Block 75 Hawker Centre Gets a Sudden Sanitization Sweep
When a hawker’s assistant tests positive for COVID‑19 over the weekend, the whole Block 75 Lord 5 Toa Payoh hawker centre goes into wipe‑out mode. This morning, a team of six PPE‑clad folks rolled in with buckets of disinfectant and a forceful determination to make every table and chair squeaky clean.
What Went Down
- The cleaning crew spent an hour spraying and wiping—think of it as a full‑scale house‑cleaning party but for a public space.
- Notice boards announced the centre would be closed until further notice and that a deeper clean would be completed on Thursday and Friday.
- Stallholders were tipped off at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. They were given a tight window of three hours to pack up and then told to quarantine at home for 14 days.
- Swab testers dropped by some stallholders’ homes on Thursday to test them for COVID‑19.
Inside the Splash
Mr Tan Boon Chuan, 50, runs a dessert stall with his wife. He told us in Mandarin, “It was very sudden and the whole hawker centre was a mess. Everyone was anxiously packing up.”
He had to toss out all the pre‑prepared ingredients for the day and probably the leftovers he left behind. “We’re just waiting to be tested,” he added, noting that most hawkers—including himself—are fully vaccinated.
Feelings & Financial Worries
- Madam Ang Goon Lay, 56, sells drinks at the centre. Her daughter, Ms Lim Jia Hui, said her mother tested negative on a rapid test and was fine.
- She also noted her mother received a call from the Health Ministry that was initially thought to be a scam.
- Though not worried about infection, her mother is concerned about the lost income, as the hawker centre isn’t expected to reopen until July 25.
For now, the community sits in a rib‑crowing pause, hoping the containment measures hold and the centre returns to its bustling, condiment‑filled life soon.
Hawker Centre Closed Until July 25—Hopeful Reopening on the Horizon
Quick Rundown: Our local hawker hub is shut for a bit longer, but the bureau looks bright-eyed for a snaggle‑week resurgence. The culprit? A single stall‑assistant who’s tested positive for Covid. Below are the juicy details, boiled down to the essentials.
Who’s the Bad Guy?
- Name: Not mentioned in the memo, but known to work in Fang Yuan Satay.
- Job: Stall assistant at the food haven.
- Suspected Sprint: Fell in love with noise and numbers at a KTV lounge on Sunday.
- Absences: Skipped the 9‑to‑5 on Monday, felt a little off on Tuesday, and finally hit the doctor.
What’s the Boss’s Take?
Mr. Tan, the hawker centre management, is iconically optimistic.
- He declared the centre safe—the assistant never mingled with other staff.
- With a positive test in the mix, he says our hawkers are psychologically prepared for such hiccups, because the foot‑traffic jungle is a inevitable part of life.
- He remains confident it won’t make a dent in the centre’s daily grind.
Official Chill Status
Find the hawker hub under a semi‑closed umbrella until July 25. The server’s open-minded door hopes to swing back sooner if the health updates keep rolling favorable. Keep your plates ready!
Sources
This story originally landed in The Straits Times. © and re‑granting licences required for further reproduction.
