Coronavirus: 123 people linked to clusters at Tampines block test negative

A total of 123 people who live in or visited a Tampines Housing Board block linked to known Covid-19 clusters have undergone polymerase chain reaction tests, with all their results coming back negative.

Speaking at a virtual press conference yesterday, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said that 152 residents and 25 visitors had been contacted after cases emerged from two separate households at Block 111 Tampines Street 11 last month.

Two new infections, confirmed on July 10, brought the total number of cases linked to the block to 11.

All 58 households living in the same section of the block that share a common lift lobby and stairwell with the cases have been placed on active phone surveillance.

The two new cases - a seven-year-old girl and an 18-year-old youth, both Singaporeans - are family members of a known family cluster there.

MOH said last week that these cases had been earlier quarantined and there is no evidence of the disease spreading beyond the two affected households.

Prof Mak said: "The residents and visitors remain under phone surveillance, and we want to confirm and ensure that they remain well."

Many residents of the Tampines block said that life is going on as usual around the estate.

Still, some have been spooked by the disease and have taken extra precautions, such as keeping their windows shut and monitoring their health.