SINGAPORE: An Indonesian man who tested positive for COVID-19 was among five men who were arrested for unlawful entry after they were detected swimming in the waters off Changi on Jun 14.
The man, identified as case 64265, was one of the seven imported COVID-19 cases reported in Singapore on Thursday.
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In a statement on Saturday (Jun 19), the authorities said the Police Coast Guard detected five swimmers in the sea off Aviation Park Road at about 9.25pm on Jun 14.
The men, aged between 24 and 31, were then detained for unlawful entry into Singapore under the Immigration Act.
The men were allocated individual cells while in the lock-up. They underwent swab tests for COVID-19 on Jun 15, part of the police’s protocols to test those arrested for unlawful entry into Singapore.
Of the five men who were tested, a 26-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 the next day. The police were notified of his test result and assisted the Ministry of Health with contact tracing efforts.
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The man was taken to the hospital while the other four men were immediately transferred to a quarantine facility.
Officers identified to have had close contact with the infected men were quarantined and asked to monitor their health, said the police.
The areas visited by the man were also disinfected thoroughly, the authorities added.
“The Police remain committed to ensuring the health and safety of its officers, and had implemented precautionary measures since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January 2020,” the authorities said.
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Officers deployed for operational duties that may involve encounters with people of various backgrounds on a regular basis are equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and disposable gowns.
Selected frontline officers are also placed on regular routine testing as part of the COVID-19 surveillance regime, the police added.
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