SINGAPORE: New COVID-19 clusters were reported on Wednesday (Sep 2) at three foreign worker dormitories that were previously cleared of the disease.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has identified new cases at Toh Guan Dormitory, Changi Lodge II and North Coast Lodge.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: Employers must ensure that workers undergo routine COVID-19 swab test by Sep 5[/h]Of the 49 new COVID-19 cases reported in Singapore on Wednesday, 43 cases were from dormitories.
Two of the newly confirmed cases are linked to five previous cases to form a new cluster at Toh Guan Dormitory. The dormitory was declared cleared of COVID-19 on Aug 8 by MOH. Before the cluster was closed, it had more than 1,300 COVID-19 cases.
Toh Guan Dormitory was declared an isolation area on Apr 6 under the Infectious Diseases Act. It was among the first dormitories to be gazetted as such.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMOH reported on Wednesday that six previous cases were linked to form a new cluster at Changi Lodge II. The dormitory was gazetted as an isolation area on Apr 2, and eventually declared of COVID-19 on Jul 18. Before the cluster was closed, more than 500 confirmed cases were linked to it.
[h=3]READ: Singapore has done well so far in fight against COVID-19, but must learn from errors: PM Lee[/h]A new cluster was also reported on Wednesday at North Coast Lodge, with seven previous cases linked to the dormitory.
Months after it was declared an isolation area on Apr 17, the dormitory was cleared of COVID-19 on Aug 14 by MOH. More than 650 cases were linked to the cluster there before the cluster was closed.
New COVID-19 clusters have been identified at other dormitories that have been cleared of COVID-19.
Two additional COVID-19 cases reported were on Wednesday linked to Sungei Tengah Lodge, Singapore's biggest foreign worker dormitory, with a total of 196 confirmed cases in the cluster.
The dormitory was reported as a new cluster on Aug 22, about a month after it was declared cleared of COVID-19 by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
There have also been new clusters at Homestay Lodge and Tuas View Dormitory.
According to MOM on Aug 19, all dormitories have been declared cleared of COVID-19, including standalone blocks in purpose-built dormitories that served as isolation or quarantine facilities.
"All residents in the standalone blocks have either completed their isolation or quarantine, or been moved to other government facilities depending on their health status," said MOM on Aug 19.
[h=3]READ: New COVID-19 cases at dormitories detected by routine testing is 'part of the plan': Josephine Teo[/h]Last week, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said new COVID-19 cases found at dormitories were a result of routine testing.
“We have planned for every single one in the construction, marine and process sector, as well as the people who come into close contact with them, to be regularly tested. So, the findings today are a result of those testing,” Mrs Teo said on Aug 26. “That is what we are doing, it is part of the plan and it is surfacing as part of the plan.”
Workers who are staying in dormitories and those in the construction, marine and process sectors, as well as those going into the work sites, are required to undergo rostered routine testing every 14 days.
Employers must also make sure that their workers have completed a COVID-19 swab test in the past 14 days by Saturday, said the authorities.
Those who have not done so will not be allowed to return to work.
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