Starting on 11 Jan, some Bukit Merah residents and employees at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre had to undergo mandatory screening for tuberculosis (TB).
Business at ABC Brickworks, however, has reportedly taken a hit after the screening was announced.
Some hawkers even said that business had halved and that it was worse than during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting the slowdown in business, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu and others from the ministry headed down to the hawker centre on Friday (12 Jan) to show support.
Source: Grace Fu on Facebook
Besides taking time to savour the delicious hawker fares available, Ms Fu also urged Singaporeans to visit the food centre to support the hawkers.
Last Friday (5 Jan), the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that about 3,000 people living or working in Bukit Merah would have to undergo mandatory TB screening.
This includes stallholders and employees at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, located along Jalan Bukit Merah.
Source: Google Maps
The screening came after the health ministry discovered 10 active cases between February 2022 and July 2023.
MOH said the cases have similar genetic make-ups to previous cases detected at Block 2 Jalan Bukit Merah, hinting at a spread from the previous cluster to the nearby vicinity.
As the mandatory screening began on Thursday (11 Jan), some stallholders told Channel NewsAsia (CNA) that business at the market has taken a significant hit.
Several hawkers estimated that business fell by about 50% since the screening was announced.
Some even said the situation was worse than during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting the decline in business, Minister Grace Fu, as well as other officials from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), visited ABC Brickworks for lunch on Friday (12 Jan).
Source: Grace Fu on Facebook
The lunch group includes Senior Minister of State Amy Khor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng.
In a Facebook post, Ms Fu noted that while some stalls were closed, many remained open for business.
Besides promoting the delicious hawker dishes available at the food centre, Ms Fu also urged residents to drop by ABC Brickworks if they’re in the vicinity.
Also read: 2 Bukit Merah Blocks & Market To Be Screened For Tuberculosis After More Cases Detected
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Grace Fu on Facebook.
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