Coronavirus Singapore
VivoCity, HarbourFront Centre staff undergo mandatory testing
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Staff and tenants from VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre waiting at a cordoned-off area in VivoCity's carpark yesterday to take their swab tests. Mandatory testing is under way for all who worked at the mall or the centre's retail mall between June 13 and Monday. The operations of both malls are unaffected.
ST PHOTO
A steady stream of retail staff trickled into the VivoCity carpark yesterday morning for their Covid-19 swab tests.
Mandatory testing is under way for all staff who worked at VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre's retail mall between June 13 and Monday.
VivoCity's management said that cleaners, security officers, contractors and safe distancing ambassadors who worked at the mall during that timeframe will also be tested.
Mapletree, which owns VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre, said that the operations of both malls will not be affected.
Its spokesman said: "This exercise is a precautionary move by the health authorities to help safeguard the health and well-being of all staff, tenants and shoppers."
Shoppers do not have to be tested unless they have been specifically notified by the Ministry of Health.
When The Straits Times visited VivoCity yesterday at 10am, there were no queues at the level two carpark where testing was taking place.
Staff who were swabbed said they had received an SMS message informing them of their allocated time slot. The tests were administered quickly, with the whole process taking no more than 15 minutes a person.
Mr Edmundo Bajamundi, 37, said his manager informed him over the phone yesterday about the swabbing exercise, although he has yet to receive an SMS.
Mr Bajamundi, the store manager of the Snackz It! outlet at VivoCity, said he would not be worried even if Covid-19 cases were detected through the testing operation.
"All the shops have their own TraceTogether QR code. Even if customers don't scan them, our apps will exchange Bluetooth signals with one another, so we will know if we've been in close contact," he said.
VivoCity was among locations visited by infectious Covid-19 patients, with one visit recorded on June 18, between 6pm and 7.50pm.
Hysses store manager Rowena Laurio, 45, said she immediately registered herself, her employees and their in-house delivery man for the swab test when she heard about the Covid-19 testing operation on Tuesday.
She heard about the operation from the mall's cleaners, who gave her the sign-up link.
"Maybe the authorities don't want to alarm the public. Shoppers tend to avoid visiting the (affected) malls even after they have been disinfected," she said.
Over at HarbourFront Centre, GNC store supervisor Zaida Sapon said she was glad the malls were conducting testing for Covid-19.
"Testing can help us identify cases even if they are asymptomatic or have been fully vaccinated," said 61-year-old Ms Sapon.
A shopper, who wanted to be known only as Ms Song, said targeted testing operations are a better alternative to semi-lockdowns or mass testing where only a small number of cases are detected.
"This approach will help to minimise transmission and is less disruptive to people's lives," said the 52-year-old.
The swabbing operation is expected to be completed by tomorrow. Staff can continue to work after they have been swabbed, with the test results expected to be out within one to three working days.
- Additional reporting by Shabana Begum
