MTF outlines roadmap to Phase Three of Singapore's re-opening

THE Ministry of Health (MOH) is piloting the use of pre-event testing as a measure against the spread of Covid-19, as part of the safe re-opening of the economy.

It also announced that Phase Three could take place by the end of this year.

The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) identified two prerequisites before the country can move into Phase Three: These are a higher take-up rate for TraceTogether and an expanded deployment of TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, where visitors are required to check in to an event venue through either scanning the TraceTogether app on their phone or through the token.

Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the MTF, said: "Today, I think about 2.5 million people are on board the programme. That's about 45 per cent of the population. We would like that to be higher, 70 per cent or more, so that TraceTogether can be more effective."

In Phase 3, the group size for gatherings outside the home, and the number of visitors allowed into homes could be increased from five to eight persons. Public venues like museums and attractions, as well as events like congregational worship services and wedding receptions could also have their capacity limits increased.

To get there, the pre-event testing pilot will use antigen rapid tests (ARTs), which can return fairly accurate results within half an hour. While Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests are the most accurate tests available, the process from the point of swab to the release of results takes one to two days, MOH noted.

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The ARTs used minimally meet the World Health Organisation's recommendation of at least 80 per cent for sensitivity and 97 per cent for specificity. This means that they are able to pick up at least 80 per cent of individuals who are infected with Covid-19, and will produce 3 per cent false positives in healthy individuals.

All positive ART results will require a confirmatory PCR test to determine whether the person is genuinely a positive case.

These tests do not, however, negate the need for safe-management measures such as mask-wearing, safe distancing, group size and capacity limits.

Participants going to an event or activity will be tested either at the event venue or at a separate testing facility. Only those who test negative for ART or PCR will be allowed to attend the event.

Testing can be carried out either on site or at a separate testing facility if the venue has limited space. Participants who have to go to a separate testing facility beforehand and who test negative will be given a certificate showing that they had tested negative within 24 hours of the event.

As part of this pilot, the ARTs and confirmatory PCR tests will be offered free of charge to the participants.

The government will identify events across different settings such as business-to-business events, wedding receptions, live performances, and sports events to test the various operational workflows. These pre-event testing pilots will take place from mid-October to December 2020.