Extra precautions at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre
Safety measures, including increased frequency in testing of workers, put in place at Pasir Panjang venue
Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre reopened yesterday afternoon with enhanced safety measures after a three-day closure for deep cleaning and disinfection following the detection of Covid-19 cases.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said all tenants and workers entering the centre must wear coloured wristbands according to the sector they work in.
The sectors are determined by the type of items sold: fruit, vegetables and dried goods. The cold room is another sector. Tenants and workers are not allowed to cross sectors unnecessarily.
The number of workers per tenant who can access the centre's cold room will be controlled. They must be tested twice a week and have negative results before they can enter.
Up to 250 trade visitors will be allowed to visit Block 13A, a trading area in the vegetable sector, during night trading hours.
DENIED ENTRY
The frequency of Covid-19 testing for all workers will be increased from a 14-day regime to a seven-day regime, SFA added.
Several workers and tenants were denied entry yesterday as they did not have the polymerase chain reaction test results required. They would have received a text message from the Health Promotion Board with details of where to get their swabs done.
When The Straits Times visited the centre at 1pm, there were around 35 workers and tenants queueing outside the centre, with three to four lorries entering every five to 10 minutes. Queues thinned later following rain, but a constant stream of trucks was still seen entering the centre.
As at Wednesday, 127 Covid-19 cases were detected among those who worked at or visited the centre, which handles about 30 per cent of Singapore's fruit imports and 50 per cent of vegetable imports.
Among the tenants returning yesterday was Mr Mickey Loh, 52, who owns fruit wholesaler LES Fruits.
When he and his staff were informed on Sunday that the centre would be closed the next day, they had time to alert their suppliers in Malaysia to stop shipments.
"We are expecting fruit from Malaysia to arrive today," said Mr Loh in Mandarin. They wanted to prepare for the start of sales today from 3am.
But he wondered why they were assigned to get tested in a location far from where he and his staff live.
"We took the swab test in Serangoon despite living in the west. If some of us have Covid-19, wouldn't we infect people in that area?"
Among those denied entry was vegetable packer Goh Chay Sum, 56.
He has yet to receive his test result. He had been told via text message on Tuesday to go for a test at 10am the next day.
He said: "Some went for the test in the afternoon and have already received their results. If my result is not out tomorrow, I will just have to go for the test again."
Some tenants avoided going back altogether.
"We won't be returning to the centre as we would like to avoid the chaos," said Mr Ivan Chua, 31, general manager of vegetable and fruit importer JM Fresh.
It has seen business drop by about 40 per cent because of the closure.
"We had to cancel quite a number of restaurants' and vendors' orders in order to better fulfil the rest," he added.
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