MOH Had Accidentally Informed 357 Patients Via SMS That They Are COVID-19 Positive When They’re Not

Imagine this: you previously tested positive for Covid-19 and you finally managed to recover from the coronavirus.

And suddenly, you receive a message telling you that you’ve tested positive for Covid-19.

Again?!

As your tears stream down, you received a second message: Sorry, we didn’t mean to send you that message. 

You’re not infected.

Uh…that’s a good thing, right?

This Really Happened in S’pore, No Kidding

On 16 May 2020, 357 patients in Singapore received a message from the Ministry of Health (MOH) telling them that they’re tested positive for Covid-19.

But here’s the thing, they’re not.

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It was an “IT glitch” that resulted in the messages being sent “erroneously”, MOH said.

“The messages had been sent due to an IT system testing glitch as we sought to improve the efficiency of our system.”

The ministry had immediately followed up with a message once the error was detected telling the recipients that the previous message was sent in error and apologise for any distress or inconvenience caused.

The follow-up message was sent out by 10pm, MOH says.

MOH also said that they’ve “reviewed their processes” to ensure that “a similar error will not recur”.

Patients Who Received Messages Were “Previous Positives”

According to the MOH, the 357 patients were “patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19”.

Two former Covid-19 patients said they’ve tested negative for the test and were discharged.

Another said he was at the D’Resort community facility when he received the message.

He tested negative the next day and was discharged.

Why We Shouldn’t Be Happy With Yesterday’s Number

Speaking of testing, the number of new Covid-19 cases reported yesterday was 305, a new low for Singapore.

But before you get too happy, take note that it’s not truly representative of what’s going on in Singapore.

It’s just because there are fewer tests done as one testing laboratory is reviewing its processes following an earlier apparatus calibration issue, and will need time to ramp up its testing capacity.

Meanwhile, let’s all try to keep up the good work (read: don’t be like these people at Robertson Quay) and be prepared for restrictions to remain even after CB is lifted.

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