Nearly 4,800 Indian nationals, most of whom are living in dormitories for foreign workers, have been tested positive with the novel coronavirus in Singapore till the end of April, the Indian High Commissioner here said on Monday.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore are 18,205 with 18 deaths, according to the figures released by Singapore health ministry on Sunday.

“Almost all the infection among Indian workers is mild and their conditions are improving,” Jawed Ashraf, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, said.

Over 3,500 Indian nationals, including students, have also registered with the High Commission to return home or to seek assistance for accommodation and food due to their unexpectedly long stay here, he said.

Over 90 per cent of the 4,800 Indians infected by the virus are workers, most of whom are living in dormitories for foreign workers, he said.

In April, over 90 per cent of the Covid-19 cases emerging in Singapore were in dormitories, where authorities are conducting aggressive medical testing. By the last week of April, however, the average daily number of new cases in the dormitories and in the broader community outside, as also the number of unlinked cases, were coming down compared to previous weeks, according to the High Commissioner.

“We continue to pick up many more cases among work permit holders residing in dormitories, including in factory-converted dormitories, because of extensive testing in these premises,” the health ministry said on Saturday.

The number of new cases among work permit holders residing outside dormitories has decreased, from an average of 25 cases per day in the week before, to an average of 14 per day in the past week.