3 new tuberculosis clusters detected in Bedok; risk to residents remains low

Added: 2026-04-30

[00:00:00]The ministry of health has identified a cluster of uh tuberculosis or TB uh patients who live the east side of Singapore and they frequent uh 216 market as well as hidok. Therefore as a precautionary measure uh the mo is requiring our hawkers and stockholders at the market and food center as well as employees of hybrid bok as well as one of the betting centers here to go through mandatory blood testing. It's really a precautionary measure because the risk of uh getting TB from casual transient contact is actually very low.

[00:00:35]You need prolonged close contact to uh get infected with TB. Coming for a meal, joining activities, handshake, having a conversation, the risk is actually very very very low. I would like to uh emphasize that the risk to boke residents is in general low. TB transmission requires close and prolonged contact with a TB case and that takes place over days, weeks and months, not minutes or hours like say COVID 19.

[00:01:07]Therefore, you cannot get TB from sharing of food, sharing utensils, sharing of cups or shaking hands or even sharing a toilet seat. TB does not transmit that way. You also do not get TB from uh touching different surfaces.

[00:01:21]Therefore, there's no need to close down these locations.