Frequency of Rostered Routine Testing for Workers Differentiated based on COVID-19 Vaccination Status
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) frequency for workers can be differentiated based on COVID-19 vaccination status, as raised by Mr Abdul Samad. Minister Tan See Leng responded that vaccination-differentiated testing was introduced in late August for the Construction, Marine and Process sectors and dormitories to manage Delta variant risks. Since 13 September, unvaccinated workers undergo higher testing frequencies, such as additional tests on days three and eleven, compared to the weekly baseline for vaccinated workers. The Government will continue reviewing these testing regimes and explore further differentiation for vaccinated recovered workers as scientific evidence and the pandemic situation evolve. This strategy aims to facilitate quicker detection and isolation of positive cases while helping the nation transition toward a COVID-19-resilient state through the "Vaccinate or Regular Test" framework.
Transcript
73 Mr Abdul Samad asked the Minister for Manpower whether the frequency of Rostered Routine Testing for workers can be differentiated based on COVID-19 vaccination status.
Dr Tan See Leng: As we resume more activities, Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) remains a critical part of our surveillance strategy in mitigating COVID-19 transmission risks, even for vaccinated workers. More regular testing will help us to detect and isolate COVID-19 positive cases more quickly. This is especially given the infectiousness of the Delta variant, as observed locally where there have been shorter periods between each generation of infection.
A vaccination differentiated RRT regime has been progressively introduced for the Construction, Marine and Process (CMP) sectors and in dormitories since end August in preparation for the "Vaccinate or Regular Test" (VoRT) regime. The frequency of testing is guided by MOH’s framework for the VoRT regime. Since 13 September, unvaccinated workers undergo testing at a higher frequency as compared to vaccinated workers. For example, a vaccinated worker working in the process sector or living in a dormitory will be required to undergo a weekly test. On the other hand, unvaccinated workers living in dormitories will undergo additional ARTs at Day 3 and Day 11 on top of the baseline regime for vaccinated workers.
We will work with MOH to continue to review the testing regimes for vaccinated and unvaccinated workers, as well as explore further differentiating it for vaccinated recovered workers based on the latest scientific evidence and as the COVID-19 situation evolves. We understand that employers and workers are making great efforts and contributions towards regular testing of their vaccinated workers. We appreciate their efforts in helping all of us transit to a COVID-19-resilient nation.