Minister of State Tan Kiat How and MP Eric Chua test positive for Covid-19

Two MPs spent Chinese New Year in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.

In a Facebook post shared on Thursday (Feb 3), Minister of State for National Development and Communications and Information Tan Kiat How wrote that he has recovered from the coronavirus after testing positive days earlier.

Describing how he self-isolated in his study room with "hardly any symptoms", Tan said: "I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been doing almost daily antigen rapid test (ART).

"Over the next few days, I didn't step out of the study except to use the bathroom and to collect my meals, which were left on the floor outside the study. I spent a fair bit of my solitary confinement catching up on anime."

Tan shared that after his wife also tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, their priority was to protect their 18-month-old son, Isaac.

"We scrambled to pack all of Isaac's stuff (and kids have a lot of stuff!) and shipped him off to his grandparents," Tan said.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/kiathowsg/posts/378874234047195[/embed]

Eric Chua, the Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development and Culture, Community and Youth, also took to Facebook on the same day to share that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

But unlike Tan, the Tanjong Pagar GRC MP had experienced body aches and a fever, and took the ART "as a precaution and a routine".

Chua said: "After seeing the faint line under the letter 'T', I freshened up, double masked myself up and proceeded to the nearest GP (general practitioner) via private transport (I drove) to get myself assessed."

Chua was placed on Protocol 2 by the doctor, which means self-isolation at home for 72 hours before he has to take another ART by himself. Under the current health ministry guidelines, he will be free to go out if he tests negative.

"I'm still experiencing some light symptoms and I do apologise for the several cancelled events over the next few days," Chua said.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/EricChuaSL.SG/posts/391107279489830[/embed]

On Thursday, Singapore saw 4,297 new Covid-19 cases as well as one death from the disease.

chingshijie@asiaone.com