Following a successful pilot run in Marine Parade, HPB, together with NEA, SFA and ESG, are extending the one-off test to persons working at hawker centres and markets, and coffeeshops in other parts of Singapore, as well as food delivery personnel operating in the locality of these eating places. Overall, more than 45,000 stallholders, their assistants, cleaners and food delivery personnel are expected to benefit from this testing exercise.

JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN NEA, SFA AND ESG

Singapore, 15 October 2020 – As announced by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on 29 August 2020, COVID-19 testing regime will be expanded to identified community groups, such as stallholders at hawker centres, markets and coffeeshops, as well as food delivery personnel. Following the successful pilot run at Marine Parade, the Health Promotion Board (HPB), together with the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG), are extending the one-off test to more stallholders, stall assistants and cleaners working at 110 hawker centres and markets and more than 1,120 coffeeshops, as well as food delivery personnel operating in the locality of these eating places, due to their higher frequency of interactions with members of public. This will provide a better picture of population prevalence and facilitate the early containment of cryptic cases in the community, especially as we continue to reopen our economy and allow more activities to resume. Overall, more than 45,000 stallholders, their assistants, cleaners and food delivery personnel are expected to benefit from this testing exercise.

2          From 19 to 20 September 2020, a pilot run of the voluntary COVID-19 swab tests was conducted for stallholders, stall assistants and cleaners working at three selected hawker centres and markets and seven coffeeshops in the Marine Parade area, as well as food delivery personnel operating in the locality. Over 750 stallholders, stall assistants, cleaners and food delivery personnel took the test. There was no positive COVID-19 case detected.

3          Riding on the success of the pilot run, the wider rollout to more areas will commence from 15 October 2020, and will involve more than 2,200 stallholders, stall assistants and cleaners working at 11 hawker centres and markets, and 82 coffeeshops in Ang Mo Kio GRC, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang SMCs, as well as food delivery personnel operating in the locality. The tests will be conducted from 15 to 16 October 2020 at screening centres set up near the hawker centres and markets (please refer to ANNEX for a list of these screening centres).

4          Officers from NEA and SFA, Grassroots Leaders as well as Hawkers’ and Merchants’ Associations have started to reach out to target groups working in the coffeeshops, markets and hawker centres in Ang Mo Kio GRC, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang SMCs since 10 October. ESG has also engaged food delivery companies to share information on the testing exercise with their food delivery personnel.

5          Beyond Ang Mo Kio town, NEA is in discussions with Town Councils, as well as the Hawkers’ and Merchants’ Associations of hawker centres and markets in other parts of Singapore to identify suitable sites, dates and timings for testing operations to be carried out. The plan is to cover the remaining hawker centres and markets, as well as the more than 1,120 coffeeshops, before the end of the year. 

6          Feedback from the community groups who took the test in Marine Parade will be taken into consideration for the extension of testing operations to more areas. This include scheduling the tests on weekdays rather than weekends, where the stallholders, stall assistants, cleaners and food delivery personnel would generally be busier. Observations from the pilot run at Marine Parade also showed that accessibility of screening centres and convenience are two key success factors. Hence, the screening centres will be set up close to each hawker centre and market wherever possible to make it convenient for the stallholders, stall assistant and cleaners to get tested. The screening centres, once they are set up, will also serve coffeeshops located in close proximity to the screening centres, as well as food delivery personnel operating in the locality. There will be also be a series of crowd control, safe distancing and hygiene measures [1] implemented at the screening centres to protect everyone in the community.

7          The testing operations will be progressively rolled out to different regions of Singapore, and information on the test schedules and locations of the screening centres will be provided when ready. Stallholders, stall assistants, cleaners and food delivery personnel will be notified in advance by NEA, SFA and ESG, and the respective Hawkers’ and Merchants’ Associations, as well as food delivery companies on when and where they can be tested. While participation in the test is voluntary, members of the identified community groups are strongly encouraged to come forward for testing, so as to better protect themselves and their loved ones.

[1] These include traffic marshals to control the movement of people and vehicles, ushers to guide movement of people to minimise contact and ensure 1-metre safe distancing at all times, wipe down of swab stations after every test, daily cleaning of screening centre and the like.

For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application. Alternatively, you contact us at 6225 5632.

ANNEX

List of screening centres in Ang Mo Kio GRC, Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang SMCs
(15-16 October 2020)