SINGAPORE — Stalls selling fresh fish and seafood at markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) were ordered to shut on Sunday (July 18) morning in a move the agency said was to stem further transmission of Covid-19 from clusters involving fishmongers.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday that Covid-19 clusters have been uncovered involving fishmongers who visited the Jurong Fishery Port to collect their stock and sell at the markets.

NEA said on Sunday that as a precautionary measure, fresh fish and seafood stallholders at markets managed by the agency or NEA-appointed operators were disallowed from operating on Sunday morning.

"These stallholders have or will be receiving an SMS health risk warning from MOH," NEA said.

"The health risk warning means that the person is required by law to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at designated testing centres. Until tested negative, the person is required to self-isolate and not leave home."

Affected fish and seafood stallholders can also walk in to specified regional screening centres on Sunday should they wish to get their PCR tests done as soon as possible.

Stallholders who receive a negative PCR test result are able to resume business immediately.

"In addition to the PCR test, fresh fish and seafood stallholders will be issued with self-test antigen rapid test kits and are required to self-administer an antigen rapid test on the seventh day from the last exposure," NEA said.

"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."

MOH has also arranged with NEA to conduct testing for all stallholders and stall assistants of market stalls and cooked food stalls at hawker centres and markets managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators.

"These stallholders and stall assistants will receive an SMS notification with details of the scheduled test," NEA said.

"Stalls not selling fresh fish or seafood can remain in operation while the testing of stallholders is taking place over the next few days."

The agency advised visitors to the markets and food centres to avoid crowds, to visit during off-peak hours where possible, and to strictly observe safe management measures.

When TODAY visited Kovan market on Sunday, a stall vendor in her 60s said that NEA officers arrived at around 5am on Sunday to get the fishmongers to close their stalls.

She understands that some fishmongers still returned to open their stalls later in the morning, which she suspects was an attempt to sell their remaining stock of fishes after observing that the NEA officers had left.

But the officers returned again, at about 8am or so, ordering them to shut once more, she said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY WONG PEI TING