SINGAPORE (Feb 6): Q&M Dental Group announced Thursday that three patients seeking treatment at its medical clinics at City Square Mall and Tampines 1 Mall on Feb 5 had been identified as having symptoms of suspected novel coronavirus infection.
This comes a day after the Ministry of Health (MOH) had revised the definition of suspect cases to include persons with acute respiratory illness of any degree of severity, and who had travelled to mainland China within the past 14 days or had close contact with travellers from mainland China.
In a statement on Thursday, Q&M says it had immediately contacted an MOH surveillance officer upon identifying the symptoms.
The patients were also immediately ushered to separate isolation rooms, and subsequently ushered to the ambulance pick-up point via a designated route designed to minimise exposure to the public.
“Following the guidelines and protocols issued by the MOH, thorough disinfection and sanitisation of the clinics were immediately carried out,” the group says.
Q&M says it has not yet been informed by MOH on the outcome of the tests.
It adds that the three suspected cases were in the group’s medical clinics, and not its dental clinics. As such, operations at Q&M’s dental clinics are not affected.
“In line with best practices, screening and infection control measures will continue to be stringently observed,” Q&M says. “All precautions are taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its patients, clinical staff and doctors.”
Shares in Q&M closed flat at 45 cents on Thursday.
