All public places visited by TTSH Covid-19 infectious cases will be closed for 2 days for cleaning: MOH – Mothership.SG

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[Editor’s note, May 1, 12:30pm: This article has been updated with a new Annex A, following an amended MOH press release on May 1.]

On Friday April 30, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced stricter precautionary measures to reduce the spread of undetected cases in the community.

All public places visited by cluster-related cases at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) during their likely infectious period will be closed for cleaning for two days.

It is also to facilitate testing of personnel in affected areas, for surveillance against further spread.

Here is the list of affected locations, including locations in shopping malls like Junction 8, [email protected] and 100h.

The Department of Health has said in previous press releases there is no need to avoid places with confirmed cases of Covid-19.

The National Environment Agency will also engage the management of the affected premises to provide advice on cleaning and disinfection.

In a press conference on Friday, April 30, the co-chair of the multi-ministerial task force, Lawrence Wong, said that for people who may have visited these places and been exposed to the infected cases during their stay, they are not considered close contacts.

Instead, those identified as having possible exposure to the infected cases will be alerted via SMS, to monitor their own health.

They will also be encouraged to get tested for free for Covid-19.

Other measures

Additional measures were also announced by the ministry, which will be implemented from May 1 to May 14, 2021.

The occupancy limit will be reduced to one person per 10 m² of gross floor area (GBS), one person per 8 m² of GFA in shopping malls and stand-alone department stores.

At Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza, entry restrictions on odd and even dates on Sundays will be reinstated.

Outdoor barbecues and the campsite will be closed to the public. This includes barbecues in parks, HDB estates, condominiums, and country clubs.

Effective May 7-14, all attractions that have received prior approval from MTI will be allowed to operate at 50% of their operating capacity, a reduction from 65%.

Community cases in Singapore

The announcements follow an increase in community Covid-19 cases in Singapore, with the recent announcement of a Tan Tock Seng Hospital cluster and an Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) cluster.

TTSH group: 13 total

On April 28, a 46-year-old nurse working at TTSH was confirmed positive. It was deployed in the 9D quarter, a headquarters.

On April 29, eight more cases were found to be related to the TTSH cluster. Of the eight, two are on staff at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). One was a trainee, deployed in the 9D department, the other was a doctor who saw patients in the 9D department.

The other six are patients hospitalized in the 9D department.

On April 30, four more confirmed cases of Covid-19 were found to be linked to the cluster.

ICA cluster

An ICA officer deployed to Terminal 1 at Changi Airport was confirmed as a case of Covid-19 on April 28. He had sought medical treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

On April 29, seven more cases were discovered to be related to the ICA cluster. The cases involve family members of the ICA officer and had already been quarantined earlier.

All eight had gathered for a meal on April 25, where transmission would likely have taken place.

Top photo via Jack Quah / Google Images, Junction 8 / FB, Alan Lin / Google Images.