When the coronavirus first made an appearance in the reality show we call life, test kits were hard to come by.
After all, scientists had to develop a diagnostic test for a completely new type of disease.
Now, we have enough tests to perform tens of thousands of them a day.
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What’s more, we also have DIY test kits which people can administer at home.
And thanks to the emergence of a few clusters, some residents will now receive these test kits for free.
Some Residents in Bukit Merah & Redhill Area Will Receive Free ART Self-Test Kits
From today (26 June), residents of specific blocks in the Bukit Merah and Redhill area can collect antigen rapid test (ART) self-test kits.
Eligible residents can collect the ART kits from their nearest Residents’ Committee (RC) centre from 26 June onwards.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it’s investigating multiple cases of COVID-19 infection among individuals who reside and work in or visited the area.
This comes after a cluster at Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre was detected. With 87 cases, it’s now our largest active cluster.
Since then, four more clusters have popped up in the area.
This is why the ministry has been conducting special testing operations in the area, as well as wastewater testing, to disrupt any wider, undetected community transmission.
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The distribution of ART self-test kits will be an “added layer of ring-fencing to help identify cases and prevent further transmission”, it said.
Each Household Member Entitled to 2 Test Kits
According to ST, each household member is entitled to a pack of two ART self-test kits each, including children and domestic workers.
Residents in the area can input their postal code here to check on their eligibility and the nearest RC centre for collection.
Those who are eligible are strongly encouraged to collect the kit and use it for self-testing.
Eligible residents should bring their original IC with barcode to their nearest RC to collect their test kits.
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If you test positive or get an invalid result twice, take a photo of your test result next to your IC or passport before disposing of the test kit.
Then call the nearest Swab and Send Home clinic to book an appointment for a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Mandatory Testing For Eng Watt Street Residents
Mandatory testing will also be conducted for residents of Block 66 Eng Watt Street in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood, MOH said yesterday.
The move was prompted by the discovery of 13 new cases in three households in Block 66 recently.
All residents of the affected block will have to be swab-tested at the pavilion at Block 2D Boon Tiong Road today (26 June) or tomorrow between 9am and 4pm.
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Testing is optional for those who have tested negative for COVID-19 infection from 22 June onwards.
MOH will also conduct voluntary testing for visitors and those who have interacted with residents of 66 Eng Watt Street between 8 June and 22 June.
Voluntary testing will be conducted by appointment only at designated regional screening centres today and tomorrow between 9am and 4pm.
You can book an appointment here or call 1800-333-9999.
Featured Image: Google Maps
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