Task Force Explains Why It Takes So Long to Clear Dorm COVID-19 Infections & Why Dorms With ‘Fewer Cases’ Were Tested First

When the number of dormitory cases started to rise like my weight during COVID-19, I bet you’ve a lot of questions.

Why not just test everyone in dormitories at one go? Why is it still “spreading” even after four months of isolation? Why is it taking so long to keep it under control?

And recently, we’ve a new question after it was announced that we might be seeing more cases soon as the authorities are going to test groups of people with a higher prevalence of infection: shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Well, the answers aren’t as straightforward as they seem.

Task Force Explains It Took So Long to ‘Clear’ Dorm Cluster & Why Dorms With Fewer Cases Were Tested First

Firstly: why it took so long.

We’re talking about over 300k migrant workers, so it’s a massive undertaking. However, it’s not just about testing and then saying, “You’re cleared, go back to work!”

Instead, it’s a strategy with lots of planning and efforts, and it involves not just testing but isolation.

And because not all migrant workers stay in one large dormitory, they’d have to isolate workers block by block.

This is also why they’ve often said it’s a “clearance” because it’s a combination of “isolation, serology tests, PCR tests and mix of them.”

For example, even if a worker has been tested negative, he’d still need to be observed for the next 14 days, and be tested again.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said, “And if it turns out positive, then you have to go backwards, trace back again to see when was he infected, whether there were other close contacts that you need to ring-fence, you need to quarantine. So, it is quite a protracted process.”

Okay, now that you know it’s not just a matter of testing, then why didn’t they test dorms with a higher prevalence of the virus in the first place? Shouldn’t they be tested first?

That is also a strategy.

According to Health Ministry’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak, it should be noted that whoever has acute respiratory infections or was at higher risk of being infected would have already being pulled out of their dorms.

It’s “easier” to clear dorms with a lower prevalence of the virus first, and lest you’ve skipped the previous part of this article, remember: clearing isn’t just testing, but a process. Their strategy is to clear them first and leave dorms with a higher prevalence of the virus last as “they take a little bit longer to clear.”

Just imagine you reaching the office and being thrown with 100 tasks on your desk. Time management gurus would understandably suggest that you do the most important task first, but what if all tasks are equally important?

You do those that can be done faster (i.e. easier) and can be cleared from your desk first, so you’d have more space on your desk to tackle those that take longer even when they’re all equally important.

(And just for your info, this example is quoted by us and not the task force.)

But the goal is to ensure that the cases are isolated and there won’t be any leak of the cases into the community.

Mr Gan added, “So, I think it is important for us to understand that actually it is a systematic way and quite an extensive process that we need to go through to ensure that all 300,000 workers are cleared of this infection and are able to return to work.”

In the meantime, you can help stop the transmission of the virus by downloading the TraceTogether app. If you’re still worried about privacy, you might want to watch this video: