On 11 Apr, a resident of a migrant worker’s dormitory tested positive for the coronavirus.
This set off alarm bells, as dormitory residents were the largest source of COVID-19 infections last year, when Singapore’s new daily infections were at its peak.
Of course, it’s not the fault of these dormitory residents, but because we placed them in cramped living conditions with many communal spaces.
So, if one dormitory residents gets infected, the virus could easily make its way around the dormitory.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen this time.
Over 1.5K Workers in the Same Dorm as Sole Dorm Case on 11 Apr Were Tested Negative for COVID-19
All 156 close contacts of the dormitory resident have tested negative while in quarantine, according to Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Mr Ong said these workers will be tested again before the end of the quarantine.
More than 1,500 workers living in the infected worker’s dormitory in Brani Terminal Avenue have also been cleared of the virus, he added.
That’s a huge relief.
Tested Positive After Being Vaccinated
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (14 Apr), Mr Ong provided an update on the dormitory case and gave more details of the patient.
The dormitory resident who tested positive on 11 Apr is a 23-year-old Indian work permit holder.
He was the sole locally-transmitted case reported on 11 Apr.
The port worker is a lashing specialist employed by Seafront Support Company who arrived in Singapore more than a year ago.
His job is to go onboard ships to secure and unsecure containers before the port cranes move them.
“They don protective gear (masks, gloves and helmets) and are not allowed to interact with the ship crew”, Mr Ong said.Â
On 25 Jan this year, the man received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the second on 17 Feb.
The man was tested on 7 Apr as part of rostered routine testing. By then, he had been vaccinated for nearly two months, but his test result came back positive.Â
The Ministry of Health said it was his vaccination that  “likely accounts” for his lack of symptoms.
Mr Ong: Possible For Vaccinated Individuals to Get Infected
Mr Ong said the case is a reminder that it’s possible for vaccinated individuals to get infected with the coronavirus.
Still, vaccines are very effective in protecting us from the more severe forms of the disease, and can significantly reduce the likelihood of the infected person spreading the virus to others, he said.
“Hence, we continue to strongly encourage everyone to take the vaccine when it is your turn, to protect yourself and others.”
Featured Image: kandl stock/ Shutterstock.com
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