Mandatory routine testing soon for staff in high-risk settings

Staff working in settings with unmasked clients or where there is prolonged contact between individuals will have to undergo regular Covid-19 testing using methods such as the antigen rapid test (ART).

This 14-day regular fast and easy test (FET) regime will be mandatory from around mid-July, the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 said at a virtual media conference yesterday.

Such staff include employees of dine-in food and beverage establishments; those working in personal care services such as facial and nail services, spas, saunas, massage establishments, hairdressing, and make-up services; and people working in gyms and fitness studios where clients are unmasked.

The task force expects most of the FET to be done through a system of self-swabs that are supervised by employers.

To help businesses get started on the FET regime, there will be training programmes they can tap to train designated employees to supervise ART self-swabs for their staff.

These training programmes will be free for the next three months.

ART kits will be made available to establishments for these employer-supervised self-swabs.

Some F&B outlets have already sent their employees for training and are ready to implement regular testing progressively from Monday, said the task force.

Quick test centres will also be set up to help small businesses that are unable to organise the supervised self-swabs on their own, the task force said.

For a start, one centre each will be set up in Tekka and Yishun. They will be operational from Monday, with more such centres to open progressively.

To further minimise the risk of transmission in these settings, the Government will facilitate earlier vaccination of individuals who work in these settings.