SINGAPORE: Singapore confirmed 15 new cases of locally-transmitted Zika infections on Monday, taking the tally to 56 as authorities step up efforts to contain the outbreak.

All the cases were in or near the Aljunied area in the southeast of the city-state, and most were foreign workers from a nearby construction site owned by GuocoLand, where testing for the virus is now complete, the health ministry said in a statement.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has inspected foreign workers’ dormitories as well as thousands of other premises in the area and in six other parts of the island.

Singapore, a major regional financial centre and busy transit hub, which maintains a constant vigil against the mosquito-borne dengue virus, reported its first Zika case in May, imported by a middle-aged man who had been to Brazil.

On Saturday, the health ministry confirmed a first locally-transmitted case, with the tally jumping to 41 a day later amid warnings of more likely positive cases.

One of the cases discovered on Sunday involved a Singaporean man who works at the GuocoLand site but who lives outside the Aljunied area. The NEA inspected more than 900 premises around his home on Monday.

“The NEA went to every house, checked the kitchen and bathroom.

They gave us a small bottle of insect repellent, but we just went to get a big bottle today,” said 36-year-old local resident Tommy Fan. “I’m a little worried since my wife is trying to conceive. Zika seems to ... [spread] faster than dengue.”

One local pharmacy worker said she ran out of mosquito repellent, and was concerned about delays in getting fresh supplies.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2016