Covid-19: MOH probing infections among visitors to NTUC FairPrice at Bukit Merah Central; staff to be tested
Free swab tests will be offered to members of the public who had visited the NTUC FairPrice supermarket at Bukit Merah Central between June 3 and 21, 2021.
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (June 21) that it is investigating the incidents of people who had visited the NTUC FairPrice supermarket branch at Bukit Merah Central while they were infected by the coronavirus.
“In order to disrupt any wider, undetected community transmission, we will conduct special testing operations for all staff who have been working at the premise,” it added in a press statement.
Free swab tests will be extended to members of the public who had visited the supermarket between June 3 and 21.
Those who were at the supermarket during the specified dates are advised to monitor their health closely and minimise social interactions as far as possible, for 14 days from their date of visit.
“They are encouraged to see a doctor immediately if they feel unwell,” MOH said.
The supermarket is a 10- to 15-minute walk or one bus-stop away from 115 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre, which now has the largest active Covid-19 cluster in Singapore with 78 cases.
There are two separate clusters at blocks 119 and 121 Bukit Merah View, which is just a five- to 10-minute walk from the supermarket.
A short walk away from the supermarket is the popular Redhill Market and Food Centre as well, where MOH has carried out surveillance testing in the past week for stallholders and visitors.
It has uncovered two infections in the vicinity in recent days and announced on Monday that it has expanded mandatory testing for residents of seven housing blocks in Redhill.
The FairPrice store at Bukit Merah Central had in the past week been in the list of places where Covid-19 cases had been while infectious.
MOH's press release on Monday showed that these cases had visited at these timings:
- June 11: From 12.30pm to 1.35pm
- June 11: From 12.35 pm to 1.35pm
- June 12: From 10.05am to 10.35am
- June 13: From 10.20am to 11.15am
- June 14: From 7.55pm to 8.30pm
- June 17: From 10.35am to 12.40pm
It did not specify how many cases were involved.
More details on the testing operation may be found at https://go.gov.sg/bmc-ntuc-testing.
