Temporary closures are the standard protocol when multiple Covid-19 cases emerge at any location.
The latest of such closures happens to be at the Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Hawker Centre. According to Lianhe Zaobao, over 30 Covid-19 cases have been linked to the location.
The hawker centre is now closed for disinfection and cleaning and will reopen on Monday (20 Sep).
Vendors at the hawker centre had reportedly visited Toa Payoh East Night Market, where several cases had emerged earlier, to purchase goods, stated Lianhe Zaobo.
Earlier reports announced a 2-week closure of the market that should effectively end on 17 Sep.
However, Lianhe Zaobao quoted the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on the extension of the closure period till 23 Sep.
A stall owner who spoke to Lianhe Zaobao reportedly claimed that more than 30 vendors and cleaners at the hawker centre and market have tested positive for Covid-19.
He added that cases have been surfacing there since 2 weeks ago, forcing many vendors to stay at home, as they contracted the virus one after another. As a result, almost half of the stalls aren’t open for business.
After assessing the situation, the authorities apparently decided to bring the centre’s scheduled cleaning for this month forward.
The centre is thus closed from 17-19 Sep for cleaning and disinfection. A check on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website confirms the closure.
While the absence of the hawker centre from the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) list of active clusters is quite befuddling, we’re glad to know that the authorities are taking action to mitigate the situation.
Hopefully, once they do whatever is necessary to detect cases and contain infections, the hawker centre and market will be able to operate safely again and cater to regular customers’ needs.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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