Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said eating at Bedok Central hawker centres is safe despite the identification of several tuberculosis cases.
The government's intervention aims to prevent economic loss for local vendors and stop public panic regarding the transmission of the airborne disease in communal dining spaces.
During a visit to the 216 Bedok Food Centre and a screening center at Heartbeat@Bedok on Tuesday, May 5, 2024, Ong addressed the cluster of infections. He said that tuberculosis does not get transmitted casually through brief encounters. "Eating at a hawker centre is perfectly safe and will not result in transmission of tuberculosis," Ong said [1].
Health authorities identified 13 genetically similar cases of tuberculosis [1]. These cases occurred over a period spanning from January 2023 to February 2024 [1]. Because the cases were genetically linked, officials are treating the situation as a cluster requiring targeted intervention.
As a result, the government has announced mandatory TB screening for all tenants and workers across three locations in Bedok Central [1]. This measure is designed to identify any remaining undetected cases among those who work in close proximity to one another.
Ong urged the public to continue supporting the local businesses affected by the news. "Now is the time to eat at 216 Bedok Food Centre," Ong said [2]. He said that the risk to the general public remains low because the disease requires prolonged contact for transmission rather than the casual interaction typical of a food center setting.
“"Eating at a hawker centre is perfectly safe and will not result in transmission of tuberculosis."”
The mandatory screening of workers and tenants across three locations indicates that health officials suspect the transmission occurred within a specific professional or social circle rather than through the general public. By emphasizing the lack of 'casual transmission,' the government is attempting to decouple the public's fear of the disease from the act of dining in public spaces, protecting the livelihood of hawker vendors.
