Singapore Polytechnic Year 2 student tests positive for COVID-19; SP switches to online learning for now

A Year 2 student from the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) School of Media, Arts and Design (MAD) has tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday (15 May).

According to an email sent by SP to students on Sunday night (16 May), the student was last seen on campus last Tuesday (11 May) and was asymptomatic. However, the student started developing symptoms on Thursday (13 May) and had visited a doctor the next day.

The email noted that necessary support has been provided to the affected student and that all areas on which the student visited have been “thoroughly cleaned and disinfected”.

Students were informed that Quarantine Orders have been issued by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to all students and staff who were deemed to be in close contact with the student on Tuesday, including the student’s classmates.

According to a statement from the MOH on Sunday, the 18-year-old student works part-time at an arts and craft shop in Westgate.

SP had advised its student body to closely monitor their health, reassuring them that the polytechnic will extend its fullest support to students to ensure “minimal impact to their learning through home-based learning”.

Consequently, SP stated that it is tightening Safe Management Measures (SMM) around campus by reducing the maximum size of groups to two. Meanwhile, all lectures and tutorials will be conducted online. Necessary labs and practical sessions as well as final year projects would be conducted in-person with the necessary measures in place.

The email noted, “As announced by MOE this evening, these measures will hold until the end of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) or until further notice.”

A further precautionary measure is being taken as well by way of conducting online or deferring labs and practical classes for all Year 2 students from MAD for the next two weeks between 17 to 28 May.