Coronavirus: Singapore
Swab tests ongoing for Victoria JC students, staff following positive case
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Victoria Junior College students leaving the school yesterday after having their Covid-19 swab tests done. An 18-year-old student at the college tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday. The college will be conducting full home-based learning this week, pending the results of the swab tests.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
A Covid-19 testing exercise is under way at Victoria Junior College (VJC), with a steady stream of students seen entering the school yesterday morning for their swabs.
Dressed in their school uniforms, students entered the school through the main entrance and left via a side gate after they had their swabs taken.
This comes as an 18-year-old student tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday.
She was last in school last Wednesday and fell sick later in the day. She consulted a doctor the next day. Her case is currently unlinked.
To curb the risk of transmission, 95 students and eight staff who had been in close contact with the student were placed under a quarantine order, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said last Saturday.
MOE and the Ministry of Health told The Straits Times that around 1,000 students, staff and coaches took polymerase chain reaction swab tests yesterday between 9am and 4pm.
The remaining students, vendors and visitors will take the test today.
The students were assigned slots at 30-minute intervals to take the test based on their classes.
The results for those who were tested yesterday will be ready by tomorrow via the Health Hub mobile application or the website.
There were no queues or crowds outside the school when The Straits Times was there yesterday from about 11am to 12.30pm, although a few students were seen waiting outside for their friends.
A row of cars was also parked outside, with most of the motorists being parents waiting for their children to finish the swab tests.
Students said the swabbing exercise was done in the school hall, and the process was smooth and fuss-free, with no waiting time.
Some told The Straits Times that the news of their schoolmate contracting Covid-19 came as a surprise, while others added that they were a little worried in the light of the spike in cases in the community.
A second-year student, who did not want to be named, said parents were informed about the case last Saturday afternoon before the news broke later that night.
MOE said VJC will be conducting full home-based learning this week, pending the results of the swab tests.
The second-year student said: "We were a little shocked, but I think we should be safe if we kept to safe distancing measures. I think the precautions are a good thing so we will not interact much with one another."
