Bunker Tanker Quarantined After Covid-19 Cluster On Board

January 7, 2021

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A bunker tanker at the centre of Singapore’s latest Covid-19 cluster, has been quarantined and will cease all operations until further notice, reports The StraitsTimes.

New cases linked to COVID Cluster

Bunker tankers are a type of harbourcraft that operate in the Port of Singapore and provide essential marine services such as refuelling ships calling at Singapore.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday said nine cases were linked to the cluster.

Among the nine, the first patient to be confirmed, an Indonesian crew member, tested positive on Dec 30, 2020. He experienced an onset of symptoms on Dec 23. He arrived in Singapore on 17 December.

MPA’s strict procedures

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has strict procedures on all crew members arriving from overseas to work onboard harbourcraft. According to a recent press release published on their website,

All crew have to go through 14 days of quarantine and must be tested negative for COVID-19 infection at the start and end of their quarantine period in their home country.
Upon arrival in Singapore, they are tested again and need to self-isolate in a room until their test results are known before embarking on the harbourcraft.

This crew member was tested negative on 1, 16 and 17 December. He resumed work after his test result on 17 December returned negative for COVID-19.

Later tested positive

Following his positive test result on Dec 30, 13 remaining crew members were quarantined from Dec 31, said MPA.

Seven other Indonesian crew members and a Singaporean crew member were reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to have tested positive for COVID-19 infection between 3^rd and 5^th January 2021.

The foreign crew members onboard the bunker tanker did not disembark prior to being tested positive.