Covid-19: 3 Changi Airport workers among 7 cases in community; all staff at T1, T3, Jewel to be tested
Changi Airport Terminal 3.
- Three workers at Changi Airport have contracted Covid-19 with no known links to previous cases
- The authorities will test all staff at Terminals 1 and 3, and Jewel Changi Airport
- Two other community cases with unknown links are an operations assistant and a Victoria JC student
- Two community cases were linked to a cluster involving a lashing specialist at Pasir Panjang Terminal
- There were 13 imported infections
SINGAPORE — Three airport workers were among seven Covid-19 community cases recorded on Saturday (May 8). The origins of their infections are unknown.
The other two coronavirus cases with no links to previous infections are a 40-year-old operations assistant at Keppel Distripark and an 18-year-old Victoria Junior College (VJC) student.
In its nightly update on the coronavirus situation, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that as a precaution in light of the cases involving airport workers, it would start a special testing operation for all staff members at Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 3, and Jewel Changi Airport retail complex.
CASES INVOLVING AIRPORT WORKERS
All three airport workers who were infected had been picked up through rostered routine testing for those at greater risk of contracting coronavirus.
One of the workers is a 47-year-old male cleaner deployed at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
The work-permit holder from China, who has received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, works for Ramky Cleantech Services.
He did not show symptoms and was detected when he was tested on Wednesday. His pooled test result came back positive for Covid-19.
He was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on Thursday, where an individual test came back positive the next day.
His earlier tests from rostered testing were negative.
“His serology test result has come back positive but we have assessed that this is likely a recent infection,” said MOH. Serological tests detect antibodies that could point to a past infection.
The other two airport workers are a safety coordinator deployed at Changi Airport Terminal 3 and an aviation officer at Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 3.
The 33-year-old Singaporean safety coordinator from engineering firm Shimizu Corporation was tested for Covid-19 as part of rostered testing on Tuesday.
His work does not entail interaction with passengers.
He developed a fever after work the next day and sought medical treatment at a clinic on Thursday, where he was tested again for coronavirus.
His test result came back positive on Friday, as did his pooled test result from rostered testing, and he was taken to NCID. His serological test result was negative.
Meanwhile, the Singaporean aviation officer, 57, was tested for Covid-19 on Wednesday. He developed a sore throat that evening but did not seek medical treatment.
The man, whose work entails screening departing and transiting passengers, went to work the next day and his sore throat worsened.
On Friday, his pooled test result was positive for coronavirus. An individual swab also came back positive later and he was taken to NCID.
He has also received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
His earlier tests from rostered testing — the last being on April 23 — were all negative, while the result of his serological test is pending.
TWO OTHER CASES WITH UNKNOWN LINKS
Apart from the airport workers, the case involving the Keppel Distripark operations assistant was detected on Tuesday as part of rostered testing.
He is employed by logistics firm Batamindo Shipping & Warehousing and works part-time as a GrabFood deliveryman.
The man did not show symptoms, but his pooled test result came back positive on Wednesday.
He was taken to NCID the next day and his individual test also came back positive.
His earlier tests from rostered testing — the last being on March 14 — were negative.
“His serology test result has come back positive, but we have assessed that this is likely a recent infection,” MOH said.
The fifth case with no known links to previous infections is the VJC student, who was last in school on Wednesday.
She developed flu-like symptoms after school as well as a fever the next day.
She sought medical treatment on Thursday at a clinic, where she was tested for coronavirus.
Her test result came back positive the next day, while her serological test result is pending.
The Ministry of Education said earlier that 2,200 students, staff members, vendors and visitors to the school will be tested as a precaution.
CLUSTER INVOLVING LASHING SPECIALIST
The other two community cases were linked to the cluster involving a lashing specialist at Pasir Panjang Terminal, which now has eight infections.
One of them is a 27-year-old car groomer at automobile service provider BlackNano in Bukit Batok Crescent, but he does not typically interact with customers.
He is a family member and household contact of a trailer truck driver at Brani Terminal and Pasir Panjang Terminal, and others in that cluster.
As he had been identified as a close contact of the driver, he was quarantined on Wednesday.
His test came back positive on Friday, while his serological test result was negative.
The other case is a 54-year-old car mechanic at vehicle maintenance firm Jag Technical Services on New Upper Changi Road.
The permanent resident’s work entails occasionally going to Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) camps to service and repair vehicles, but he did not interact with SAF crew.
The Ministry of Defence said that he last visited Clementi Camp on Tuesday and had minimal contact with SAF personnel. But, as a precaution, the SAF has disinfected the premises visited by the man.
He is a family member and household contact of the car groomer and the trailer truck driver, among others.
He was likewise quarantined as a close contact of the driver on Wednesday and tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. “His serology test result was negative for the N antigen, which suggests the presence of early infection,” said MOH.
He has received both doses of the vaccine.
IMPORTED CASES
There were 13 imported cases of Covid-19 on Saturday and all had been isolated on arrival, MOH said.
They are:
Six Singaporeans and three permanent residents who returned from Canada, India and Indonesia
A dependant’s pass holder who arrived from Canada
Two work-permit holders who came from Bangladesh and Indonesia, one of whom is a foreign domestic worker
A short-term visit pass holder who is a sea crew member. He arrived on a vessel from Malaysia. He did not disembark except to be tested and was taken to hospital when his test came back positive
UPDATES ON REMAINING CASES
The coronavirus total in Singapore is now 61,331.
Of these, 60,912 have fully recovered and been discharged, including six on Saturday.
There are 133 patients in hospital. Most are stable or improving, and two are in critical condition under intensive care.
Another 255 are being cared for at community facilities. They have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for the coronavirus.
Singapore has had 31 deaths from Covid-19 complications.
