Chong Boon market to close for 2 weeks after confirmed Covid-19 cases; fishmongers from 11 other markets test positive

SINGAPORE — Chong Boon Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio will close for two weeks after two people infected with the coronavirus who work there or had visited the place were found. Separately, fishmongers from 11 markets and food centres across the island have also tested positive for the virus.

In a statement on Saturday (July 17), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that these cases were likely infected through contact with stallholders at the Jurong Fishery Port. 

It is now investigating the two cases who work in or visited Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, with three more cases pending confirmation. The market and food centre will be closed from Sunday to Aug 1 for deep cleaning and to “break the chain of transmission”.

The other 11 food centres where the infected fishmongers were detected are: 

• Amoy Street Food Centre

• Chong Pang Market and Food Centre

• Whampoa Wet Market

• Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11

• Taman Jurong Market

• Redhill Market

• Geylang Serai Malay Market

• Geylang Bahru Market

• 527 Ang Mo Kio Market

• 726 West Coast Wet Market 

• Bukit Timah Wet Market

MOH earlier announced on Friday a cluster at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre in Chinatown that was linked to the fishery port. 

Most of the fishmongers tested positive using antigen rapid test kits and are being confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, MOH said. 

“Our epidemiological investigations found that they are likely to have been infected through contact with stallholders at Jurong Fishery Port.” 

The testing is still ongoing. 

“As there is risk of transmission to other markets and food centres, we are conducting aggressive contact tracing, quarantine and testing to ringfence the cases and prevent further spread,” MOH added. 

Fishmongers from all markets will receive an SMS on Sunday with a health-risk warning and will be required by law to get tested at designated testing centres and self-isolate until they receive a negative result from their first PCR test.

They will also be issued with self-test kits and are required to self-administer the test on the seventh day from the last exposure. 

Then, they will also be required to undergo another PCR test at designated testing centres around the 14th day from their date of last known exposure.

The ministry advised all visitors to the affected markets and food centres to avoid crowds and to do their marketing during off-peak hours, or at supermarkets, and to strictly observe safe management measures.