on Nov 23 during the SHN was negative.

While serving the SHN, she was identified as a close contact of another case during their flight to Singapore and was hence placed on quarantine from Nov 24 to Nov 27.

Thereafter, she started work at her employer's home.

The patient then developed a headache last Friday and shortness of breath on Sunday.

She was tested for Covid-19 when she sought medical treatment later that day. Her test result came back positive on the same day and she was warded at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Another test conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory on Monday was negative.

MOH said her serological test result has returned positive, which is indicative of a past infection.

SHEDDING

"She could be shedding minute fragments of the virus RNA, which are no longer transmissible and infective to others, but given that we are not able to definitively conclude when she had been infected, we will take all the necessary public health actions as a precautionary measure," said the ministry.

Meanwhile, 34 new imported cases were announced yesterday.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has decreased from three cases two weeks ago to two in the past week.

The number of unlinked cases in the community in a week has also decreased from three cases to two over the same period.

With 21 cases discharged yesterday, 60,245 patients have fully recovered from the disease. - THE STRAITS TIMES

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By the numbers

35 New case

1 New case in community

34 Imported cases

46 In hospital

21 Discharged today

30 Deaths

60245 Total recovered

60554 Total cases