MOH investigating 13 Covid-19 infections among people who served stay-home notices at Mandarin Orchard hotel

[13177]

12 hours ago, Weez911 said:

The crowds are there but we can still choose where we go, where we want to stand, and how we go about other daily activities. 

The only 2 remaining places that are difficult to practice distancing are the public transport and hawker centres. Hawker centres present a higher risk because people are not wearing masks while they eat (although tabao minimise the risk).

Public transport will get worse when more people return to work. I have the impression that many "WFH" workers are not actually working at home anyway.

We can now confirmed that there are still unlinked community cases from the Mandarin staff. The circulation must be out there. Hope we don't see another CB 2.0 before the population achieve herd.

Public transport is very crowded now, the other day when i was going home around 10pm, the train was jam-packed! Maybe due to train interval was 5 mins.

If those suppose to wfh workers are not wfh actually, no wonder many companies asked their workers to go back office and discontinue wfh. Cause workers are not self discipline and trustworthy. 🙄

[Chongster]

3 hours ago, 13177 said:

Public transport is very crowded now, the other day when i was going home around 10pm, the train was jam-packed! Maybe due to train interval was 5 mins.

If those suppose to wfh workers are not wfh actually, no wonder many companies asked their workers to go back office and discontinue wfh. Cause workers are not self discipline and trustworthy. 🙄

 data from all over the world seems to indicate crowded public transport are not super spreader event.  

but this Mandarin Hotel situation seems to fit the bill.   

[Mustank]

4 hours ago, Chongster said:

everywhere in the world is having relapse and bracing for a hard winter, we are merrily opening up further.  it's really making me nervous

My heart starts missing a beat every time

[Adrianli]

5 hours ago, Chongster said:

when i first saw the headlines, i thought it was a past infection during the first half of the year.  It's almost inconceivable that a SHN hotel is being opened to staycation.  People getting complacent is one thing, but the people in charge should never get this complacent.  

 

Mandarin Orchard has 2 towers. One tower for SHN and the other for staycation. But not sure if the housekeeping and food services are separate too.

[Kaivenvan]

So far seems like the infection is only kept to the SHN side of the tower and not the tower with those on staycays

[inlinesix]

8 minutes ago, Kaivenvan said:

So far seems like the infection is only kept to the SHN side of the tower and not the tower with those on staycays

There are 3 staff that has COVID19 antibody.

No information which tower these ppl work in.

[Carbon82]

On 12/20/2020 at 9:04 AM, inlinesix said:

My understanding is that people serving SHN are not allowed to leave their rooms.

They have to stay within the confine of their room.

I thought so too but reading through information available on various government websites, it seems that there are still some degree of flexibility of movement within the SHN facilities. 

When I am supporting a temporary dormitory operation few months back, migrant workers in QO will be have to be housed in isolated room (individually) and they cannot step out of the room at all, while those on SHN were confined within the same level (a few in 1 room). 

 

On 12/20/2020 at 9:27 AM, Philipkee said:

People are worried.  Is there centralised aircon? Or individual aircons only.  Cos the virus could spread via aircon  system.

Aircon is for sure an area of concern, since it is a centralised system without additional control such as HEPA filter and negative air pressure for "contaminated" zone. 

 

On 12/20/2020 at 9:28 AM, inlinesix said:

Except for isolation room in NCID, even hospitals is running on centralised aircon. Right?

Most if not all aircon duct are fitted with HEPA filters and flow control system to minimise the risk of spreading virus within a medical facility. 

And as mentioned above, negative pressure within isolation wards to prevent contaminated air from flowing out of these rooms / wards. 

 

On 12/20/2020 at 10:35 AM, noobcarbuyer said:

Not just the previous occupants.

Another potential cause of transmission would be the chambermaid or cleaning staff as they go from room to room using the same cleaning equipment. 

Ventilation system / sewage system between rooms could also be possible candidates. 

That was what I meant in my 2nd post in this thread. 

Before COVID, even hospital don't enforce strict movement control for hospital staff (including resident contractors such as cleaner and maintenance personnel), and with limited resources in a hotel, I don't expect them to be of higher standard than hospitals, thus sharing of staff and stuff might be a possible root cause. 

 

On 12/20/2020 at 11:31 AM, Adrianli said:

This is something that bothers me within the healthcare sector where I was attached to. Suspected patients are pretty much isolated and escorted within the healthcare institutions. But after the x-ray or swap test are done, these suspected patients have to make their own way home. Thus possible spreading to the community while waiting for the result.

Within the healthcare institutions compound these suspected patients were ID and isolated. But allowed to leave and wait for result. Doesn’t make any sense to me. But I am just a small fly, these are just my humble observations. Therefore I am extra precaution whenever I am making my way around. You will never know if you had bumped into a suspected patient.

Back during SARS period, all suspect were treated as confirmed case, meaning these people were kept isolated at NCID, specific hospital or quarantine facilities for a full 14 days, allowing the chain of spread to be broken after about 2.5 months and situations back to normal within 4.5 months from the initial outbreak.

I still feel that the authorities are taking COVID-19 too lightly this time round. Anyone thinking that say is easier than done, just look at NZ. Period. 

[Blueray]

Eight more staff at Mandarin Orchard likely to have been infected with Covid-19 in the past

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/eight-more-staff-at-mandarin-orchard-likely-to-have-been-infected-with-covid-19-in-the

staff caught from earlier SHN guests ? 

[inlinesix]

48 minutes ago, Carbon82 said:

I thought so too but reading through information available on various government websites, it seems that there are still some degree of flexibility of movement within the SHN facilities. 

My information is straight from ppl who serves SHN in July 2020.  Prior to the introduction of "Apple Watch" tag, every day will receive video call to check whether inside room or not.  In addition, there will by physical check.

 

[Philipkee]

2 hours ago, Blueray said:

Eight more staff at Mandarin Orchard likely to have been infected with Covid-19 in the past

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/eight-more-staff-at-mandarin-orchard-likely-to-have-been-infected-with-covid-19-in-the

staff caught from earlier SHN guests ? 

Actually this is another worrying point.  It mea a that if let's say there wasnt a mandatory mask wearing enforced, these staff could have spread the cases by a lot when they were infected at an earlier time

But because all were wearing masks, the virus stayed with them and them only.

[inlinesix]

6 hours ago, Philipkee said:

Actually this is another worrying point.  It mea a that if let's say there wasnt a mandatory mask wearing enforced, these staff could have spread the cases by a lot when they were infected at an earlier time

But because all were wearing masks, the virus stayed with them and them only.

No report of their family members being infected le.

 

[13177]

9 hours ago, Philipkee said:

Actually this is another worrying point.  It mea a that if let's say there wasnt a mandatory mask wearing enforced, these staff could have spread the cases by a lot when they were infected at an earlier time

But because all were wearing masks, the virus stayed with them and them only.

No worry, all are wearing mask and phase 3 is coming liao.   

[Chongster]

15 hours ago, Blueray said:

Eight more staff at Mandarin Orchard likely to have been infected with Covid-19 in the past

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/eight-more-staff-at-mandarin-orchard-likely-to-have-been-infected-with-covid-19-in-the

staff caught from earlier SHN guests ? 

looks like Mandarin Orchard becoming a big cluster

[inlinesix]

2 minutes ago, Chongster said:

looks like Mandarin Orchard becoming a big cluster

No COVID19 was detected via PCR test on these 11 staff.

However, COVID19 antibody was found in their blood.

No cluster for the time being.

[Adrianli]

14 hours ago, Philipkee said:

Actually this is another worrying point.  It mea a that if let's say there wasnt a mandatory mask wearing enforced, these staff could have spread the cases by a lot when they were infected at an earlier time

But because all were wearing masks, the virus stayed with them and them only.

How did the staff got Covid if they are wearing mask?

[inlinesix]

6 minutes ago, Adrianli said:

How did the staff got Covid if they are wearing mask?

Another question is how come family members are not infected?

[noobcarbuyer]

50 minutes ago, Adrianli said:

How did the staff got Covid if they are wearing mask?

My $0.02 worth.

My understanding is that all hospitality industry staff are sent for PCR testing every 14 days or so. 

What I believe is that with universal masking up and social distancing measures, those infected (by the same strain that had been circulating silently within the hotel over the course of a few weeks) were exposed to a low viral incoulum and the disease would not have manifested (hence the negative PCR test) but they could have developed antibodies and hence led to a positive serological results months later. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by noobcarbuyer

[Albeniz]

Australia canceled an order for 51 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by CSL Ltd. and the University of Queensland after trials ran into difficulties.

"CSL said it would not progress to phase 2/3 clinical trials. It said a small component of the vaccine comes from the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, and while that posed no risk of infection, some trial participants had false positive tests for HIV."

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/12/11/australia-cancels-order-for-vaccine-as-trial-stumbles