43 airport workers have tested positive for Covid-19 so far
None in serious condition; initial spread likely via worker who assisted family from South Asia
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Toh Ting Wei
A total of 10 airport workers - out of almost 19,000 swabbed - have tested positive for Covid-19 in a special testing operation after the emergence of a cluster of cases at Changi Airport.
The tests were carried out from May 9 to Thursday, and all the infected workers are from Terminal 3, with workers from Terminal 1 and Jewel Changi Airport testing negative.
Apart from the 10 airport workers, 33 other workers had tested positive through other channels, such as when they reported sick or when they were serving quarantine orders.
In all, 43 airport workers have tested positive for Covid-19 so far, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) said yesterday.
The two agencies gave the figures in an update on measures taken at Changi Airport to deal with the growing number of cases linked to the airport's Covid-19 cluster, which is currently the largest active one here with 104 cases as at yesterday.
They said test results for an initial batch of Covid-19-positive airport workers were found to be similar and indicated the B1617 virus variant that was first detected in India. This suggests that their infections came from a common source.
"Preliminary investigations indicate that the initial transmission could have occurred through an airport worker who was assisting a family from South Asia who arrived in Singapore on April 29 and were subsequently found to be positive for Covid-19 through their on-arrival tests," said the two agencies. They did not say which country the family was from.
The agencies said that since Thursday, workers in Terminal 3 Basement 2 who tested negative for Covid-19 in their first test have been rostered to take an additional test.
From tomorrow, airport workers in higher-risk roles will be required to take an additional antigen rapid test (ART) between their seven-day rostered routine tests.
Passengers from very-high-risk places must also now take an ART on arrival, on top of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
"The quicker turnaround time of an ART compared with a PCR test will allow for public health action to be taken more quickly for persons who test positive by ART," said CAAS and CAG.
The two agencies said they will work with the aviation community to vaccinate more workers in the next few weeks. More than 90 per cent of front-line aviation workers have been vaccinated so far.
In a separate update on the Republic's vaccination efforts yesterday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said more than two million people - over one in three Singapore residents - have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. This can increase to 4.3 million people by end-July with vaccine supplies remaining steady.
CAAS and CAG reiterated that precautions are in place at the airport to guard against Covid-19.
For example, workers handling flights from the highest-risk countries wear full personal protective equipment. None of the airport workers who tested positive is in serious condition, requires oxygen or is in the intensive care unit.
Since this month, the airport has further segregated passengers arriving from low-risk places from other passengers.
Passenger terminals at Changi Airport and Jewel will remain closed to the public until the end of the phase two (heightened alert) period on June 13 as an added precaution. The airport remains open for air travel.
