SINGAPORE - Two students from The Learning Lab (TLL) tuition centre in United Square and one student from the HCL Education Centre in Katong V have tested positive for Covid-19, prompting both centres to shift their classes online.
TLL operates a total of eight outlets here, while HCL runs 12 centres.
A spokesman for TLL on Saturday (May 15) said it was notified by a parent that both her children, who are students at its United Square branch, had tested positive for Covid-19.
"The siblings are from the same household and attend lessons on Friday and Saturday at our United Square centre. (They) last attended a class in person on May 8."
It added that the family was advised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to get tested as "they were identified as contacts of an earlier confirmed case - believed to be unrelated to TLL - from their school".
The spokesman said all classes have been moved online since the case was detected on Saturday, and will continue this way until June 15.
MOH said in its update late on Saturday that these cases had been accounted for as part of the Learning Point cases.
In addition, deep cleaning and sanitation of all classrooms at its centres will be conducted by cleaners over the weekend.
Separately, HCL, in a circular sent on Saturday to parents, said that one of its students at the Katong V branch had tested positive on Friday evening.
It added that all physical lessons there have since been suspended and taken online until further notice.
The Chinese-language tuition centre said the student's teacher had not taught at other branches, and those who have been in close contact with the infected student have been contacted by MOH to be placed on quarantine.
"Starting next Monday, all lessons at HCL will move online. We will review this change after two weeks in consideration of the situation and further guidance from the government," the centre said in the circular.
According to MOH's daily case update on Friday, the tuition centre at 30 East Coast Road was among places visited by community cases.
An infected individual visited the centre from 9.30am to 11.05am on May 9.
Meanwhile, 11 students and a teacher from Wang Learning Centre's East Coast branch have been quarantined on Saturday after coming into contact with a student from the Learning Point cluster.
Five primary school pupils had tested positive for Covid-19 after attending classes run by an infected tuition teacher at Learning Point, an enrichment centre in Parkway Centre.
The student last attended a class at the Wang Learning Centre's East Coast branch on May 9 from 9am to 12pm, before testing positive on May 13. The branch has conducted disinfection cleaning, which was originally scheduled for May 10.
No other branches were affected, said the Chinese-language centre, which has eight outlets across Singapore. It said it will move all classes online from May 16 to June 13, as part of new measures announced on Friday.
MOE said that private tuition and enrichment centres may continue operating but they should consider online lessons as the default arrangement during this period of heightened risk.
Tuition centres have already begun shifting their classes online or bringing forward their term break in the light of the measures.
For instance, in a circular seen by ST, Knowledge Trail Learning Centre in Thomson Road said it will bring forward the two-week centre term break - meant to take place in June - to this Sunday. The break will last till May 28.
MOE said in the event that in-person classes proceed, centres must comply strictly with the national measures, such as stepping up screening for staff and students, so that those who are unwell do not attend lessons.
This includes ensuring that all instructors, staff and students wear their masks, while students continue to maintain safe distancing of at least 1m from others and refrain from interacting with others.
MOE said that if some interaction is unavoidable, they must remain in pairs, with each pair maintaining a distance of at least 1m, or preferably 2m, from other groups, with no mixing between groups.
