Manpower Minister Told Employees to Report to MOM If Employers Insist on an MC for COVID-19 Infections

If you find yourself stuck in a situation where your boss doesn’t want to let you off even though you’ve got COVID-19, you won’t need to fret for much longer.

Yesterday (1 March), Manpower Minister Tan Se Leng announced that should employers force their employees who have COVID-19 with mild symptoms to hand over their medical certificates, employees should notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

This is due to the fact that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to visit the doctor or other medical facilities if their symptoms are mild.

Previously, authorities have explained that this measure was introduced to reduce the workload placed on healthcare workers, and it was also highlighted that companies are not supposed to ask their employees for medical certificates in this case.

“This will ensure that our healthcare capacity is not overloaded and is reserved to help those who truly need medical care,” added Dr Tan.

This is especially so due to the recent wave of cases, which has resulted in hospitals, polyclinics and general practitioners (GPs) being “very busy, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

MOH has also said that the number of cases may only subside in a couple of weeks’ time.

To put things into perspective, as of 12pm yesterday, there were 1,649 individuals hospitalised due to COVID-19; the number of people hospitalised has doubled as compared to a month ago.

Some Employers Still Asking For MCs

And although this may seem like simple enough instructions for everyone to follow, it’s apparently not the case.

“We have received feedback that some employers are still not complying with the advisory,” Dr Tan mentioned, emphasising that this issue has been brought up before.

He concluded by stating, “If any employer continues to insist on medical certificates, employees should report the matter to MOM for further action to be taken.”

But What if I Need My COVID-19 Infection to Be Recorded?

However, if your symptoms are mild but you need your COVID-19 infection to be recorded, you don’t have to flock to the doctor’s office just yet.

In fact, you don’t even need to visit your nearby general practitioner (GP) at all.

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As of now, you can book an appointment at a combined test centre or quick test centre to conduct a supervised, self-administered antigen rapid test (ART).

The ARTs will be free until 15 March, so go book your slot quickly if you need one!

Within 30 minutes after conducting your ART, MOH will send you your test results via SMS and update your HealthHub records.

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