Covid-19 cases at Raffles Institution and 3 primary schools

Covid-19 cases at Raffles Institution and 3 primary schools
A stall assistant at the Raffles Institution canteen tested positive for Covid-19 on July 17.
PHOTO: The Straits Times file

SINGAPORE - Students in Years 1 to 4 at Raffles Institution will be on full home-based learning (HBL) on Monday (July 19) after a stall assistant at the school's canteen tested positive for Covid-19.

This is to facilitate deep cleaning and disinfection of the Years 1 to 4 school canteen, said the school in a letter dated July 18 to parents and guardians signed by principal Frederick Yeo.

The stall assistant at the canteen tested positive for the virus on Saturday. She was last in school on Friday and was well then, said the school.

The letter adds: "Preliminary information obtained from the stall assistant is that, apart from collecting payment for meals from students and staff, which typically took a few seconds, the stall assistant had minimal contact with them."

The school will be conducting contact tracing, and use information gathered through TraceTogether tokens and apps, to identify students and staff who were in close contact with the stall assistant while she was infectious.

Those who have been identified as such will be placed on leave of absence and then contacted by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Parents of students who have been identified as close contacts through TraceTogether will receive an SMS or will be contacted directly by MOH with instructions.

The letter added: "We would like to assure you that the school has been and will continue to tightly implement safe management measures. This include cleaning high-touch surfaces regularly and disinfecting our premises regularly."

The letter also said the school will keep parents and guardians updated through the Parents Gateway app.

Several pupils from other schools have also tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week.

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On Sunday, parents and guardians from Yangzheng Primary received a letter saying that a Primary 2 pupil who was last in school on Thursday had tested positive.

In response, all Primary 2 classes will be placed on HBL on Monday and Wednesday. Tuesday is a public holiday for Hari Raya Haji.

Last Friday, parents from Naval Base Primary School were told that a Primary 6 pupil had tested positive for the virus. On the same day, parents at Opera Estate Primary were told a Primary 6 pupil there had also tested positive.

These come on the back of a spike in Covid-19 cases in Singapore related to large clusters involving illegal KTV lounges and the Jurong Fishery Port.

This article was first published in The Straits TimesPermission required for reproduction.

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