SINGAPORE: Shop owners and hawkers in Bukit Merah whose businesses were affected by a spate of tuberculosis cases will get S$250 (US$185) in cash assistance.
The one-off grant will be given to stalls at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, as well as shops operating at Blocks 1, 2 and 7 Jalan Bukit Merah, MP for the area Eric Chua told CNA on Friday (Feb 16).
The move is a joint effort by the Queenstown Citizens Consultative Committee and the Central Singapore Community Development Council in view of the poor business conditions, Mr Chua said.
“This cash grant is a show of the Queenstown grassroots organisations’ solidarity with our ABC hawkers and local businesses, and will be disbursed by the end of February,” he said.
The MP said he has also appealed to the authorities for rental and conservancy rebates, and details of these are being finalised.
Hawkers at ABC Brickworks previously told CNA that sales plummeted after news of tuberculosis cases emerged in early January.
Patrons shunned the popular food centre for fear of being infected, even though ministers and MPs tried to dispel worries by posting photos on social media of themselves dining there.
Weeks later, business has improved but some customers are still staying away, hawkers said.
Mandatory screening for tuberculosis in the area began on Jan 11 after 10 active cases were detected, linked to a cluster first uncovered in 2022.
For this exercise, screening was mandatory for those who live and work in Blocks 1 and 3 Jalan Bukit Merah, workers at ABC Brickworks, and clients and staff of Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre.
Two infectious cases of tuberculosis were detected from the 2,548 people screened for the disease. Another 322 people were diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection and 66 people had to undergo further evaluation. The rest tested negative.
Those with latent tuberculosis infection cannot spread the disease, which is endemic here and curable if treated early, said the Ministry of Health.
But some people are still worried, said one regular customer at ABC Brickworks who was enjoying a bowl of fried tofu when CNA spoke to him on Wednesday.
“They do not know what is tuberculosis. The problem is ignorance,” said Mr Tommy Tan, 76, who owns a salad stall in Bukit Merah that is outside the affected area.
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by a bacterium that usually affects the lungs but can affect parts of the body. Common symptoms include a persistent cough that lasts three weeks or longer, low-grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, chest pain and coughing up blood or sputum.
Transmission of the tuberculosis bacteria from active cases usually requires prolonged exposure – days to weeks of exposure. A person cannot get tuberculosis from sharing cups, utensils or food.