32 ICA officers placed under quarantine while about 100 tested for Covid-19

[SINGAPORE] Thirty two Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport have been placed under quarantine order while around 100 will be tested for Covid-19 as a precaution.

The 32 officers were identified to have been in close contact with the 38-year-old officer who tested positive for Covid-19, said ICA on Thursday (April 29).

The deputy team leader at Changi Airport was among the three community cases announced on Wednesday and had been deployed at the duty officer counter, which processes arrival clearance for travellers, at Terminal 1.

ICA added that he had earlier registered to be vaccinated, but was advised by the doctor that he was not eligible due to his drug allergy.

Noting that majority of its jobs are frontline roles, ICA added that officers, regardless of whether they are vaccinated, have to be rostered for frontline deployment. As at April 1 2021, 92 per cent of ICA officers deployed at Changi Airport have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, common and staff areas that the officer would have come into contact with have also been disinfected thoroughly, in accordance with National Environmental Agency guidelines for environmental cleaning and disinfection of areas exposed to confirmed cases of Covid-19.

This includes areas such as the immigration counters, immigration offices, pantries and toilets.

THE STRAITS TIMES