A conclusive explanation has yet to be given on how the 469 COVID-19 cases linked to the bus interchange cluster on 5 September occurred, nor why the infections only happened recently and why it spread so quickly, said Aljunied MP Gerald Giam.
In a Facebook post on Monday (6 Sept), Mr Giam noted that he has filed a parliamentary question on the matter to be answered on the 14 September sitting of parliament.
Mr Giam’s parliamentary question to the Ministry of Transport enquired about the modes of transmission of COVID-19 infections at bus interchanges, noting that phylogenetic tests on an infected person may reveal where the infection started.
His question also touched on whether any commuters have been infected at the bus interchanges or while on buses with infected bus captains.
Finally, pointing out the revelation that not all bus captains have been vaccinated, Mr Giam asked if bus companies will require their captains to be inoculated.
On 30 August, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that 120 bus drivers had tested positive for COVID-19 to date.
By 3 Sept, about 300 cases were identified in relation to the eight bus interchange clusters at Toa Payoh, Boon Lay, Punggol, Jurong East, Bishan, Sengkang, Tampines and Clementi.
Two days later on 5 Sept, the numbers rose to 469 cases.
However, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday that the number of COVID-19 cases at bus interchanges has actually been “coming down” despite the growing overall figures, which are mainly unlinked cases and those needing classifications.
“The cases are actually coming down, but the overall figures are going up, mainly contributed by unlinked cases and those needing classification, but these are not cases detected through swab operations at the bus interchange,” he noted.
He added that continuous testing, isolating, and contact tracing have been successful in containing the spread of COVID-19 at bus interchanges.
Separately, Transport Minister S Iswaran on Friday also said that there is no evidence yet showing that COVID-19 clusters in bus interchanges have resulted in the spreading of the deadly coronavirus to commuters.
