Weekly PCR tests for border frontline workers who may come into contact with travellers from Omicron-affected areas

SINGAPORE: From Dec 2, airport and border frontline workers who may come into contact with travellers from areas affected by the Omicron COVID-19 variant should return to a weekly Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) regime.This is as a result of Singapore’s borders are the “first line of defence against importation of the Omicron variant”, mentioned the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a information launch on Tuesday (Nov 30).Currently, relying on their threat class, airport workers are required to bear RRT utilizing Antigen Rapid Tests (ARTs) a few times each seven days.Speaking at a press convention by the COVID-19 multi-ministry taskforce, co-chair Lawrence Wong described the return to a weekly PCR-RRT as a “step up”.He additionally referred to border frontline workers as “employees who are working in the airports, or the other sea and land checkpoints, or anyone working in the borders that may come into contact with travellers.”MOH additionally added that aircrew serving flights from affected international locations shall be subjected to an on-arrival PCR check, in addition to post-arrival PCR tests on days 3 and seven after every flight responsibility.Other airport and border frontline workers will proceed with the prevailing ART-based RRT regime. But “as an added precaution”, such people with a constructive ART should bear a confirmatory PCR check.The ministry added that every one border frontline workers, together with recovered individuals, might want to bear the RRT.“This will allow us to better detect potential cases infected with the Omicron variant at our border in a timely manner.”