2 students, teacher from 3 primary schools test positive for Covid-19

SINGAPORE — Two pupils and a teacher from three separate primary schools have tested positive for Covid-19, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Monday (May 17) evening.

All three infections were confirmed on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

The first is a pupil from Fuchun Primary School, who was last in school on May 12 and had been well. He had been placed on quarantine that day as a member of his household had tested positive.

The second is a teacher from Frontier Primary School, who was well when she was last in school on May 14. She developed acute respiratory infection symptoms later that day and saw a doctor in the evening.

The Ministry of Health is conducting investigations and contact tracing into her case.

To prevent any transmission in school, both schools have moved to home-based learning from Monday until the end of the school term on May 28, two days ahead of the scheduled date for all schools to hold their classes online. 

“Fuchun Primary School and Frontier Primary School have thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the school premises,” MOE said.

It added that close contacts of the confirmed cases have also been placed on quarantine and will be tested for Covid-19.

The third case is a student from Maha Bodhi School who was last in school on May 12 and had been well. 

She was placed on quarantine from May 14 as she had attended the same external student care centre, Seedlings World Student Care@Frankel, as an earlier confirmed case from St Stephen’s School.

The pupil from St Stephen’s School had attended classes run by an infected private tutor at Learning Point Tuition Centre at Parkway Centre.

Since the student from Maha Bodhi School developed symptoms while on quarantine and her case is linked, the Health Ministry does not require contact tracing to be done among her contacts at school, MOE said. 

Maha Bodhi School will continue with classroom lessons until the home-based lessons begin for all schools nationwide on May 19.

“MOE will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with the school and parents to ensure the well-being of staff and students,” the ministry said.

Several primary school pupils have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week including students from Kong Hwa School, Yu Neng Primary School, St Margaret’s Primary School and St Stephen’s School.

Many of them had attended tuition classes taught by the 50-year-old tutor at Learning Point who was earlier confirmed to be infected by the coronavirus.

MOE on Monday urged all students and staff members to continue practising good hygiene and adhering to safe management measures.

This includes wearing masks, washing hands frequently, wiping down equipment and tables after each use, and seeing a doctor if they are sick.