LABUAN: Fishmongers, other vendors and workers at the busy Pasar Sentral Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here today began taking the COVID-19 test as required by the authorities after a disease cluster was detected there last week.
The wet and dry market of the UTC has remained closed since Dec 10 following detection of the Hujung Pasir Cluster involving vegetable vendors, fishmongers and visitors, with 18 cases recorded so far.
At least 178 fishmongers, other vendors and food service providers at the wet and dry market on the ground floor and food centre on the second floor of the three-storey building made a beeline for the test as early as 9 am.
The COVID-19 Surveillance and Test Exercise at the UTC is being carried out with the collaboration of the Labuan Health Department and the Office of Labuan Senator Datuk Bashir Alias.
The senator’s office yesterday requested the Labuan Health Department to conduct the tests free of charge for all registered Pasar Sentral UTC fishmongers and other vendors who have yet to undergo the test.
Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said those with COVID-19 symptoms will be quarantined.
Labuan UTC Small Vendors Association chairman Asmadi Ahmad said a total of 466 vendors are currently operating at the UTC building, with the wet and dry market having the most number of 299 vendors.
Labuan has recorded 1, 457 COVID-19 cases, with four active clusters - Sky Coklat, Titian, Saguking and Hujung Pasir - as of today.
