RI student and relative, 64, among three new coronavirus cases here
He is related to another new case; classes at Raffles Institution and MOE Language Centre in Bishan to be suspended for disinfection
A Year 1 student at Raffles Institution (RI) and a 64-year-old relative of his were among three new coronavirus cases confirmed yesterday.
This brings the total number of infections here to 96.
The Health Ministry said another four cases have been discharged as of noon yesterday, making it a total of 66 patients who have recovered.
The new cases - 94, 95 and 96 - are all Singaporeans and none had recent travel history to China, or Daegu and Cheongdo in South Korea.
The 12-year-old RI student is warded at KK Women's and Children's Hospital and was confirmed to be infected yesterday afternoon, making him Case 96.
In a statement, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said the boy became unwell last Friday and has been on medical leave and had not been in school since then. The day before, he attended a language class at the MOE Language Centre in Bishan.
As an added precaution, RI will suspend school for Year 1 to Year 6 students today to disinfect the premises, while co-curricular activities will be suspended for two weeks.
A 14-day leave of absence (LOA) will be issued to students, teachers and staff who recently came into contact with the boy.
These measures are on top of earlier precautions MOE had announced for the entire school system, including the suspension of large group activities and staggering of recess times.
Classes at the MOE Language Centre will also be suspended for one day for disinfection, and the students, teachers and staff there who were in close contact with the student will also be issued a 14-day LOA.
Last night, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said RI principal Frederick Yeo had spoken to the boy, who was in good spirits.
CONSIDERATE
Mr Ong wrote on Facebook: "It is good that the student was very considerate and did not go to school when he felt unwell.
"With the distancing measures schools have implemented, the exposure has been significantly limited."
Mr Ong said the boy's infection is linked to a family member, Case 94, who was diagnosed on Wednesday and is warded at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
She first had symptoms on Feb 11 and went to a general practitioner on Feb 17, 20 and 24, before she was referred to SGH.
Before admission to hospital, she mostly stayed at home in the Jalan Jurong Kechil area.
The third new patient, Case 95, is a 44-year-old man linked to Case 93, a 38-year-old man who was one of the two revealed on Wednesday and who had no links to previous cases.
The former is warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and was confirmed to be infected yesterday morning.
The latter mostly stayed at his Bukit Batok Street 31 home before he went to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on Tuesday and was isolated.
Contact tracing of the confirmed cases are ongoing.
Of the 30 cases in hospital, eight are in critical condition.
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3 New cases
96 Total confirmed
4 Discharged yesterday
66 Total discharged
30 Total in hospital
8 In intensive care unit
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