Covid-19: Another Changi Airport employee among 3 new cases to test preliminarily positive for Omicron variant

SINGAPORE — Three more people have tested preliminarily positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant.

One is an airport frontline worker and the other two are imported, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Dec 10).

All three cases are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, and recovering in isolation wards at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

The three cases are:

Case 276839: A 38-year-old man who works as a passenger service staff at the departure gates at Changi Airport Terminal 3. He did not interact with the three earlier cases of Omicron infections. There are no known linkages with the earlier reported case who is also a Changi Airport passenger service staff.

Case 276839 was tested for Covid-19 on Dec 9 as part of weekly rostered routine testing (RRT) for border frontline workers, and his polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result came back preliminarily positive for the Omicron variant. He was asymptomatic and upon being notified of his positive test result, he had self-isolated at home.

Case 276794: A 30-year-old woman who returned to Singapore via a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) from the United Kingdom (UK) on Dec 8. Her predeparture test in the UK on Dec 7 was negative for Covid-19 infection. Her onarrival PCR test on Dec 9 was positive for Covid-19 infection, and she was suspected of being infected by the Omicron variant on Dec 10. Prior to her conveyance to NCID, she had selfisolated at her own residence.

Case 276796: A 26-year-old man who travelled to Singapore via VTL from the UK on Dec 8. He had not interacted with Case 276794 during the flight. His pre-departure test in the UK on Dec 6 was negative for Covid-19 infection. His on-arrival PCR test on Dec 9 was positive for Covid-19 infection and was suspected to have been infected by the Omicron variant on Dec 10. Prior to his conveyance to NCID, he had self-isolated at a self-sourced accommodation.

MOH said the National Public Health Laboratory is conducting whole genome sequencing for all three cases to confirm the variant and contact tracing is ongoing.

All close contacts of the cases will be placed on 10-day quarantine at designated facilities and undergo PCR tests at the start and end of their quarantine.

All frontline airport workers are currently undergoing weekly routine testing. Since Dec 2, those working in higher risk settings had been placed on weekly PCR testing, MOH said.

All airport workers on routine testing will now be required to do daily antigen rapid tests for the next seven days.

"Given its high transmissibility and spread to many parts of the world, we should expect to find more Omicron cases at our borders and also within our community," MOH said.

"It is important for everyone to continue to play their part and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, and to come forward to receive your vaccination or booster dose when offered."