Resident at one of First Reit's nursing homes tests positive for Covid-19

Singapore

THE manager of First Reit on Friday announced a Covid-19 case at one of its nursing homes involving an 89-year-old resident.

She tested positive for the virus on April 15 and has since been in isolation at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

First Reit said the operator of Pacific Healthcare Nursing Home II @ Bukit Panjang has reached out to the family of the resident to offer support; it has also informed the families of the rest of the residents of the case and assured them of the safety and continuity of care for the residents.

The home has since conducted thorough cleaning and disinfection of the ward and affected areas, increased the frequency of cleaning and stepped up all its precautionary measures. It has suspended all visits to its residents since April 2.

The Reit added that Pacific Healthcare is working closely with the Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care to undertake contact tracing. Both agencies are also supporting the home to ensure service continuity.

"Pacific Healthcare is closely monitoring the situation and the health of its residents and staff," it said.

First Reit owns three nursing homes in Singapore; this is the first Covid-19 case reported at its homes.

Two other nursing homes - Vanguard Healthcare's Woodlands Care Home and Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home - have previously reported positive cases. The latter has also been linked to two deaths.

Nursing homes have been identified as one the "weak links" in Singapore's Covid-19 battle, as seniors are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill when they become infected with the virus. Similarly, nursing homes have also become hotbeds for Covid-19 infections in many parts of the world.

Units of the Reit closed flat at S$0.80 on Friday.