3 preschool staff test positive for Covid-19 out of about 10,400 tests so far

SINGAPORE — Three preschool staff have tested positive for Covid-19 while about 10,400 staff have tested negative so far, said the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) on Thursday (May 21). It said last week that all 30,000 staff members would be required to take a one-time swab test.

“During this proactive testing of all staff, we would expect some positive cases to be identified,” said an ECDA spokesperson.

The three preschool staff to test positive are among seven new cases picked up from the “active surveillance and screening of nursing home residents and preschool staff”, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday. In total, MOH reported 448 new infections.

Neither ECDA nor MOH disclosed the identity of the affected preschools. But in an update on the day's cases later in the night, MOH revealed that one of the staff had gone to work at My First Skool @ 303 Canberra, while another had worked at PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Gambas, after an onset of symptoms.

The third preschool staff member did not go to work after getting the symptoms. The preschool was not named.

A “small group” of children and staff who were present at the preschools with the confirmed cases have been put on a 14-day leave of absence as a precaution, ECDA said.

“Contact tracing by MOH is ongoing. Close contacts will then be placed on quarantine order by MOH,” it added.

ECDA said that the preschools will be closed for two days for “thorough cleaning and disinfection of the preschool premises”. After this period, it may resume services for children and staff who are not on a leave of absence.

It was announced on Tuesday that preschools will resume in stages. Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children will return to school from June 2, while Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 children will be back on June 8.

From June 10, the youngest group of children in infant care and playgroups will return.

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee had said on Tuesday that the swabbing exercise for preschool staff is scheduled to be completed by the end of May, before the scheduled opening of preschools. 

ECDA added that the testing of the remaining approximately 20,000 preschool staff is ongoing. 

“ECDA is monitoring the situation closely, and will work with the management, staff, parents and children at the preschools to ensure the safety and well-being of all.”