The Straits Times
13 July 2020

Slip-up led to delay in Covid-19 test result notification

We refer to the letter from Mr Tan Thian Poh (Still no swab test result after several days, July 9).

Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who return from overseas have to take a swab test before the end of their stay-home notice (SHN) period. They should receive notification from the authorities of their test results within four days.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has looked into the matter and found that Mr Tan's son was inadvertently not notified of his test result due to an oversight by the contracted personnel tasked to inform him. He was eventually informed of his test result when he called the SHN Helpline on Wednesday.

ICA apologises for the inconvenience experienced by Mr Tan and his son. We are tightening our processes together with the other agencies involved.

Patrick Ong
Head, Public Communications and Protocol
Corporate Communications and Service Division
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority

<Original Letter>

The Straits Times
9 July 2020

Still no swab test result after several days

My son returned to Singapore from Sydney on June 22, and through a telephone call with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) was informed that he was to take a swab test on July 2 at Jurong Medical Centre (JMC).

He did so, and a nurse told him that he would get the result within two or three days.

Since then, he has been visited by ICA officers many times, but every time he asked about his test result, they could not give him an answer.

He completed his stay-home notice on Monday, but there was still no news of his swab test result.

Since Monday, both of us have called the Ministry of Health (MOH), JMC and ICA multiple times, but we were given the runaround - MOH suggested I call JMC, which, in turn, referred me to ICA.

I called ICA, and it said that MOH was the agency to contact. This went on a few more times.

I then called JMC's quality service manager, and she explained that her centre provided only the facilities to carry out the swab test, and that I would have to call the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for the result. I called HPB, and was told to wait for its reply.

When my son landed at Changi Airport, an MOH notice was handed to him that said he was required to stay home for the next 14 days or wait for the Covid-19 test result, whichever is later, and that he was not to leave his home till then.

He has now stayed home for 17 days, and despite the many calls we have made, he continues to wait and cannot go out.

At the same time, my whole family is stressed out because we don't know if he has tested positive or negative for the coronavirus.

Tan Thian Poh