Bukit Panjang has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons in the last few weeks.
In the last few days, there’s been a hoo-ha over the cancellation of two bus services, 700 and 700A, both of which depart from Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub (i.e. bus interchange lah). The other changes were amendments to the bus routes of bus services 171 and 972.
Those were unpopular but necessary changes as we’re using taxpayers’ money to fund the bus services, as explained by LTA:
We are aware that there is some public concern arising from the withdrawal of Bus Service 700/700A and the route changes…
Posted by Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Tuesday, 4 August 2020
And now, we got to know that the interchange isn’t under heat merely for its bus services, but for something else that’s much more relevant to everyone else: COVID-19.
All Bus Drivers to be Tested for COVID-19 After Over 100 Cases Linked to Bukit Panjang Cluster
Unless you’ve cancelled 2020, you’d know about the Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub cluster, whereby 8 infections were linked to it.
So you read the headline and immediately go, “Ah, good, Goody Feed is POFMA-ing itself.”
Not really.
While there have been 8 infections from the cluster, it turns out that the after that, there were evidence that there could have been nearly 100 past infections among people linked to the cluster.
It’s unknown when these infections could’ve taken place since they’re past infections—and some of them could be household contacts of the infections.
Of these infections, 6 had either past or active infections, while 89 were found to have recovered from past infections and were no longer infectious. Out of these 89 cases, 12 had previously been living in the dormitories
MOH has already done a “Swab Operation” by testing everyone working there and also several other locations linked to it, swabbing a total of 3,700 people then (which uncovered some of the 8 infections).
But as an added precautionary measure, the authorities are going one step further: by testing around 11,000 people working in public bus depots and interchanges.
MOH and LTA said, “As an added precautionary measure, we will also be working with LTA to conduct PCR tests for the rest of the staff in the public bus industry who work at depots and interchanges.”
This would include all bus drivers and employees in the premises.
They added, “Where infection clusters form, we will promptly quarantine and test close contacts, mount swab operations, and suspend operations at the relevant facility if deemed necessary.”
While it sounds scary, it isn’t; the authorities have once again stressed that the risk to commuters is low, since contact on public transport is transient, with drivers and passengers all wearing masks.
The testing of the 11,000 people will be done in the next nine days.