Stricter rules, far more testing for airline crew, Transport Information & Top rated Stories

Crew customers of Singapore carriers will have to undergo stricter Covid-19 manage measures with quick impact, adhering to information that a Singapore Airways cabin crew member and a pilot have examined beneficial for the coronavirus.

Announcing this last night, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) stated it was tightening steps to make certain the basic safety and properly-remaining of air crew and to safeguard community overall health in Singapore.

“Air crew face considerable challenges in the program of their responsibilities. They do so due to the fact it is important for Singapore to preserve air connectivity. Several important materials, these types of as vaccines, can only be sent by air. Singaporeans abroad and other crucial travellers need to have to be equipped to vacation to and from Singapore,” CAAS mentioned in a assertion.

It additional that its preliminary investigations experienced uncovered that both equally the contaminated cabin crew member and pilot experienced adhered to the mandated in-flight and layover measures, together with wearing a mask, minimising get in touch with with travellers and locals, and staying in their hotel rooms in the course of.

The cabin crew member tested beneficial on Dec 27. He experienced past flown to New York on Flight SQ24 on Dec 12.

In the course of the layover in New York, he interacted with the immigration officer and resort look at-in staff, and collected his meal from a resort employee who shipped it to his space.

He then returned to Singapore on Dec 16 on Flight SQ23.

He was asymptomatic at the time and was tested on Dec 23 and 25 underneath the tests protocol for Singapore carriers’ air crew when they return from abroad. Each exams were being inconclusive, but an additional take a look at on Dec 27 returned favourable.

All crew associates and 16 passengers who had been seated in the part of the plane cabin served by him have analyzed adverse.

The Ministry of Wellness independently confirmed with The Straits Periods yesterday that the gentleman had also pushed for Seize from Dec 17 to 24.

The second circumstance, a pilot, tested good on Dec 29. He experienced last flown to London on Flight SQ322 on Dec 19. All through the layover in London, he interacted with the immigration officer and resort check-in workers, and also had a meal sent to his space by a resort worker.

He then returned to Singapore on Dec 22 on Flight SQ317. On both equally flights, he experienced no get hold of with travellers on board.

He was analyzed on Dec 23 and gained a destructive outcome on Dec 25. But on Dec 26, he developed a fever. The next day, he went to a clinic for a polymerase chain response (PCR) take a look at, which returned favourable on Dec 29.

CAAS claimed that immediately after consulting with MOH, it will now demand air crew on layover to further more minimise their make contact with with locals.

For illustration, meals shipped via space company should really be still left exterior the place at the door as an alternative of getting handed over.

Individuals who lay in excess of in higher-threat locations will be required to go through a PCR exam on arrival, and on the third and seventh day next their return to Singapore.

Crew customers will be demanded to self-isolate until they get a adverse outcome from their seventh day PCR test.

Also, crew travelling to and from South Africa will have to don whole own protective equipment, together with N95 masks, encounter shields, protecting robes and gloves.

This is in addition to the recent stringent steps in spot on Singapore-primarily based airways, which include crew members having to mask up at all occasions and use goggles even though interacting with passengers. Where feasible, they use independent bathrooms from the travellers.

Air crew are also assigned distinct sections in the plane to facilitate make contact with tracing.

CAAS included that to date, above 22,500 PCR checks have been carried out on air crew, with all but the two conditions testing negative.