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SINGAPORE: Plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 37,000 frontline workers in the aviation and maritime sectors began on Monday (January 18), and vaccination centers for the two industries went into full swing.
During a visit to one of the vaccination centers in Changi Airport Terminal 4, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that about 13,000 workers from the two sectors are already scheduled to be vaccinated this week under the Sea-air vaccination exercise.
About 2,000 aviation workers will receive the vaccine on Monday at Q4, while about 1,000 maritime workers will be vaccinated at the Raffles City Convention Center.
Large-scale COVID-19 vaccination of aircrew and airport workers began on January 18, 2021 at Changi Airport Terminal 4 (Photo: Zhaki Abdullah)
“I am encouraged by the number and I hope more will arrive in the coming weeks,” said Ong, who was vaccinated during his visit to T4.
Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong and SATS President and CEO Alex Hungate also received his comments on Monday.
Around 7,000 aviation workers are expected to be vaccinated this week.
Priority will be given to the 20,000 frontline workers who can come into contact with travelers from high-risk countries, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
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“These include pilots, cabin crew, airport and aircraft cleaners, security inspectors, passenger service agents, baggage handlers and cargo handlers,” CAAS said in a statement to the media.
The authority noted that those who have completed the full vaccination cycle will not have to be tested for COVID-19 as regularly.
Those on the seven-day routine test on the list will only need to be tested every 14 days, while those now tested every two weeks will only need to be tested monthly.
“Aircrew that undergoes tests on the seventh day after their return to Singapore will be exempt from their test,” said CAAS.
“Those who are screened upon arrival in Singapore, and on the third and seventh day, will only need to be screened upon arrival and on the seventh day of their return to Singapore.”
The changes will take effect two weeks after workers receive their second dose of the vaccine.
At any given time, there are about 70 doctors, nurses and health care assistants on site at the T4 vaccination center, said Dr. Tan Joo Peng, a senior physician at Raffles Medical Group, which is conducting the vaccinations.
The center, which was established in five days, can be expanded to carry more vaccines should the need arise, he said.
On-site staff will also screen patients for any risk factors before they receive the vaccine, although so far there have been no major side effects, Dr. Tan said.
“There will be some minor side effects, the most common being pain in the deltoid area where they are injected … Every now and then there will be patients who complain of a minor headache, which is also a known, fairly common symptom,” said.
Those who show more severe symptoms will be taken to Changi General Hospital, about 10 to 15 minutes from the airport, Dr. Tan said.
One of those who received the first dose of the vaccine on Monday was pilot Anwar Salim, captain of Singapore Airlines.
“For me, I believe that being on the front lines of the aviation industry, we have a duty to protect not only ourselves, but also the people we work with,” he said.
There were no pain or other side effects after receiving the prick, Anwar said.
“I think I can go to the gym later.”
IMPORTANT STEP FOR AVIATION
Mr. Ong described the vaccination exercise as an important step towards the revival of Singapore’s airline industry.
“Everyone knows that the aviation industry is decimated by COVID-19, but we must be determined that when the crisis passes, Singapore will once again be an aviation hub for the region and the world,” he said.
A COVID-19 vaccination center at Changi Airport Terminal 4 on January 18, 2021. (Photo: Zhaki Abdullah)
That is why Singapore continues to seek different safe travel schemes such as green lanes, air travel bubbles and separate travel, he said, adding that this will position the country for eventual aviation recovery.
Having Singapore’s aviation and shipping leaders vaccinated will also help in terms of the country’s reputation as a safe space amid the global pandemic.
“Singapore Airlines may be the first vaccinated international airline in the world,” he said.
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The vaccination exercise would also help further protect Singapore, Ong said, adding that vaccinated frontline workers could act as defenders of the country’s borders against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that each of the vaccination centers was able to handle up to 4,000 vaccines a day, with 21 days between the two injections required for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Ong said all 37,000 workers could receive the vaccine in two months.
The COVID-19 vaccination center at Changi Airport Terminal 4 can currently vaccinate 2,000 people a day. (Photo: Zhaki Abdullah)
When asked if the growing number of vaccines in other countries would affect entry requirements for travel to Singapore, Ong described it as a “big question” that he hoped to answer during discussions at his ministry’s Supply Committee.
On whether the air travel bubble with Hong Kong would reignite with the Chinese New Year holiday, Ong declined to commit to a date, noting that the two cities had an agreement on the table, ready to kick in when the time was right. suitable.
Singapore continues to explore travel arrangements with other regions and countries, he said.
“When they are ready, we will announce them,” he said.
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