Pilots being rolled out on road to Phase 3

Singapore

PRE-EVENT testing is being piloted as part of efforts to move Singapore towards Phase 3, said the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on Tuesday.

It added that it is also prepared to consider limited pilots for higher-risk settings such as bars, pubs, karaoke lounges and nightclubs.

However, these venues will not be opened at the start of Phase 3, said Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the MTF.

"We know a dance club may not sound like a dance club any more with safe-management and safe-distancing measures ... so we'll have this conversation with the industry to consider what's the best way to proceed," he said. "We do not expect, even with the pilots, for the industry to be able to resume activities like the way they used to be. And this will be for quite some time," he added, noting that the government will be rolling out assistance packages to help business operators and owners exit this industry or to pivot to new areas.

Some of these more stringent measures could include testing customers before they enter a venue and potentially using CCTV monitors to ensure there is compliance with safe-management measures at all times, he said.

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Antigen rapid test kits (ARTs) will be deployed for the pre-event testing pilot. They can return fairly accurate results within half an hour. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, which are the most accurate tests available, take one to two days. According to the Ministry of Health, the ARTs will be 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.

For this pilot, which will take place from mid-October to December, the ARTs and confirmatory PCR tests will be offered free of charge.

Separately, all Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders travelling overseas will be able to access government subsidies and insurance coverage (Medishield Life/Integrated Plans or private insurance) for their medical bills, if they have onset of Covid-19 symptoms within 14 days of their return to Singapore.

This is in line with the progressive move to reopen our borders and as the country moves toward Phase Three - which could take place by the end of this year, said the MTF.

There are two prerequisites before Singapore can move into Phase 3: These are a higher take-up rate for TraceTogether and an expanded deployment of TraceTogether-only SafeEntry (TT-only SE), where visitors are required to check in to an event venue through either scanning the TraceTogether app on their phone or through the token.

TT-only SE has been trialled at selected venues where people are likely to be in close contact for prolonged periods, or where human traffic is high, since August. It will be rolled out in venues with activities that involve large groups of people, such as live performances, business events, places of worship, from now till mid-November.

By December, it will be implemented at all popular venues where SE is currently mandatory.

Mr Wong 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 such as museums and attractions, as well as events like congregational worship services and wedding receptions could also have their capacity limits increased, with multiple zones of 50 persons.

For wedding receptions - which are deemed to be higher-risk activities - where people are gathered for a meal without their masks on, and where there is a greater likelihood of social interactions for instance, additional safety measures will be put in place. This includes having all guests go through a pre-event test.

MTF co-chair and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong noted that the adjustments outlined will be implemented progressively, depending on the situation both domestically and globally.

Singapore reported six new Covid-19 cases as at noon on Tuesday, bringing the national total to 57,921; of the new cases, four were imported and two were from workers' dormitories.

READ MORE: Rapid Covid tests give hope to organisers of larger events