Saga Part 2 - MOM responds to Jade Rasif's claim of helper testing Covid-19 positive after early quarantine release

[Bigbird]

MOM responds to Jade Rasif's claim of helper testing Covid-19 positive after early quarantine release

 

part 1.

https://mugentech.net/index.php?/topic/11095-saga-jade-rasif-sharing-covid-story-how-did-it-happen/

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Bigbird

[Bigbird]

Singapore Ministry of Manpower

21 hrs ·

 

We are sorry to hear about the experience of Ms Jade Rasif and her family. The precautionary testing of the migrant domestic worker (MDW) employed by her family was for their safety, and the MDW has been assessed to be free from current COVID infection and had not posed a risk to the employer’s family. Ms Jade’s account however is inaccurate and we would like to set out the facts.

1. The MDW is employed by a family member of Ms Jade. She entered Singapore on 11 April 2021 and was administered on-arrival-tests. She tested negative on Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and positive on serology tests, and was assessed to have recovered from an old infection and has antibodies against COVID-19. She was assessed to be safe and allowed to be discharged from Stay-Home Notice (SHN) on 13 April 2021.

2. On 30 April 2021, MOH and MOM decided to test the MDW again. This is because of the worsening COVID-19 situation and new understanding of the infectiousness of variants of concern in the region. So although the MDW is recovered from an old infection and at low risk of reinfection, we wanted to be sure.

3. Ms Jade was worried that the MDW tested PCR positive. While the MDW was tested positive on the PCR test, there were indications that this was an old infection and the PCR test could be picking dead viral fragments from the old infection. Further medical clinical assessment was needed to confirm that it was not a re-infection case.

4. Ms Jade wondered why there was no case number when the MDW has tested PCR positive. While clinical assessment was ongoing, the MDW is not classified as a COVID-19 case. From our experience, most recovered individuals who test positive on PCR do so because they are shedding dead viral fragments from an old infection and are not active COVID-19 infections. Only the latter would require a case number. As the risk that the MDW has a current infection remained low, members of the household can continue their daily activities.

5. Ms Jade claimed to have been investigated for breach of quarantine. The family were not issued Quarantine Orders (QO), and there could not have been investigations made for breach of quarantine, when no QO was issued in the first place.

6. Ms Jade claimed that she was unable to contact anyone about her MDW’s situation. MOM and MOH had contacted the MDW’s employer on two occasions. On 5 May 2021, ­­MOM emailed Ms Jade’s family member to explain that the MDW needed further assessment to determine if she tested PCR positive because of an old infection or had a current infection. In that letter emailed, MOM’s contact numbers were included. On 6 May 2021, MOM called the family member to explain verbally the need for further test on their MDW.

7. On 9 May 2021, the MDW was assessed to be shedding dead viral fragments and recovered from an old COVID-19 infection and was not currently infectious. The MDW was medically fit for discharge and returned to her employer. This finding is consistent with the earlier determination of the MDW as recovered fr­­­om an old infection when she first entered Singapore. The MDW had not posed a risk to the employer’s family.

8. MOM had also reached out to her family when we received an email from her/family on the complaint made against the ambulance driver. We hope to receive more details that will enable us to assist the family with the complaint.

 

https://www.facebook.com/sgministryofmanpower/posts/3977973938918510?__tn__=K-R

 

[Bigbird]

 

 

[Huat Zai]

[Bigbird]

[Londonchocolateroll]