Singapore — There is concern online over reports of the many Covid-19 cases linked to a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (March 8) that nine of the 12 new cases were part of this cluster.
This means that 30 cases are linked to Feb 15 dinner, listed on the MOH website as Cases 94, 96, 107, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149 and 150.
Most of the people who attended the event who later tested positive for Covid-19 infection are 50 years old and older.
This is the largest number of linked cases to a single event in Singapore, as the cases connected to two churches, The Life Church and Missions Singapore and Grace Assembly of God, are 32.
The Feb 15 event was a Chinese New Year celebration by members of a Hokkien singing group and it was attended by about 200 people. It was described by the emcee as a “very lively, very happy” event.
Those who have read about the cluster have expressed concern that the event was continued with even though the country’s Dorscon alert level had been raised only the previous week to orange and even when new Covid-19 cases were being reported nearly daily in Singapore.
Warnings had also been issued to the public to avoid crowds.
Some netizens believe that the event’s organiser had been irresponsible. One of those who feel this way is Ms Mollie Enomoto.
She adds that she feels the threat to her family’s health even more keenly because she lives near where many of the infected people live.
Others felt that the health of everyone in the county had been put in jeopardy.
Some said that the Government’s call to the people to carry on as usual was partly responsible for the organisers deciding to continue with the function.
Others, however, said people should have stayed home, especially older people as they have been among the most vulnerable to Covid-19.
At least one person expressed frustration that taxpayers would have to pay for the cost of dealing with the Safra Jurong cluster.
Some others suggested that the other people who attended the dinner should voluntarily get themselves tested for Covid-19.
Others even said that the organisers should be taught a sharp lesson or face legal action.
/TISG
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