SIA says 15 employees have tested positive since last month
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has confirmed that 15 staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 since last month. Nine have fully recovered and been discharged.
According to an internal SIA company memo dated yesterday seen by The Straits Times, the 15th case was of a "tech crew member" who last operated on the Auckland-Singapore route on March 29. ST understands the term refers to pilots.
According to the memo, he reported the onset of symptoms on April 9 and was on medical leave until April 14.
He tested positive for Covid-19 on April 17. He is currently hospitalised.
"SIA has been providing all necessary support to our staff who test positive for Covid-19, and we continue to monitor the situation closely to take steps to ensure the health and safety of all customers and staff," it wrote in an e-mail response to ST yesterday.
Any unwell crew member or pilot on board a flight will be attended to by the relevant medical authorities immediately after landing and be segregated from passengers upon displaying symptoms, SIA said.
As a precautionary measure, SIA said all crew members who operated on the same flights as the infected staff were grounded and asked to take leave of absence. The places the infected staff could have visited had also been disinfected.
"We have worked with MOH (Ministry of Health) on all contact tracing activities when required," SIA said, adding that MOH has confirmed no SIA staff were infectious when they operated on flights.
Notably, the memo also said the infection number "does not include confirmed cases of Covid-19 in our overseas offices due (to) privacy and confidentiality laws in some countries".
In the memo, SIA said two vendors' employees have tested positive for Covid-19. One works at Airline House in Changi and tested positive on Sunday, while the other works at SIA's data centre in Changi and tested positive on Wednesday.
There are at least two cases at Airline House now, with an earlier case testing positive on April 5.
Other affected cabin crew - SIA's 12th, 13th and 14th cases - operated on flights to places such as London and Amsterdam, said earlier memos.
"As a precautionary measure, temporary adjustments have been made to our in-flight services on a number of flights," the airline said.
SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC), which performs maintenance, repair and overhaul work on aircraft, has also confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Two workers based at the airport apron area tested positive separately on April 11 and 15, earlier memos said. SIAEC said the cases are unlinked, and noted that both are recovering well.
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