34 Bus Captains from TPY & Punggol Bus Interchanges Tested Positive for COVID-19

The coronavirus sure likes to get around.

First, it was eateries, then KTV lounges, then a fishery port, and now, bus interchanges. 

Or more specifically, staff members from bus interchanges.

We thought things were bad when the first two bus interchange staff clusters were reported at Bishan and Sengkang, but things have only escalated since then.

34 Bus Captains from TPY & Punggol Bus Interchanges Tested Positive for COVID-19

Not one, not two, but 34 bus captains have tested positive for the coronavirus recently. What’s more, all but one have been fully vaccinated.

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), all these captains are part of the clusters linked to staff members at the Toa Payoh and Punggol bus interchanges.

25 work at the Toa Payoh interchange, while 9 work at the Punggol bus interchange.

Fortunately, most are either asymptomatic or experience mild symptoms.

The two clusters prove how important surveillance testing can be during a pandemic, as most of the cases were detected through proactive antigen rapid tests.

The surveillance tests were carried out by the two transport operators at the bus interchanges – Go Ahead Singapore at Punggol and SBS Transit at Toa Payoh.

As with any cluster, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will carry out surveillance testing for other bus conductors and staff members who were at the affected interchanges.

To prevent the virus from potentially spreading further, both operators will step up their cleaning and disinfection regimes.

Staff members will now also have to take smoke breaks and eat alone, as more precautions will be taken for mask-off activities.

Gathering in groups is also not permitted.

Four COVID-19 Clusters Linked to Staff at Bus Interchanges

In total, there are now four active COVID-19 clusters linked to staff members at bus interchanges.

They are:

• Clementi bus interchange staff – Seven cases
• Toa Payoh bus interchange staff – 29 cases
• Punggol bus interchange staff – 17 cases
• Bishan bus interchange staff – 24 cases

The cluster linked to the staff at the Clementi bus interchange is new and was reported by MOH yesterday.

The three other clusters, previously reported, all grew by 3 to 5 cases each yesterday.

99% of Bus Drivers Partially Vaccinated

Earlier this month, the LTA said that 99% of bus drivers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

This number was also high for SBS bus captains, 98% of whom are at least partially vaccinated now.

It’s unclear how many have been fully vaccinated.

In total, 79% of our population have completed their full vaccination regimen, and 83% have received at least one dose.

Understand the importance of vaccination by watching this video:

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Featured Image: Kaie Lee/shutterstock.com