Singapore is taking additional precautionary measures at the seaport as four workers at the facilities found infected with Covid-19 over the past 10 days. – AFP file photo
SINGAPORE (May 10): Singapore is taking additional precautionary measures at the seaport as four workers at the facilities found infected with 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 Ministry of Health (MOH) 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 Sunday.
MPA said these additional measures include the frequency of rostered routine testing of frontline dormitory workers will be increased from every 14 days to seven days to detect Covid-19 cases earlier.
“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, MOH announced that two vaccinated lashing workers in Pasir Panjang Terminal who stayed in the 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, MOH 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 Sunday, 2,750 of them have been 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 vaccine.
Amongst them, some 25,500 have been fully vaccinated, including more than 18,700, or 97 per cent of frontline workers who are exposed to higher risks.
“Another 6,000 maritime personnel will be vaccinated in the coming weeks,” said MPA. – Bernama
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