Fully vaccinated nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital tests positive for Covid-19; doctor and 3 patients ‘preliminarily positive’

SINGAPORE — A nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) who has been fully vaccinated was one of the three community Covid-19 cases reported in Singapore on Wednesday (April 28).

Following the detection of her case, the hospital locked down the affected ward and preliminary tests found four more persons there being infected.

The four comprise a doctor and three patients who were cared for in the same ward, said the Ministry of Health on Wednesday.

MOH said that the nurse, a 46-year-old Filipino who works at Ward 9D, had developed a cough, sore throat and body aches on April 27 and sought medical treatment at the hospital.

Her test result came back positive for Covid-19 infection on the same day, and she was warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

“Her serology test result is pending,” said MOH.

The woman had received her first dose of vaccine on Jan 26 and a second dose on Feb 18.

“The Covid-19 vaccine is effective in preventing symptomatic disease for the vast majority of those vaccinated, but it is possible for vaccinated individuals to get infected,” said MOH.

Following the detection of the woman’s case, MOH said that TTSH locked down the affected ward and tested the patients and staff who had been in the ward.

“As a precautionary measure, all staff who treated the infected patients, as well as all visitors, patients and staff working in Ward 9D will be placed on quarantine,” said MOH.

“Epidemiological investigations and contact tracing are ongoing. As we are conducting further testing for these four cases, they have not been included in today’s case count.”

In a post on its Facebook page late on Wednesday, TTSH said that close staff contacts have been swabbed and placed on leave of absence “pending further investigations”.

The hospital added that the affected ward has since been locked down and that they are swabbing and isolating all the patients there.

As a further precaution, TTSH said that they are tightening their ward visiting policy and will only be allowing two pre-registered visitors throughout a patient’s stay “until further notice”.

“We will monitor the situation and review our policy accordingly. We will also be swabbing all staff in the main hospital’s ward block.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience these measures will cause but they are necessary to contain the situation and protect our patients and staff,” TTSH said.