Infected airport staff mainly in zone for higher-risk arrivals

The Changi Airport workers infected with Covid-19 had mainly been working in one zone that had received travellers from higher-risk regions, including South Asia.

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung - who takes over as Health Minister from today - said yesterday that the airport identified this trend after studying the more than 20 initial infections in the airport cluster.

"Most (of these infections) in fact congregate around one zone," said Mr Ong. "This is a zone with a finger pier that receives higher-risk countries' (passenger) arrivals, including South Asia."

A finger pier is an extension that juts out from the terminal, with its own gatehold lounges.

This zone includes the conveyor belt and immigration area the passengers pass through, Mr Ong said during a virtual media conference by the multi-ministry task force combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

The zone is the Changi Airport cluster's equivalent of Ward 9D at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where several people in the hospital cluster were initially found to be infected.

"From that zone, workers go (to) have their meals at the Terminal 3 Basement 2 commercial area and foodcourt," said Mr Ong, adding that the task force suspects that, from those areas, the virus was transmitted to members of the public.

Last Saturday, an 18-year-old Victoria Junior College student was among the community cases confirmed by the Ministry of Health. Investigations showed she had earlier visited the Kopitiam foodcourt at Terminal 3 Basement 2.

The airport took immediate action by closing down the entire commercial area of Terminal 3 Basement 2 the next day for deep cleaning, said Mr Ong.

"The airport has since tightened up measures. In fact, we have thought through the entire concept of operations and operating around the concept of segregation."

This means the airport is now segregated into zones of different risk levels, with areas of higher risk stipulating stricter rules.

Workers in higher-risk zones not only have to wear full personal protective equipment, but must also consume their meals within the areas instead of outside them.

In total, 28 airport workers have tested positive for Covid-19 so far; 19 of them were fully vaccinated.

Mr Ong said that all of them are doing well, and none requires oxygen support.

"So, we are cautiously hopeful that the airport workers' cluster... can be contained through quarantine and testing, just like what has happened at the seaport and Tan Tock Seng (Hospital)," said Mr Ong.

He noted that the authorities have taken other steps to contain the virus outbreak at the airport.

These include testing about 9,000 workers, quarantining close contacts of infected patients and temporarily shutting down the airport to the public.

On the progress of testing operations, Mr Ong said 7,641 workers have been tested as at Thursday night. Of the 6,000 test results that are out, six are positive.

"What is noteworthy (is) 500 workers in Jewel have been tested... and so far, all (are) negative," said Mr Ong.

The Changi Airport cluster became the largest active Covid-19 cluster on Thursday, when the number of cases linked to it reached 46. It now has 59 cases.

Several in the cluster have tested preliminarily positive for the B1617 variant that was first found in India.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group had announced on Wednesday night that they would allow only some workers and travellers to access the airport terminal buildings for two weeks from Thursday.

Jewel would be closed during this period.