Fresh fish, seafood stallholders need negative PCR test result before reopening

ALL stallholders selling fresh fish and seafood at markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or operators appointed by the agency were not allowed to open shop on Sunday morning as a precaution, said NEA.

The move is to prevent any further transmission in the light of Covid-19 clusters involving fishmongers who visited the Jurong Fishery Port to collect their stock and sell at the markets, NEA said in a statement on Sunday. Jurong Fishery Port, which is one of two ports that handles fish supplies into Singapore, was linked to 56 Covid-19 cases as of Sunday.

In the meantime, major supermarket chains have confirmed that fresh fish and seafood remain available at their stores.

Seah Kian Peng, group chief executive of FairPrice Group, said in a Facebook post on Sunday: "Since news of closure of Jurong Fishery Port, my colleagues had to quickly pivot and make alternative arrangements to set up a new staging area or risk having no fresh fish at our stores. All these done in half a day and so today, our fish supplies at our supermarkets remain unaffected."

Fish sold at FairPrice is both sourced locally as well as imported from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, a spokesperson told the media, adding: "Demand in our stores remains elevated today. We would like to encourage customers to only buy what they need."

Dairy Farm, which runs Giant and Cold Storage, reiterated its statement from July 17 that it is "working with our diversified supplier base to increase our existing supply" during the closure of the port. "We remain committed to keeping the prices of our seafood stable," it added.

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Similarly, supermarket operator Sheng Siong said on July 17 that "we are working closely with our suppliers to secure supplies" of fresh seafood, which remained available as of a day later. The Business Times understands that its supplies are mainly from within the region.

BT has contacted the Ministry of Health for comment on why supermarkets can still sell fresh fish.

Market stalls not selling fresh fish or seafood can continue to operate while the testing of stallholders is taking place over the next few days.

NEA also urged all stallholders and stall assistants to get tested, and for all visitors to avoid crowds at food centres and markets.

They should visit during off-peak hours where possible, and to strictly observe safe management measures, it added.

These stallholders have or will be receiving an SMS Health Risk Warning (HRW) from the Ministry of Health (MOH). The HRW 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 their home.

Affected fish and seafood stallholders can also walk in to specified Regional Screening Centres at the former Da Qiao Primary School in Ang Mo Kio, the former Coral Primary School in Pasir Ris, the former Bedok North Secondary School, the former Bishan Park Secondary School and the former Shuqun Secondary School for testing.

Once they receive a negative PCR test result, they will be able to resume business immediately.

Fresh fish and seafood stallholders will also be issued with self-test Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits and are required to self-administer an ART test on the seventh day from the last time they were exposed to a likely Covid-19 case.

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 Covid-19 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.

THE STRAITS TIMES

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