Singapore prolongs virus lockdown until at least June 1

Singapore will extend its partial lockdown by another four weeks after reporting thousands of new coronavirus cases in recent days, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says.

The tiny city-state reports 1,111 new cases earlier Tuesday to increase its total to 9,125, the most in Southeast Asia. It marks the second straight day of over 1,000 new cases after a single-day high of 1,426 were announced on Monday. Foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories account for nearly 80% of infections.

Lee says the sharp upsurge in cases is due to aggressive testing of workers in the dorms, including those who are asymptomatic.

Although the viral clusters in the dorms have remained largely contained, Lee says circuit-breaker measures that shut down nonessential businesses and schools until May 4 will be extended to June 1 or until infections ease.

He says this will allow the government to detect and contain the virus spread early if there is a transmission from the dorms to the wider community.

Although the number of new cases in the wider community has dropped to below 30 per day, Lee says there is still a number of cases that cannot be linked to any clusters, suggesting a larger, hidden reservoir of cases in the community.

“Many will be disappointed by the extension of the circuit breaker, especially our businesses and workers, who are hurting greatly,” Lee says in a televised speech. “But I hope you understand that this short-term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones, and allow us to revive our economy.”

— AP