Coronavirus: Singapore reports first two deaths, including elderly woman and Indonesian man
- Both patients had underlying health conditions and had been in ICU for long periods
- Singapore has 385 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and had been widely praised for avoiding any fatalities
The health ministry said a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man died on Saturday morning.
“I know Singaporeans will be worried and anxious. But we must take courage and not give into our fears,” Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s health minister, told reporters.
Singapore has confirmed 385 cases of the infection and had so far managed to avoid any fatalities since the outbreak began in the city state in late January.
As of Friday, 131 patients had fully recovered from the infection.
The Singaporean woman who died had a history of chronic heart disease and hypertension. She had been admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on February 23 for pneumonia, and tested positive for Covid-19 infection that day. “She developed serious complications and eventually succumbed to the infection after 26 days in the ICU on March 21 at 7.52am,” the ministry said.
The Indonesian man was admitted in critical condition to the ICU at NCID on March 13, and was confirmed to have Covid-19 the following day. He developed complications and died after spending nine days in ICU. “Prior to his arrival in Singapore on March 13, he had been hospitalised in Indonesia for pneumonia, and had a history of heart disease,” the ministry statement read.