Clementi, Whampoa markets close after being identified as COVID-19 clusters linked to Jurong Fishery Port
SINGAPORE: The Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre and Whampoa Drive Market will close for two weeks from Thursday (Jul 22) after they were identified as COVID-19 clusters linked to Jurong Fishery Port.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it is investigating COVID-19 cases involving markets and food centres that are likely "seeded" by fishmongers who visited Jurong Fishery Port to collect their stock and sell at these markets and food centres.
A total of 22 COVID-19 cases have been detected among people who worked in or visited Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre. Another 12 COVID-19 cases were detected at Whampoa Drive Market, said MOH in its daily update.
The markets will be closed from Thursday to Aug 5 to break the chain of transmission and for deep cleaning, added MOH.
Free COVID-19 testing will be extended to people who visited Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre between Jul 7 and Jul 21.
MOH will also extend free testing for visitors between Jul 7 and Jul 21 to Haig Road Market and Food Centre, which was identified on Tuesday as a cluster linked to the fishery port.
READ: ‘Confusion on the ground’ for stallholders and fishmongers as stalls remain closed with COVID-19 testing underway
As an "added layer of ringfencing" to help identify COVID-19 cases and prevent further transmission, MOH is working with the People's Association to distribute antigen rapid test (ART) self-test kits to people who visited selected markets and food centres in the last two weeks.
The collection will run on Thursday and Friday at residents' committee centres near Whampoa Drive Market and 726 West Coast Market.
"Eligible persons are strongly encouraged to collect and perform self-testing using these ART kits," said MOH.
As of noon on Wednesday, 454 COVID-19 cases are linked to the Jurong Fishery Port/Hong Lim Market and Food Centre cluster.
READ: TraceTogether check-in to be mandatory at all wet markets and hawker centres in Singapore
CLUSTERS
In total, six markets and food centres are listed as COVID-19 clusters linked to the Jurong Fishery Port cluster.
Besides Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre and Whampoa Drive Market, the other four are Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, Chong Pang Market, Haig Road Market and Food Centre and Hong Lim Market and Food Centre.
Markets and food centres with three or more COVID-19 cases:
1. Boon Lay Place Market and Food Village
2. Bukit Panjang Wet Market
3. 353 Clementi Market
4. Geylang Serai Market
5. Taman Jurong Market
6. Teban Garden Market
7. 726 West Coast Market
Markets and food centres with fewer than three cases:
1. Admiralty Wet Market
2. Albert Centre Market and Food Centre
3. Amoy Street Food Centre
4. Ang Mo Kio Central Market and Food Centre
5. Bangkit Market
6. 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market
7. 630 Bedok Reservoir Road Market and Food Centre
8. Bukit Panjang Wet Market
9. Bukit Timah Wet Market
10. Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre
11. Geylang Bahru Market
12. Jurong Central Plaza
13. 497 Jurong West Street 41 Market
14. 505 Jurong West Street 52 Market
15. Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre
16. Mayflower Wet Market and Food Centre
17. Mei Ling Market and Food Centre
18. Redhill Market
19. 118 Rivervale Drive Market
20. Shunfu Mart
21. Teck Ghee Market and Food Centre
22. 146 Teck Whye Avenue Market
23. Tekka Centre
24. Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11
25. Tiong Bahru Market
26. 58 New Upper Changi Road Market and Food Centre
27. 622 Yew Tee Market
28. Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre
Singapore reported 179 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections as of noon on Wednesday.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram