3 New Inmates & a Nurse in Changi Prison Have Been Tested Positive for COVID-19 But It’s Not a Cluster

Foreign worker dormitories are a hotbed for Covid-19 because many people are squeezed into a few locations.

Thankfully, it has gradually been kept under control.

But what if there was a Covid-19 outbreak in Changi prison?

Thankfully, that seems like it hasn’t happened yet and it’s not because of luck.

3 New Inmates & a Nurse in Changi Prison Have Been Tested Positive for COVID-19 But It’s Not a Cluster

On 30 May, it was reported that 3 new inmates and a nurse in Changi Prison had tested positive for Covid-19.

The three inmates are new and were still undergoing cohort segregation when they were found to have Covid-19 via a swab test.

They were immediately separated from the others and placed into a separate facility.

Two of the inmates have recovered and were transferred back to the general prison populace.

The third inmate, while he has tested negative for Covid-19, remain separated as “an extra precaution”.

The staff nurse, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) adds, has also recovered and returned to her duties.

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Covid-19 Measures In Place

According to the SPS, there is a range of Covid-19 measures in place to protect the inmates and staff from the coronavirus.

All newly admitted inmates to Changi Prison has to be separated from the general prison populace for 14 days.

Newly admitted inmates also have to undergo the swab test twice: once during admission and once more at the end of their segregation.

This, they say, will help to ensure that the coronavirus isn’t brought into the prison and cases can be detected early.

All family visits and face-to-face programmes have also been suspended.

Inmates will communicate with their family members via phone calls or letters.

Even after the Circuit Breaker measures are lifted on 1 June, Changi Prison will retain the precautionary measures, and they’ll take a “cautious and calibrated” approach to easing some of the restrictions.

Selected core rehabilitation programmes like academic classes might gradually resume with safe distancing measures in place.

The Importance of Safe Management

Changi Prison has shown the importance of precautionary measures when it comes to Covid-19.

While most businesses won’t be able to order swab tests for their employees, they can do their part by following all the other precautionary measures that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has listed out for Phase One.

This includes not letting employees socialise with one another, suspend all team activities and birthday celebrations and ensuring that everyone wears a mask at all times.

Employers should also strive to stagger working hours so that employees can avoid the peak hour among other measures.

You can find out more here.

Remember, all it takes is one errant company for the entire country to move back into Circuit Breaker again. Just look at South Korea and you’ll see what I mean.

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