On two different days over the past two weeks, now-confirmed Covid-19 patients made visits to the casino at Marina Bay Sands (pictured in a file photo) in Singapore, while still infectious.
The news was given on Monday by Singapore’s Ministry of Health. The ministry gave the information as part of its contact-tracing efforts to stem further community transmission.
At Marina Bay Sands casino, promoted by a unit of United States-based casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp, those with the infection were at that location on November 21 between 12.40pm and 5.30pm, and again on November 27 between 2.20pm and 7.00pm.
The Singapore authorities did not clarify how many people were involved at each instance.
This was not the first time that casinos in Singapore were visited by Covid-19 patients during the infectious period. At least in July, shortly after being authorised to reopened, the Marina Bay Sands casino and the casino at Resorts World Sentosa were visited by confirmed patients of Covid-19, according to information at the time from Singapore’s Ministry of Health.
Both gaming resorts were closed since April 7 as part of countermeasures by the city-state against Covid-19. They were allowed to reopen on July 1, to some membership scheme customers and people who pay an annual levy for access. Such levy payers are either Singapore citizens or permanent residents.
As of Monday at 12pm, the Ministry of Health had confirmed an additional five cases of Covid-19 infection in the city-state, including one new case of locally transmitted Covid-19 infection.
“Overall, the number of new cases in the community has remained low, with a total of four cases in the past week who are currently unlinked,” stated the ministry. “We will continue to closely monitor these numbers, as well as the cases detected through our surveillance programme,” it added.
