Singapore—Mandatory Covid-19 testing is being carried out in Blocks 501 and 507 Hougang Avenue 8 after viral fragments of Covid-19 were found in wastewater.
According to MP Gerald Giam (Workers Party-Aljunied GRC), the detection of the viral fragments has been “fortunate.”
“We are actually fortunate that the authorities have detected viral fragments in the sewage so that early action can be taken to swab every resident and identify the source of infection. Without that, the infected residents may unknowingly infect others, leading to more unlinked cases,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (June 1).
Similar swab testing is also being done at a block in Yishun, and for the same reason.
And while CNA reported that six Covid-19 cases had been reported in two separate households in the block at Yishun, there are no confirmed cases yet at the two blocks in Hougang, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (May 31).
The swab testing will take place at void decks of the two Hougang blocks from Tuesday to Thursday (June 1 to June 3) from 9 am to 4 pm.
This is the second time that mandatory testing is being carried out at Hougang, since infections were recently detected at Blk 506, which led to a swabbing exercise on May 21 and 22. A total of 11 people were infected with Covid-19 at Blk 506, most of whom had already been placed in quarantine.
Mr Gerald Giam announced that residents need to undergo the swab tests in a Facebook post on Monday.
He also said that the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council activated cleaners to conduct an additional round of cleaning of the blocks, which was followed by a wipe down with disinfectant.
The MP told residents that the swabbing exercise “is a precautionary measure in response to a detection of a possible infection in your block, and to ensure your health and well-being”.
Mr Giam added that the exact time slot for residents to appear at the void deck to have their swab test would be announced via SMS from MOH, and asked them to stay at home as much as possible for their own safety.
In addition to the extra cleaning and disinfection, Mr Giam wrote that “SDST anti-microbial coating has been applied to all the lift buttons on these blocks to reduce the chance of infection from touching lift buttons.”
But he asked residents to continue to wash their hands with soap and water, nevertheless, after touching lift surfaces.
Mr Giam wrote on Tuesday that he stayed up until midnight the previous evening with a volunteer distributing a letter in different languages to residents’ doorsteps because he “knew from the experience just over a week ago of the swab of all residents of Blk 506 next door, that many residents would be anxious and have questions about the process”.
Mr Giam added that he had been able to provide answers to residents’ questions thanks to the Health Promotion Board.
He added that the Workers’ Party had brought up the possibility of sewage testing in Parliament as early as last year.
“My colleague, Leon Perera, had first asked in Parliament in May last year about the use of sewage testing to detect traces of infection, and the Minister at that time said that the government was running trials on it. I’m glad that those trials have materialised into something so useful in practice.”
/TISG
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Gerald Giam: Risk of transmission from Hougang cases greatly reduced