The Government will begin testing for COVID-19 using the Antigen Rapid Test for selected events, announced the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on 20 October 2020.
These tests will be conducted before the events to mitigate the risk of the spread of the virus, said the taskforce. The Government will run the pilot initiative from mid-October to December 2020.
According to the World Health Organization, the Antigen Rapid Test has an 80 per cent detection rate for COVID-19.
The Antigen Rapid Test, while not as accurate as the more common Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, is able to return test results within half-an-hour. Meanwhile, the PCR test can only yield results after one to two days.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong warned that even with these pre-event tests in place, Singaporeans cannot throw caution to the wind.
“Despite the tests, there is always the possibility that an infected person may go undetected. So even if the test results are negative, safe management measures will still have to be strictly adhered to at these events,” said Mr Gan, who co-chairs the MTF.
According to Mr Gan, the pilot initiative will assist the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the study of pre-event testing processes, which may eventually allow more large-scale events to resume.
According to the taskforce, participants going to an event or activity will be tested either at the event venue or at a separate testing facility.
Only participants who are tested negative will be allowed to participate in the event.
If the testing is conducted at a separate testing facility, participants will have to visit a separate testing facility beforehand and produce a valid certificate.
The certificate will show that the participant had tested negative for COVID-19 within a 24-hour timeframe from the end of the event, before being allowed to enter the event’s premises.
As part of this pilot, the Antigen Rapid Tests and confirmatory PCR tests will be provided free of charge to participants.
The Antigen Rapid Test involves using a nasal swab to take a sample from the lower part of the nose and should not be uncomfortable.
Mr Gan also said that phase three is not a return to normalcy, even as Singapore moves towards it.
“It [phase three] will still entail living, working and interacting with safe management and safe distancing measures in place,” he said.
