100 Keppel Shipyard personnel on leave of absence, parts of Tuas yard shut as new Covid-19 cluster emerges

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SINGAPORE — Around 100 Keppel Shipyard workers have been placed on a 14-day leave of absence from April 1, after they had been linked to patients who had been confirmed with Covid-19, the shipyard said in a statement on Thursday (April 2).

The affected workers include direct employees and resident contractors, it added.

Parts of Keppel Shipyard’s Tuas yard have also been shut down as a further precautionary measure, the company added.

The measures come as the Ministry of Health (MOH) linked three cases on Thursday — Cases 878, 898 and 907 — to the shipyard, making it a new cluster. There are now 1,049 reported cases in Singapore.

Keppel Shipyard, a subsidiary of the Keppel conglomerate, confirmed that two of its employees have tested positive for Covid-19 on March 30, and there are another two others who are its customers’ staff members working at the shipyard. 

TODAY understands that the fourth case mentioned by Keppel Shipyard is not related to the cluster of three.

Located in the west of Singapore, Keppel’s Tuas yard measures a sprawling 44.3 hectare and is one of the three shipyards here owned by the group. It carries out repairs, conversions, and upgrading work on vessels for international customers.

The shipyard added that its infected staff members have been hospitalised and it is extending support to them and their families.

“Keppel Shipyard has been in contact with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower on these cases, and is assisting with contact tracing… We have also thoroughly deep cleaned and disinfected the premises that the patients came into contact with, in accordance with National Environment Agency’s guidelines.

The shipyard added that it has put in place measures such as temperature screening, thermometer distribution, safe-distancing measures, staggered work shifts, as well as split teams working from home or alternative site arrangements.