MOH allows PR to enter quarantine facility to take care mum and contract COVID-19 later

Yesterday (24 Apr), the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a 45 year-old Singapore PR from India who contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated in Singapore. He works for Wirana Shipping Corporation.

The PR received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on 26 Feb and the second dose on 19 Mar.

He then sponsored his parents in India to come to Singapore. They arrived in Singapore on 15 Apr, almost a month after he had the second vaccine shot.

His father immediately tested positive for COVID-19 on-arrival and was conveyed to the hospital. His mother was placed on quarantine from 16 April to 30 April at a government quarantine facility as she had been identified as a close contact of 2 other cases on the same flight. She tested negative for COVID-19 on 15 April for her on-arrival test, and again on 17 April during quarantine.

As his mother needed to serve SHN at a government facility and considering that he has been vaccinated, the PR then requested that he be allowed to also enter the quarantine facility so that he could take care of his mother. Permission was somehow granted and he was allowed to move into the same room as her on 16 April, where he had remained.

One week after moving into the quarantine facility, the PR started to develop a blocked nose on 23 Apr and reported his symptom to the authorities. He was conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases the next day (24 Apr), and was confirmed to have also contracted COVID-19. His serological test result came back negative, indicating that this is likely to be a new infection.

The incident seems to show that people who have been fully vaccinated can still contract COVID-19.

MOH said, “The COVID-19 vaccine is effective in preventing symptomatic disease for the vast majority of those vaccinated, but it is possible for vaccinated individuals to get infected.”

“Further research is required to determine if the vaccination will also prevent onward transmission of the infection,” it added.

“Our existing key enablers – safe management measures, testing, and contact tracing – continue to be necessary and effective in helping us to mitigate spread and keep community transmission low.”

Since the COVID-19 vaccine cannot 100 per cent prevent individuals to still contract the infection, it begs the question why the PR was allowed to enter into the government quarantine facility in the first place.