All households to get 6 ART kits from July 17 to Sept 30 - 2023

All households to get 6 ART kits from July 17 to Sept 30 - 2023

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-households-to-get-6-art-kits-from-july-17-to-sept-30

2023-07-16

SINGAPORE – All households here will receive a set of six antigen rapid test (ART) kits each from July 17 to Sept 30, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday.

The kits are drawn from the national stockpile, which was set up to mitigate supply chain disruptions and sudden surges in usage.

The stockpile needs to be refreshed to maintain resiliency, with the current batch of ART kits having a remaining shelf life of about six months, the ministry said.

The kits, delivered by post, will still be valid for use until the end of the year – during the Northern Hemisphere winter season – when most respiratory viruses, including influenza and Covid-19, may spread more easily globally.

The kit distribution will allow people to take additional precautions while on vacation with their families during this season, MOH added.

This is the fifth round of ART kit distribution. The fourth one in November 2022 gave 12 kits each to over 1.5 million households.

The MOH reminds Singaporeans to be socially responsible and take measures to protect themselves and their families, especially seniors and medically vulnerable people.

Those who have a positive ART result should regard themselves as being infected with Covid-19. They should avoid close contact with others and may return to normal activities when their symptoms resolve.

If there is a need to go out while symptomatic, they should wear a mask, minimise social interactions and avoid crowded places.

Those who are medically vulnerable or with severe, prolonged or worsening acute respiratory infection symptoms should see a doctor.

“We encourage eligible people to receive the recommended vaccine doses. Those aged five years and above who have not completed their minimum protection of vaccinations are urged to do so,” said MOH.

Those aged 60 and above and medically vulnerable folk are recommended to receive the updated bivalent vaccine booster around one year after their last booster dose.

They can start to receive it from five months after their last booster dose, added the ministry.

In April 2022, as part of a large-scale easing of Covid-19 measures, group size limits and safe distancing requirements were removed.

The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) level, which indicates the current disease situation, was also lowered from orange to yellow.

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