Edwin Tong urges support for merchants at Bedok food centre following deep cleaning: 'Give a deeper sense of assurance'

Enhanced cleaning is being carried out at Block 216 Bedok Market and Food Centre, and the public can be reassured that Bedok Central remains safe to visit, said East Coast GRC MP Edwin Tong on Monday (May 18).

Regular washing of the centre has been brought forward a month ahead of schedule, and a disinfection operation is also being done for free by a specialised provider from May 17 to 19.

This is on top of the daily disinfection of the premises, which the East Coast Town Council (ECTC) has been conducting since the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on April 30 that it had found 13 cases with genetic similarities across three clusters in the area between January 2023 and February 2026.

Tong, who is Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs, visited the centre on Monday to witness the stepped-up cleaning works.

As part of the routine washing, floors were washed with bleach solution and then jet-rinsed. High-touch surfaces and touchpoints including railings, taps and handles have been cleaned and disinfected with hospice-grade alcohol wipes.

Enhanced deep cleaning of high-touch public surfaces was also being carried out by an external vendor using a disinfectant which has reportedly been certified effective against the bacterium associated with TB.

"(The cleaning) will give both patrons as well as our hawkers a deeper sense of assurance that it is safe to continue to be here, to eat here, to socialise here," Tong emphasised, repeating that TB does not transmit through casual contact.

Hawkers call for diners to return

Stallholders at Block 216 saw a slump in business when it was reported that 473 of the 3,169 people (14.9 per cent) screened for TB had tested positive for the bacteria.

The CDA said on May 13 that it expects the "vast majority" of the cases to have latent TB infection, which means they do not have symptoms and will not spread it to others.

Hawkers whom AsiaOne spoke to on Monday expressed hopes that the thorough cleaning of the centre will encourage residents to return and patronise Bedok Central.

Osman Bin Kadir, who runs two stalls selling nasi padang and kueh, said earnings dipped by 50 to 70 per cent when the news was first reported, and recovered slightly before dropping again.

"We want our customers to come back, support all the hawkers here, because they really work hard, they really cook with love, and they want to give the best to our customers here," he told AsiaOne.

"So don't be worried because everything is being taken care of, please come and support us."

Prawn noodle hawker Amos Raphael Sim echoed the same sentiments, adding that footfall is unpredictable, which makes it challenging in terms of food preparation.

"We really need people to come back," he said.

"To all our regulars and our residents in here in Bedok: Come back, it's safe, there's nothing to be afraid of.

"We're all here like family waiting for you, so just come back anytime. We'll be here."

@asiaone Stallholders at and around 216 Bedok Food Centre have faced lowered footfall over the past week. To give members of the public a greater peace of mind, the area underwent early and additional cleaning and disinfection works on Monday (May 18). Here's what affected stallholders have to say: #sgnews #Singapore #Health #Tuberculosis #Businesses ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

The National Environment Agency will be providing stallholders a rental rebate of 50 per cent for May, while ECTC will give a 50 per cent Service and Conservancy Charges rebate to affected stallholders for one month.

Tong said on Monday that the authorities will keep a close watch on whether further financial intervention for the stall owners is necessary.

"We'll see how it goes after we reopen on Wednesday (May 20), and then make an assessment thereafter," he added.

Editor's note: The headline and article have been edited for clarity.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com