Health officials said today (Thursday) that there are still no conditions to cancel the nucleic acid testing (NAT) requirements of a major working group, although the number of people listed in the group has reached 188,000, with about 20,000. people increased. to 30,000 people.
Routine nucleic acid testing required by major working groups will be carried out to detect infected individuals as early as possible and reduce the risk of community-acquired transmission. The measure is important for the “normalized pandemic prevention phase” set out in the country’s pandemic prevention guidelines, said Leong Iek Hou, head of the infectious disease prevention and control department at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. said at a press conference this afternoon.
Health officials also said the list of major working groups was adjusted to cover more industries after the pandemic hit on June 18, with the current number of people listed in major working groups at 188,000. people, an increase of about 20,000 to 30,000 compared to pre-outbreak numbers.
The Department of Health updated its guidelines on August 12th. The guidelines require employees in 25 major categories and sectors to have her tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis, with a frequency ranging from once a day to once a week. For example, a border terminal staff member has to get a NAT every day, but a casino dealer has to test him only once a week.
Leung said health officials could consider adjusting the frequency of testing required for key work groups in reference to the changing pandemic situation and the risk of infection for different work types, but There are no plans to cancel the normal NAT requirement.
“The requirement for employees to present their nucleic acid test results was imposed to confirm that they had completed the routine test, and even if the employee was unable to complete the test, it would not be possible for the employee to come to work. It’s not a judgment call,” Leon added.
In response to media concerns that some companies failed to pay their employees’ testing fees, health officials said that testing fees for major workgroups should be borne by employers and should employers fail to comply. , stressed that workers can report to regulatory bodies. Rules.
Meanwhile, Leon indicated that the SAR government plans to procure BioNTech vaccines for children aged 6 months to under 5 years old.
The director said the SAR currently has an inactivated Sinopharm vaccine available for children aged 3 to 5 years, but does not currently offer a vaccine for children aged 6 months to 3 years. Hmm.
