Residents take testing in their stride

Despite the high volume of tests conducted in the vicinity of Hougang Avenue 8, and the inconveniences, residents were taking things in their stride.

Some of those tested yesterday said they wanted to know if they were free of the coronavirus, after several cases were reported in the area.

Mr Edmund Wong, who lives in Block 684, said he was already "on standby" to get swabbed even before he received the SMS notification from the Ministry of Health on Thursday, given the number of cases in the area recently.

"It (getting tested) was no surprise to me, and while I am concerned, I don't think my life is affected too much - Covid-19 has been with us for more than a year after all," said the 30-year-old, who works in retail.

Block 684 is one of seven blocks in the area whose residents and visitors could opt for testing to prevent further spread of the virus and to detect possible asymptomatic cases in the community.

Residents choosing to be tested began streaming into the pavilion at Block 685A Hougang Street 61 at 8.45am, 15 minutes before the mass swabbing exercise started.

Mr Darryl David, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, visited the Block 685A testing site yesterday at around 11.30am.

He said residents had largely been positive about getting tested and appreciated that the testing site was nearby.

"There were not many people who were worried about the (virus) spread. They were more concerned about whether the site will be crowded, if they had to pay. Because we explained to them that it is not compulsory, we don't want to alarm anybody," added Mr David.

Both the mandatory and voluntary testing were free.

Later that afternoon, Mr David made his rounds in Hougang Village, about a block away, to encourage tenants and shop staff to get tested.

Testing was compulsory for all shop staff in the seven blocks, as well as residents and visitors to Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8, after new infections were found there and some other blocks.

Viral fragments of Covid-19 were also detected in wastewater samples from some of those blocks.

More than 70 people lined up at a temporary facility under a Hougang Avenue 8 block yesterday morning, as residents and shopkeepers waited for their tests.

Stallholders said their businesses could continue running in the meantime as they rotated shifts with their co-workers.

For residents of Block 506, it was the second round of testing in two weeks.

Resident Mohd Azali, 28, who lives with his parents, is taking extra precautions.

"When I take the staircase, I don't touch any railings. We are still friendly with our neighbours. We will say hello, but from a distance," said the SMRT assistant engineer.

Another resident from the same block, a civil servant who wanted to be known only as Mr D Chong, said he chose to feel safer instead of being more apprehensive about the Covid-19 situation in Hougang.

"At the rate at which the block is being disinfected, we are probably the cleanest block in Singapore."

Mr Chong, 48, added: "And maybe the safest too, with the frequency of tests... Yes, I remain positive. Positive in the mind, negative in the test result."