SINGAPORE, April 22. /TASS/. The number of coronavirus cases in Singapore surpassed 10,100 increasing by over 1,000 in a day, the Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, the number of new cases surged by 1,016; in total, 10,141 infected were confirmed in the country. This is the highest figure in Southeast Asia. To date, 11 people have died from diseases caused by the new virus.
On April 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong extended the partial quarantine regime imposed on April 7 for another four weeks — until June 1. This implies closing all institutions that do not have social significance and are not fundamental to maintaining a stable life of the state. In addition, schools and universities were transferred to distance learning. At the same time, food stores, pharmacies and hairdressers continue to work, and cafes and restaurants sell food for take-away. A ban on moving around the city has not been introduced; public transport and taxis continue to function.
Meanwhile, the government urged the population to stay at home, to go out only if necessary, to maintain social distance, and not to gather in groups. In addition, wearing masks in all places is a must.
In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.