Seven Indians among 65 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore

Seven Indians are among the 65 new coronavirus cases reported in Singapore on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country to over 1,100, the Health Ministry said.

Fifty-six of the new cases, including the seven Indians between the ages of 24 and 41 who holds work passes, are infected locally.

Nine cases are imported infections, with a travel history to Europe, North America, the Middle East and ASEAN, the ministry said in its daily update.

Friday's confirmation of COVID-19 infection takes the total number of cases in Singapore to 1,114 since the deadly disease broke out here at the start of this year.

Three new clusters have been identified in the central business district of Singapore. These are Ce La Vi rooftop bar at the five-star Marina Bay Sands with four cases, the iconic Singapore Cricket Club with six cases and a construction site at Project Glory, an integrated development at 50 Market Street, with four cases.

Three new cases have also been linked to the Mustafa Centre cluster, bringing the total to 14 at the Indian-origin mega store in the Little India precinct.

The centre has been closed, according to two employees who declined to be named. Video clips on social media showed "no activities" around the Mustafa Centre, which is rated as one of the busiest malls in Singapore patronised by locals as well as tourists.

Twenty-five of the 473 confirmed cases still in hospital are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Others are mostly stable or improving.

To date, a total of 282 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or are relocated at community isolation facilities.

In his televised address on Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined enhanced and stricter measures to help limit escalating COVID-19 infections, saying most workplaces will be closed.

Only essential services as well as supermarkets, markets and transportation services will remain open, he said, expressing concerns about the increasing number of coronavirus cases, especially local infections.

Singapore reported fifth death linked to coronavirus on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Manpower Ministry has issued 129 stop-work orders to workplaces that were found to neglect safe distancing measures.

The ministry has conducted more than 850 workplace inspections since March 23, reported Channel News Asia.

Stop-work orders require companies to cease operations until they rectify their processes. Under remedial orders, workplaces must take corrective action but are allowed to continue their activities.