The Latest: Singapore ups virus rules after new infections

SINGAPORE — Singapore has further tightened social-distancing restrictions, banning dining in at restaurants and limiting public gatherings to two people as it seeks to control a growing number of untraceable coronavirus infections in the city.

From Sunday until June 13, gatherings and household visitors will be limited to two people, and restaurants and eateries can only provide delivery or takeout services. Companies will have to make working from home the default for employees who are able to do so.

“A pattern of local unlinked community cases has emerged and is persisting,” Singapore’s Ministry of Health said in a statement Friday.

“This is worrying as it suggests that there may be unknown cases in the community with possible ongoing community transmission and that our earlier and ongoing measures to break the chains of transmissions may be insufficient.”

Unlinked coronavirus infections have risen to 15 in the last week, more than double the week before.

The number of new cases have also risen to 71 in the last week, from 48 the week before.

The tightening of restrictions in Singapore comes as it is slated to launch a long-delayed air travel bubble with Hong Kong on May 26, which would allow tourists from both cities to visit without having to quarantine. It is not clear if the air travel bubble will still go ahead as planned.

Singapore has reported a total of 61,453 cases since the pandemic started, with 31 deaths.

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