‘It’s not about being a work pass holder, it’s about being a virus carrier,’ say public on imported cases

Singapore – In response to the daily Covid-19 update and the continued occurrence of imported cases in Singapore, members of the public highlighted that the virus must be stopped regardless of work permits and passes.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Monday (August 10) that a three-year-old girl and three teens were among the 12 imported Covid-19 cases reported for that day. The child, who is an Indian national, was asymptomatic while two of the teenagers arrived from India and the last from the Philippines.

According to the update, one of the teens who arrived from India was a 13-year-old permanent resident (PR) who showed symptoms on Thursday (August 6). The other individual was a 14-year-old dependent’s pass holder who was asymptomatic. The third teenager, an 18-year-old Singapore citizen, who returned from the Philippines on July 29, was asymptomatic and tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, the remaining eight imported cases were comprised of two PRs, four work permit holders, one work pass holder and one dependent’s pass holder. They arrived from India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

All of the imported cases were placed on 14-day stay-home-notices upon arrival to Singapore at dedicated facilities, said MOH.

In response to the news, members of the public expressed their concern at the continued occurrence of imported cases in Singapore. “The government should seriously look into imported cases from other countries with high potential Covid-19 cases,” said Facebook user Alan PK Chan. He noted that these individuals took the same flight, thus increasing the risk of infection for others. Although another netizen pointed out that these people had to serve SHNs, others pitched in that it was better not to allow them entry in the first place. “It’s about safety for the people here first,” added Facebook user Dean Said.

Many shared their worry and urged the government to prohibit entry to those coming from high-risk countries currently experiencing a spike in Covid-19 infections such as India and the Philippines. A few netizens suggested for those entering the country with valid passes to be tested for Covid-19 prior to boarding the flight and only allow those who have tested negative. “To let in infected cases and asymptomatic cases show a lack of good judgement on Singapore’s part,” said Facebook user Kim Chew.

“Don’t take our health care workers for granted,” commented Facebook user Sunny Lee. “If our hospitals are overstretched, we can’t take care of Singaporeans with other medical conditions.”

While these imported cases are those with work passes or have legitimate reasons to enter the country, Facebook user Andy Yeo noted “it’s not (about) WP or PR, it’s (because) they are the virus carrier. They post danger to our country.” Facebook user Vincent Oei Yi Sheng mentioned that those entering were likely to be essential workers for the industry. “It can only stop when we stop the demand for their services.”

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