From a "Model Country for Quarantine" to a COVID-19 Hotspot... Singapore Surpasses 10,000 Cumulative Cases

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 22nd, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Singapore, which was considered a 'model country for quarantine' in the early stages of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, surpassed 10,000. New confirmed cases are rapidly increasing, with more than 1,000 new cases per day mainly among migrant workers.

According to Singapore's largest daily newspaper The Straits Times and Bloomberg News, the Singapore Ministry of Health announced that as of 12 PM on the day, 1,016 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,141. Most of the new cases are migrant workers living together in dormitories, with only 15 cases among Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases in Singapore is currently similar to that of South Korea (10,694 as of the 22nd), and if the current trend continues, Singapore is expected to surpass South Korea, which has recently recorded around 10 new cases per day, by the 23rd. The total population of Singapore is approximately 5.8 million.

The Ministry of Health explained that the majority of new confirmed cases are migrant workers living together in dormitories. Among the 9,125 cumulative confirmed cases recorded until the previous day, about 80%, or 7,125 cases, were from dormitories where migrant workers live together.

Until early last month, Singapore was considered a model country for quarantine. It prevented the spread by implementing lockdown measures early on, such as banning the entry of Chinese nationals. However, the decision to reopen schools on the 23rd of last month and the neglect of dormitory management for about 300,000 migrant workers, who make up about 20% of the population, caused COVID-19 to spread rapidly. Some experts point out that Singapore's decision to reopen schools gave the public a false signal of "it is now safe," leading to complacency.

For the time being, additional confirmed cases are expected mainly among migrant workers. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong indicated strengthening testing by stating in a statement the day before that diagnostic kits would be imported from overseas. He also said that the current movement restrictions would be maintained until June 1. As a result, many workplaces are expected to close, leaving only personnel responsible for essential tasks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.