Singapore grounds flight at Changi Airport after passenger from Turkey tests positive for Covid-19
A passenger who arrived here from Turkey on a flight on Tuesday has tested positive for Covid-19.
In a statement at about 12.30am today, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said the passenger was on flight TK54. The Ministry of Health confirmed the infection late last night.
"The Ministry of Health confirmed late Wednesday night that one of the passengers on TK54 which had arrived in Singapore from Turkey on 3 March 2020 was tested positive for the Covid-19.
MOH has started contact tracing for flight passengers who may have had contact with the case while the case was infectious."
Following the confirmation, Turkish Airlines flight TK55, which was scheduled to depart for Istanbul at 11.35pm yesterday, did not take off from Changi Airport.
CAAS said in a statement that the three pilots and 11 crew returned to Istanbul on a ferry flight with no passengers onboard at 2.08am on Thursday morning (March 5).
The crew will be quarantined upon arrival at Istanbul.
The Straits Times reported that some of the TK54 passengers were put up in hotels while Singapore residents went home.
Contact tracing for other passengers who may have had contact with the case is ongoing.
MOT, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Changi Airport Group, are in contact with and are assisting the airline and passengers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also in contact with the Turkish Embassy.
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