SMRT has confirmed that one of the new cases listed in the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) update yesterday is a Service Ambassador for the Circle Line. Responding to media queries, the transport operated said she last worked at the Bishan MRT station on 15 May, one day after she started presenting with symptoms.
SMRT confirmed that the 58-year-old Singaporean woman had consulted a doctor on 17 May when she continued to feel unwell. The spokesperson for the company said that the staff member had been referred to a hospital for a swab test. Later on the same day, the test confirmed that she had been infected with COVID-19.
Ho Foo Sing, the head of Circle Line, told Channel NewsAsia: “She is currently warded and is in a stable condition.”
He added that the company is keeping a close eye on the woman’s condition and are offering assistance to her and her family.
Mr Ho also said that the premises which the SA had come in contact with has since been “thoroughly cleaned and disinfected”. This is done on top of the already increased frequency of cleaning of all high-touch points at SMRT premises, facilities, and vehicles, since late January.
He noted that the company is assisting the MOH with contact tracing.
“The health and well-being of our commuters and staff are our top priority,” remarked Mr Ho, as he assured commuters that SMRT is taking all the necessary precaution to safeguard the well-being of both staff and commuters.
Case remains “unlinked” for now
Of the 305 new cases of COVID-19 announced by the MOH yesterday, two were community cases, including the 58-year-old woman Bishan MRT service ambassador, whose job is to provide assistance to any commuters who needed it.
In a staff notice from the Station Ops Manager that TOC saw, it was noted that several staff members at the station have had meals together with the SA and will be placed under quarantine.
The MOH has also listed the woman’s case as “local unlinked”. This means that it has yet to confirm where she contracted the virus or link her to any virus clusters.
This is not the first case of an SMRT employee being infected with COVID-19. In early April, a Rover from the circle line and a maintenance staff from the Rolling Stock Workshop were diagnosed with the virus on 6 and 8 April respectively.
