Late on Thursday night (20 May), the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that there were a “few” positive cases at Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8.
We now know that nine confirmed COVID-19 cases were detected there, prompting MOH to carry out a mass testing operation for all residents there.
This is the first time since June last year that testing of residents at an HDB block was carried out.
Fortunately, the results aren’t as bad as we anticipated.
2 New COVID-19 Cases Detected at Hougang HDB Block After Mass Testing on May 21 & 22
The residents of Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8 can now rest easy after just two more people tested positive for COVID-19 in MOH’s testing operation.
In total, 405 residents were swabbed for COVID-19, and two were found to be carrying the disease. The remaining 403 tests all returned negative.
With the two infections, the total number of confirmed cases at the block has risen to 11.
The two new infections are:
- A 60 year-old female Singaporean homemaker
- A 74 year-old female Singaporean homemaker
The 60-year-old was asymptomatic and had been fully vaccinated before her infection was detected; she received her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on 29 March and the second dose on 19 April.
The 74-year-old developed body aches, vomiting, and chills on 19 May, and sought medical treatment at a GP clinic on the same day.
She wasn’t tested for COVID-19, however, as she did not report any acute respiratory infection symptoms.
Her condition deteriorated on 22 May, and she was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) where she was tested for COVID-19.
Her test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection on the same day. Her serology test result is pending.
She, too, completed her vaccination regimen, having received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on 20 April and the second dose on 11 May.
Another Testing Operation at Block 559, Pasir Ris Street 51
The authorities also began testing residents at Block 559, Pasir Ris Street 51 yesterday (23 May).
The authorities said this is a “precautionary measure” after four COVID-19 cases were found to be living at the HDB block.
188 people have been tested, with 155 individuals testing negative and 33 more test results pending. No one has tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
When asked if there’s a specific threshold to trigger mass testing of a HDB block, MOH said it carries out precautionary testing when “epidemiology investigations have assessed that there is a possibility of on-going transmission”.
There’s not one single trigger, as the ministry explained.
“Risk assessment is based on a number of factors, such as the total number of cases within the block, the potential risk of transmission by these individuals, and likely modes of transmission,” it said.
So, if your block is being tested, don’t panic. It’s better for the authorities to fish out undetected infections before they spread to other residents.
Feature Image: Google Maps
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