34 cases linked to two bus interchanges are bus drivers

Thirty-four of the 36 Covid-19 cases linked to clusters at two bus interchanges on Thursday are bus drivers, and all but one have been fully vaccinated.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that nine of the 34 drivers are from Punggol Bus Interchange and 25 are from Toa Payoh Bus Interchange.

Most are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and were picked up via proactive antigen rapid tests by the public transport operators.

Punggol Bus Interchange is managed by Go-Ahead Singapore, while Toa Payoh Bus Interchange is managed by SBS Transit.

All staff and contractors who were recently at the interchanges will be tested for Covid-19.

Deep cleaning and disinfection have also been carried out at the two interchanges, as well as on all affected buses and facilities.

There are currently five active Covid-19 clusters linked to bus interchanges, including those in Bishan and Sengkang.

A new cluster of seven cases linked to Clementi Bus Interchange was reported yesterday.

As at yesterday, there were 17 cases linked to Punggol Bus Interchange, 29 cases linked to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, 22 cases linked to Sengkang Bus Interchange, and 24 cases linked to Bishan Bus Interchange.

LTA said public transport operators will be taking extra precautions for mask-off activities for their workers. These include ensuring workers take their meals and smoke breaks alone.

According to the operators, 98 per cent of SBS Transit bus drivers have been fully vaccinated or received the first dose of the vaccine, and 97 per cent of Go-Ahead Singapore's bus drivers are vaccinated.

SBS Transit's senior vice-president for corporate communications, Ms Tammy Tan, said about half of the 25 infected bus drivers from the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange are housemates.

None has had severe symptoms, and they are either in isolation centres or in hospital.

Meanwhile, 16 infected bus drivers from Bishan and Sengkang Bus Interchanges are recovering well, and three of them have already been discharged, Ms Tan said.

SBS Transit has since stepped up antigen rapid testing at these interchanges as an added measure.

Go-Ahead Singapore said the National Transport Workers' Union canteen at Punggol interchange will be closed for two weeks.

All staff working at the interchange will also complete a mandatory polymerase chain reaction swab test by the end of this week.

Bus services ran as normal and staff went about their day as usual at Punggol and Toa Payoh interchanges when The Straits Times visited around noon yesterday.

Toa Payoh interchange was crowded as staff filled up its small canteen. Four drivers who did not want to be identified told ST they were not concerned about the interchange being an active Covid-19 cluster.

All four said they are fully vaccinated, and they take a Covid-19 test at least once in 10 days.

One said that due to their short breaks and lunchtimes, they do not spend too much time in the canteens or in public areas.

At Punggol interchange, a bus driver who did not want to be identified said testing for him and his colleagues is done on an ad hoc basis.

Food stall operator Francis Sim, 50, said he was worried for his health when he heard the news.

The operator of Super Nonya, which sells pre-packed food at Punggol interchange, was also worried the cluster might drive away customers and affect his business.

Infectious diseases experts said commuters need not be concerned if they have visited these bus interchanges, and should just monitor their health as per normal.

The impact to the healthcare system is unlikely to be severe, given Singapore's high vaccination rate.

• Additional reporting by Gena Soh and Shermaine Ang