Singapore coronavirus infections touch 21,707 with 20 deaths: Health Ministry

Singapore on Friday reported 768 new cases of coronavirus, mostly among the foreign nationals living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 21,707 with 20 deaths, the health ministry said. The Ministry of Health (MoH) said the foreign workers living in dormitories form the bulk of the cases of the new 768 new infections, with 10 of them being Singapore citizens and permanent residents (foreigners).

"Foreign workers living in dormitories form the bulk of the cases," the MoH said in a statement.

"As of Thursday, 18,483 of 323,000 migrant workers living in dormitories, or 5.7 per cent, have tested positive for COVID-19. By Thursday, 1,706 patients had recovered from the deadly disease," the statement added. Singapore currently has the highest number of coronavirus cases in South-east Asia and saw a surge in cases in recent weeks, especially after the medical testing of foreign workers living in dormitories, The Straits Times reported.

The number of cases doubled to 20,000 in two weeks from April 22 as authorities increased tests on foreign workers living in dormitories. Twenty people have died from COVID-19 complications so far in Singapore. Globally, the outbreak, which began in December last year, has infected more than 3.8 million people. Some 270,000 have died.