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SINGAPORE: As of December 1, any company or person that requires a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will be able to obtain it from approved suppliers, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) said on Tuesday (November 10). ).
This includes people who need pre-departure testing before traveling. They no longer need to seek approval from the Ministry of Health for pre-departure tests, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference of the multi-ministry working group.
There are currently around 600 general practitioner clinics and private healthcare providers that can perform PCR testing, Mr. Gan said. Businesses can also purchase such services from approved providers.
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“We know that timely COVID-19 testing, when complemented with safe distancing and safe management measures, is a formidable weapon against the pandemic. Therefore, testing is a critical enabler and a key strategy in our fight against COVID-19, ”said the Minister of Health.
“Over the months, we have been improving our testing capabilities and extending testing to more community groups. To support a broader range of needs as we resume more economic and community activities, we will now make COVID-19 testing more accessible. “
The Health Ministry said in a press release that it will continue to increase the number of clinics and providers that can administer the tests.
Laboratories, clinics, and swab service providers who are interested in providing such COVID-19 testing services at facilities beyond a licensed clinic, laboratory, or hospital may request an off-site COVID-19 testing application. the press release reads.
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Gan also spoke about the use of rapid antigen tests (ART) in the pre-event pilots announced in October.
“We will continue to test different workflows in various settings, such as in more business-to-business events, live performances, as well as spectator sports, and pre-event testing can be part of our defense strategy against COVID-19.” said the Minister of Health.
COST OF TESTS
Responding to a question about whether the cost of rapid antigen tests can be reduced, Mr. Gan said they are in talks with labs and suppliers to “adjust” prices.
“This is also a volume-related problem. I imagine that with the application of more tests, with the increase in volume, the prices can probably go down a bit, “said the Minister of Health.
“But we also have to keep in mind that in addition to the cost of testing, there are also significant costs involved in installing the test facility.”
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For example, if a test station is installed at certain events, the necessary precautions and the use of trained personnel who can administer the tests will add to the cost of administering the tests, Gan said.
“So the test itself has certain costs, and we are discussing with the vendor to see if we can make it more affordable as time goes on. With the volume, we hope to be able to reduce overall costs, “he added.
“But there are also administration costs, the cost of setting up the testing process itself. And this is also part of the pilot and we want to see what type of configuration will be more economical, more efficient and more profitable. “
A healthcare worker takes a COVID-19 nasal swab test sample from an essential worker in Singapore on June 10, 2020 (Photo: AFP / Roslan Rahman).
As more activities are expected to resume in Phase 3, Singapore should expect the number of community cases to increase, “perhaps into the low teens, maybe even into their 20s, or up into their 30s,” the minister said. of Education Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry working group with Mr. Gan.
“We have to be mentally prepared for that and be ready to make sure that even if local cases in the community increase, they don’t form large groups that are out of control. The key to doing that is increasing our testing capabilities, which we are doing, and now we are making testing more accessible to everyone, ”he added.
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While a case in the community currently “may not have much of a chance” of causing a large cluster of COVID-19, there will be “a lot more” activities in the community when Singapore enters Phase 3.
“People dining in groups of eight, larger weddings, places of worship with larger gatherings, events with a larger number of people gathered. With all these activities in Phase 3, the risks of cluster formation will increase. It is inevitable, as we have seen in countries around the world ”.
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