SINGAPORE: Eligible Singapore Airlines (SIA) staff members will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine from Wednesday (Jan 13) at Changi Airport Terminal 4 as part of a vaccination drive for some workers in the aviation sector.
The vaccination is available to Singapore-based staff members who are currently on the rostered routine testing programme, an SIA spokesperson said on Tuesday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThese include cabin crew, pilots, airport-based staff members whose job requires them to interact with passengers, and selected engineering staff members.
[h=3]READ: SIA Group carries highest number of passengers since COVID-19 restrictions[/h][h=3]READ: First shipment of COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Singapore[/h]Participation is voluntary and the SIA Group “strongly encourages” all eligible staff members to take up this offer, said the spokesperson.
AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Dec 21, Singapore received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, making it the first country in Asia to take in the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech.
TRACKING DEVICES ON CREW MEMBERS DURING OVERSEAS LAYOVERS
SIA also said in a separate statement on Tuesday that additional measures for operating crew members during overseas layovers have also been introduced.
During such layovers, they will be transported on a dedicated chartered bus to and from their hotel, which will be located near the airport and away from city centres.
AdvertisementAll crew members are required to stay in their hotel rooms during the layover period and must wear devices that track their location to ensure that they comply with this regulation.
They are not allowed to physically interact with each other during this time and must also take their temperature regularly and closely monitor their health throughout their duty period.
[h=3]READ: Crew of Singapore carriers exempt from stay-home notice as they are subject to 'stringent' measures: Ong Ye Kung[/h][h=3]READ: How COVID-19 vaccines are transported to Singapore and stored here[/h]On Dec 30, the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed that a Singapore Airlines pilot had tested “preliminarily positive” for the new coronavirus strain circulating in the United Kingdom.
The pilot had travelled to the UK for work from Dec 19 to Dec 22. He was tested on Dec 23 as part of rostered regular testing for air crew members who travel frequently. The test came back negative.
After developing a fever on Dec 26, he sought medical treatment the following day at a general practitioner clinic, where he was swabbed for COVID-19.
His test came back positive for COVID-19 on Dec 29 and he was taken by ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. The 40-year-old man's serological test came back negative, indicating a likely current infection, said MOH.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...