Singapore – To help cope with the two-week closure that began on Thursday (May 13), tenants in Jewel Changi Airport will receive support, including rental assistance.
Due to the number of Covid-19 cases linked to the Changi Airport cluster, Jewel and terminals 1 and 3 will be closed to the public from May 13 to May 27.
During the closure, workers will be tested at the airport for Covid-19, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) on Wednesday (May 12).
In response to queries, CAG confirmed that it “is working with tenants in the terminals to minimise the impact of the temporary closure on their staff and operations, including rental waivers for the period of the closure.”
“Jewel Changi Airport will also provide support measures including rental assistance to help its tenants during the closure.”
Tenants have also noted that they have been in touch with Jewel Changi Airport for assistance, reported Channel News Asia on Friday (May 14).
According to Mr Edwin Lim, the director of gelato shop Birds of Paradise, Jewel Changi Airport had “proactively reached out to offer rebates on rent” for the closure period.
“In Good Company and Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique, being collaborators at the premises, continue to operate our stores at other locations. Each brand also continues to operate our online stores,” the director added.
The management of Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory also told CNA it was in communication with Jewel Changi Airport.
“We believe that they will do what they can to aid us, as well as fellow Jewel tenants. We will continue to maintain an open channel of communication with (them) to seek goodwill assistance.”
Meanwhile, Changi Airport remains open for air travel during the closure period, said CAG. Passengers may also continue to be dropped off and picked up from the airport. Some essential services and food & beverage outlets will remain open to serve passengers. However, members of the public will not be allowed to enter the Passenger Terminal Buildings.
The Changi Airport cluster is Singapore’s largest active cluster, with 59 cases as of Friday. The first detected case is an 88-year-old cleaner with Ramky Cleantech Services, who was confirmed to be positive for Covid-19 on May 5.
Then Transport Minister, Ong Ye Kung, said on Friday that about 20 of the confirmed cases are “congregated” around one zone, which is an area that received travellers from higher-risk regions like South Asia.
“That zone is our equivalent of Ward 9D, like Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH),” said Mr Ong, who begins his appointment as the Health Minister on May 15 following the Cabinet reshuffle.
“And from that zone, workers go have their lunch, go have their meals at the Terminal 3 Basement 2 commercial areas and the food court, and we suspect from there, it transmitted to members of the public that visited the place.”
In response to the confirmed cases, CAG announced that it would be testing about 9,000 workers from terminals 1 and 3 and Jewel Changi Airport./TISG
Read related: Jewel Changi Airport and passenger terminals closed to the public for two weeks
Jewel Changi Airport and passenger terminals closed to the public for two weeks