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SINGAPORE – Pasir Panjang Wholesale Center will be closed for cleaning and disinfection Monday (September 27th) through Wednesday after Covid-19 cases were discovered among workers and visitors.
The wholesale center was identified as a cluster by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday evening with 64 cases, two of which were added on Sunday. Of the 64 cases, 59 are workers in the market, three are trade visitors, and two are household members of cases. The new cases have already been quarantined.
The temporary shutdown is expected to disrupt fruit and vegetable supplies as the center handles about 30 percent of Singapore’s fruit imports and 50 percent of its vegetable imports, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Sunday.
The disruption is expected to be short-lived as fruit and vegetable stalls in wet markets are usually closed on Mondays, the agency added.
The center will reopen on Thursday.
In a Facebook post, the Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu urged the public not to rush to buy fruit and vegetables during this time.
“Please only buy what you need so that it will be enough for everyone,” she said.
She added that the SFA is working closely with stakeholders such as fruit and vegetable associations, affected traders, and importers and retailers to minimize the impact. Large supermarkets are also making efforts to increase their stocks of fruit and vegetables.
After the center reopens, the SFA will increase the frequency of tests for workers from every 14 days to seven days. All visitors and renters are also tested before they are allowed to return to the center.
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