14 Public Transport Staff Members Have Been Infected with COVID-19 But None Has Infected Commuters


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Previously, it was announced that social distancing is impossible to practise on Singapore’s public transport:

While saying that, they tore off the safe distancing stickers like a boss.

Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan also said that the risk of Covid-19 transmission on public transport is “low”.

As long as people don’t talk on the phones or to each other on the trains and buses, it shouldn’t spread.

Minister Lawrence Wong also took to the stage to explain why the risk of community spread on public transport is low.

His reasons are that commuters wouldn’t interact with each other and the time of commute is short, at least when compared to meeting with friends.

So there you are, going, hmmm, makes sense when this happened:

14 Public Transport Staff Members Have Been Infected with COViD-19…

Image: giphy

Now, before you get all paranoid, wondering if the bus 106 you took previously was dangerous, let me finish:

But None Has Infected Commuters

Here’s what you need to know.

On 18 June, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that 14 public bus or train staff members were infected with Covid019.

However, they added, there was no evidence suggesting that Covid-19 transmission took place on a commute on public transport.

Their investigations into the 14 Covid-19 community cases (who are public transport staff) and the passengers they may have been in contact with, did not reveal any links.

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Covid-19 Transmission Highest In Other Settings

A spokesperson for MOH said that the risk of transmission from “transient” (read: fleeting) contact is low.

The highest risks come from settings like the office, at home and when gathering with friends because that is where people spent hours interacting with each other.

Or, in some couples’ cases, literally exchanging spit.


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Nonetheless, the authorities are urging members of the public to reduce the risk even more by keeping their masks on at all times and refraining from talking during the journey.

Also, because people can be infected by surface contact, commuters are also urged to keep their hands squeaky clean by frequently washing them with soap and water.

Public Transport Operators Will Do Their Part

Like BuffLord95 always likes to say when the boss accuses him of slacking off:

It takes two hands to clap.

This relationship wouldn’t work if only commuters are putting in the effort.

Public transport operators will do their part and continue with their enhanced cleaning regimes.


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The Land Transport Authority (LTA) revealed that every two hours, MRT stations and bus interchanges are cleaned at least once.

High human contact points like lift buttons, handles and metal poles are also sanitised frequently.

No Evidence Doesn’t Mean No Transmission

Dr Leong Hoe Nam, the infectious doctor who has appeared in many Covid-19 advisories, said that while there isn’t any evidence, it doesn’t mean there’s no transmission.

“It is very hard to track a person on the train or bus.”

After all, Singapore’s SafeEntry system can’t be tagged to a specific train and “there are not enough downloads of TraceTogether”.

So it’s now up to commuters themselves to reduce the risk.

Some ways they can go about doing this include:


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  • Take public transport during less busy hours
  • Wear your masks properly
  • Don’t anyhowly touch your face
  • Don’t talk
  • If there are empty seats, practise safe distancing

There’s only so much operators can do, he said.

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