SINGAPORE - The costs for Covid-19 rostered routine testing (RRT) for workers in selected sectors will be borne by the Government until Sept 30, an extension from the initial March 31 deadline, said the Ministry of Health in a statement on Friday (Jan 22).
They include all workers living in dormitories, and those working in the construction, marine and process, aviation and maritime sectors.
Currently, workers in sectors which have a high risk of exposure to Covid-19, or who pose a "large negative impact" if they were to be infected, have been undergoing rostered routine testing on a fortnightly basis.
Workers who have recently recovered from Covid-19 - within 180 days from the onset of Covid-19 - are exempted from the test as they will continue to have neutralising antibodies that will put them at low risk of re-infection.
Recognising that Covid-19 continues to pose "significant health risks" in these sectors, the Government will bear the costs of RRT until Sept 30 to support safe operations in these industries.
The Government had earlier announced that it will bear the costs of RRT until March 31.
In addition, it will continue to review its subsidies for Covid-19 RRT to ensure support for public health efforts while ensuring that the costs are "shared equitably" between taxpayers, employers and individuals.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) had announced earlier in January that the RRT regime for shore-based personnel who go on board vessels regularly has increased from every 14 days to seven days.
Between Jan 2 and Jan 8, some 27,000 workers were tested for the virus in a one-time sweep. All tested negative except for one person, who was assessed to have recovered from a Covid-19 infection.
