552 new COVID-19 cases reported on Dec 5; 201 cases aged 12-39

Singapore reported 552 new COVID-19 cases on Dec 5, the lowest number of cases in a day since Sep 13.

Of the new infections, 523 were from the community and 201 of those infected were aged between 12 and 39, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

No new clusters have been identified. MOH is closely monitoring an active cluster that has reported new cases — THK Home For Disabled at Sembawang.

One more imported COVID-19 case has tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron variant, MOH added on Sunday.

Case 273611 is a 37-year-old Singapore permanent resident who arrived in Singapore from Johannesburg, South Africa on Dec 1. He was on the same flight as Cases 271487 and 271598.

The man’s pre-departure test in Johannesburg on Nov 29 was negative for COVID-19, said MOH.

He was taken to a stay-home notice dedicated facility upon arrival in Singapore, and his polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on Dec 1 and 3 came back negative, MOH said.

He developed a fever and sore throat on Dec 4 and was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), where he tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron variant, MOH said.

The National Public Health Laboratory is conducting whole genome sequencing to confirm the variant.

All 18 other passengers on the flight have tested negative for Covid-19 infection and are isolated at designated SHN facilities.

Contact tracing is ongoing and any close contacts will be placed on 10-day quarantine at designated facilities and undergo PCR tests at the start and end of their quarantine. All patients suspected or confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant will be conveyed to NCID for isolation and clinical management. Home recovery will not apply.

Case 273611 is fully vaccinated and “there is currently no evidence of any community transmission from the case,” added MOH.

There were also 13 COVID-19-related deaths reported on Dec 5. They were aged between 52 and 96 years old and all had underlying medical conditions that interfered with their recovery.

The national death toll now stands at 759.