Chong Boon market to close for 2 weeks aster confirmed Covid-19 cases; fishmongers from 11 other markets test positive

SINGAPORE — Chong Boon Market & Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio will close for two weeks after two Covid-19 cases who work there or had visited were found, while fishmongers from 11 markets and food centres across the island have also tested positive for the virus.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that these cases are likely to have been infected through contact with stallholders at the Jurong Fishery Port. 

MOH said it is now investigating the two cases who work in or visited Chong Boon Market & Food Centre, with three more cases pending confirmation. The market and food centre will be closed from Sunday to Aug 1 for deep cleaning and to “break the chain of transmission”.

The other 11 food centres where the infected fishmongers were detected are: 

Amoy Street Food Centre

Chong Pang Market & Food Centre

Whampoa Wet Market

Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11

Taman Jurong Market

Redhill Market

Geylang Serai Malay Market

Geylang Bahru Market

527 Ang Mo Kio Market

726 West Coast Wet Market, and 

Bukit Timah Wet Market

MOH had also announced on Friday a cluster at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre in Chinatown that was also linked to the fishery port. 

Most of the fishmongers tested positive using antigen rapid test (ART) kits, and are being confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, MOH said. 

“Our epidemiological investigations found that they are likely to have been infected through contact with stallholders at Jurong Fishery Port.” 

MOH added that the testing of fishmongers is still ongoing. 

“As there is risk of transmission to other markets and food centres, we are conducting aggressive contact tracing, quarantine and testing to ringfence the cases and prevent further spread.” 

Fishmongers from all markets will receive an SMS today with a health risk warning, and will be required by law to get tested at designated testing centres and self-isolate until they receive a negative result from their first PCR test, the ministry added. 

They will also be issued with self-test ART kits and are required to self-administer an ART test on the seventh day from the last exposure. 

Then, 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.

The ministry advised all visitors to the affected markets and food centres to avoid crowds and to do their marketing during off-peak hours, or at supermarkets, and to strictly observe safe management measures. — TODAY