SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore confirmed 287 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the biggest daily increase yet, taking the total in the city-state to 1,910, its health ministry said.
More than 200 of the new cases were linked to outbreaks in dormitories for foreign workers. Singapore has quarantined thousands of workers in dormitories after they were linked to several cases of the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Six people infected with the disease have died in Singapore and authorities are investigating the death of a seventh person who was infected but also had other complications.
The latest count of new infections is more than double the previous daily record of 142, reported on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of foreign blue-collar workers live in close quarters in dormitories across Singapore and form a significant part of the labour force, working in sectors from construction to cleaning.
Singapore has closed schools and most workplaces for a month from this week as part of stricter measures to curb a recent jump in coronavirus infections.
(Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Catherine Evans)
