SINGAPORE – Singapore is taking additional precautionary measures at a seaport where four workers tested positive for Covid-19 over the past 10 days.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with port operator PSA Singapore, they are in consultation with the Health Ministry to step up the precautionary measures.
“This is on top of the ongoing precautionary measures of vaccination, rostered routine testing and safe management measures (SMM) stipulated by MPA in the port marine circulars,” MPA said in a statement issued late yesterday.
MPA said these additional measures include the frequency of rostered routine testing of front-line dormitory workers will be increased from every 14 days to seven days.
“In view of heightened transmission risks, this applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated workers,” it said.
MPA reminded all port operators, workers and users to strictly adhere to the SMMs being put in place.
“Our seaport is vital in safeguarding Singapore’s supplies and keeping global supply chains open. It is essential that the seaport continues to be able to service ships calling at Singapore,” it said.
MPA said it will also continue to work with port operators and shipping lines to review and strengthen SMMs to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
On May 1, the Health Ministry announced that two vaccinated lashing workers in the Pasir Panjang Terminal living in dormitories at Pasir Panjang Residence had tested positive for Covid-19 during rostered routine testing and the subsequent contact-tracing exercise.
Both were asymptomatic, said MPA.
Following the third and fourth cases involving a trailer truck driver and an operations assistant, MPA, the ministry and PSA started special testing operations to test close to 4,000 port workers for Covid-19.
They include truck drivers, prime mover drivers, foremen, quay crane and yard crane operators, engineers, cleaners, shuttle bus drivers, canteen operators and office-based staff.
As of 3pm yesterday, 2,750 have tested negative for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, under the Sea-Air Vaccination Exercise (SAVE), more than 32,800 maritime personnel, including seaport workers, had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Among them, some 25,500 have been fully vaccinated, including more than 18,700, or 97% of front-line workers exposed to higher risks.
“Another 6,000 maritime personnel will be vaccinated in the coming weeks,” said MPA. – Bernama, May 10, 2021
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