Coronavirus: Singapore identifies two people who may be infected with new strain; Tokyo cases soar
- One of the people that initially tested positive is a Singapore Airlines pilot, who travelled to the UK for work
- Meanwhile, daily infections in Tokyo exceeded the 1,000 mark for the first time as the governor urged people to stay home
Two people in Singapore who came back from the UK have been preliminarily tested to have a new Covid-19 strain that is circulating there, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The second case is a work pass holder who arrived from the UK on December 7. He ended his 14-day quarantine on December 21 after testing negative on December 17. He later developed body aches and was tested positive for the virus on December 29.
The two cases have tested preliminarily positive for the B117 strain, and further confirmatory tests will be conducted, the ministry said.
Cases of the new Covid-19 strain could pose a challenge to Singapore, which has been lauded for its success in quelling the pace of infections in the community. It first detected this new strain last week in a Singaporean student studying in the UK.
The Southeast Asian nation has imposed tougher border restrictions including barring entry and transit for those who have travel history to the UK in the past 14 days, though citizens and permanent residents are allowed to return.