Two more Covid-19 cases detected at Hougang block
This brings tally to 11 infections; compulsory testing ongoing for residents of Pasir Ris block
Two more people have tested positive following the mandatory Covid-19 swabbing exercise of residents and visitors at Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8 on Friday and Saturday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday.
This brings the tally to 11 confirmed cases at the block, after 405 people were tested during this round of testing.
MOH and the Ministry of National Development (MND) said yesterday that 10 cases were from four different households in the same block in Hougang.
The two ministries also announced in the same press release that compulsory testing will be conducted for the 243 residents of Block 559 Pasir Ris Street 51.
This is after four cases were detected from two households in the block - three family members and a 88-year-old cleaner working at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Residents from the Pasir Ris block were advised to go to the regional screening centre at the former Coral Primary School, located 200m away, from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm yesterday and today.
In an update later, MOH said 188 individuals had been tested, with 155 individuals found to be negative for infection, and 33 more test results pending.
So far, no one has tested positive.
As for 10 of the confirmed cases in the Hougang block, MOH and MND said they are largely people under quarantine.
"This means that they have been isolated early and ring-fenced, and not likely to be moving around while being infectious," the ministries added.
While the four units in Hougang are from the same stack - meaning they are directly above or below one another - the ministries said the initial assessment is that airborne transmission along the stack is highly unlikely.
Mr Gerald Giam, MP of the ward that the block is in, said on Facebook yesterday that the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council conducted a round of misting and wipe down at common corridors and lifts on Saturday evening after the swab operation at the void deck.
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Desmond Tan said in a Facebook post that a few residents from the affected Pasir Ris block had asked if they can still go out to get food or go to work.
"I... advised the residents to stay home and work from home as far as possible," he said.
Addressing public concerns over the number of such operations being conducted, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung reminded the public on Facebook yesterday that testing is a very effective way to prevent further spread.
"You should feel safer when you hear all these testing ops. They help us detect and isolate people early, including persons who are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and would otherwise be missed."
The authorities will be doing even more testing and surveillance moving forward, he added.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now