JAKARTA, Indonesia
Singapore has recorded its first case of a new coronavirus variant, which first appeared in the UK last week and is more contagious.
On Wednesday night, the Health Ministry said Singapore was carrying out viral genomic sequencing of COVID-19 cases that had recently arrived from Europe.
Among the 31 COVID-19 patients who arrived between Nov. 17 and Dec. 17, one turned out to have the B117 strain, while 11 others were discovered preliminarily infected and their confirmation effects are pending.
All the cases had been placed on 14-day quarantine or isolated upon arrival, and their close contacts quarantined.
The patient with the new variant is a 17-year-old female studying in the UK since August 2020. She returned to Singapore on Dec. 6, was quarantined upon arrival and confirmed to have the novel disease on Dec. 8.
The Ministry of Health said that because she had been isolated upon arrival, “we were able to involve this case so that there is no further transmission. “
“Lately there is no news that the B117 strain is circulating in the community,” he added.
Meanwhile, out of an abundance of caution, those who have recently traveled to the UK have been banned from entering the city-state, which has recorded 58,482 cases and 29 similar deaths. Permanent citizens will be tested before starting the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
*Written via Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo of Anadolu Agency’s Indonesian Language Service in Jakarta