SINGAPORE – The Jurong Fishery Port remained quiet on Saturday (July 31), despite reopening for tenants after a two-week closure due to a Covid-19 outbreak on its premises.
The Straits Times observed that only nine workers – employees of the port’s tenants – turned up at the port’s entrance between 6am and 10am.
Most came in their own vehicles, which they parked outside the entrance, while others arrived in taxis.
Those who spoke to ST said they had returned to open their companies’ offices for disinfection, as instructed by their bosses. Friday was the last day of their quarantine.
They also said they had not yet been instructed to prepare for Monday, when unloading and wholesale activities are allowed to resume in the port.
But the workers were not allowed entry until about 9.40am. By then, five of them had left after asking another worker to open their offices on their behalf.
The remaining workers had to don protective clothing and were subsequently escorted by a Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officer into the port.
Three other visitors, believed to be staff tasked with disinfecting the premises, were seen entering the port between 9.15am and 9.25am.
ST understands that there are no other arrangements made for the tenants to return on Saturday.
The Jurong Fishery Port closed on July 17, after multiple Covid-19 infections were detected there – as well as at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre – the previous day.
The cases involved fishmongers and stall assistants, who unwittingly transmitted the virus to more people in the markets and communities where they ply their trade.
As at Friday, the cluster had a total of 999 cases.
In a statement on Wednesday, SFA said it would be enhancing Covid-19 measures at the port.
These included testing all authorised entry pass holders – consisting mainly of tenants, workers and traders – before they enter the port. Thereafter, they would be placed under a seven-day rostered routine testing regime.
Those who are not tested or do not have a negative test result would not be allowed to enter the fishery ports.
These measures come on top of requirements such as temperature checks and TraceTogether SafeEntry check-in that have been in place for entry pass holders since March last year.
SFA also said in the statement it had conducted two rounds of deep cleaning of the entire site, including disinfecting the tenants’ offices.
It added that it would continue to clean common areas and crates after the port reopens.
The agency would also be working with trade associations to refine the enhanced measures and adapt them if necessary to the unique working conditions of Singapore’s two fishery ports, it said.
