An employee at its headquarters, who was tested on 11 February, was confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19.
DBS has evacuated its staff from the bank's Marina Bay Financial Center (MBFC) Tower 3 headquarters following confirmation that one of its employees there had contracted the Covid-19 virus.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the bank said it is «providing the employee and his family with every support and guidance» and is conducting detailed contact tracing with all employees and other parties that the infected employee may have come into contact with. It is also deep cleaning and disinfecting the affected office space in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines.
CBD on High Alert
In the meantime, staff on the affected floor have been instructed to work from home, and all employees will be provided a personal hygiene and protection care pack, the bank said.
The news comes a day after two cases were reported in Singapore's central business district, with one located just next door at MBFC Tower 1, where Standard Chartered is a key tenant. The other case is an employee of United Industrial Corporation (UIC), who works at Clifford Centre.
Preventive Measures
Buildings in the area have stepped up preventive measures in recent days, requiring all tenants and guests to undergo a temperature screening before entering and to fill up forms with their contact information and recent travel history.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued an advisory urging financial institutions to adopt additional measures and precautions on 7 February, the same day the city-state raised its response level to Orange (moderate).
Update: According to «The Business Times» under 200 employees were affected by the evacuation, and about 20 employees who came into direct contact with the case will be required to take a 14-day leave of absence.
