35 students & 2 staff of Catholic High report gastroenteritis symptoms during school camp

35 students and two staff from Catholic High School (Primary) developed gastroenteritis symptoms after attending a camp at the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s Labrador Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre from Aug. 26 to 28.

As of Aug. 28, 37 individuals were reported to have developed gastroenteritis symptoms.

However, none of these individuals were hospitalised, according to a joint statement issued by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Ministry of Health (MOH).

What happened

A Catholic High spokesman said the camp, which was attended by Primary 5 students, was "run by the school's appointed vendor", according to The Straits Times (ST).

Following the reports, all affected students and staff were monitored closely at the sick bay.

In addition to working with the campsite office to clean and sanitise the premises, the school also conducted checks with the cohort immediately, said the spokesman.

The school "observed that the majority of the students remained well", he added.

School arranged for alternative food vendor

As a precautionary measure, the school arranged for another food vendor to provide subsequent meals for the camp attendees, the spokesman said.

Some of the affected students returned home, while those who recovered resumed their camp activities, he added.

The school also made "follow-up calls" to check on their health status and informed the cohort's parents through Parents Gateway, a portal where parents can access their children's school announcements, amongst others.

As of Aug. 29, most of the affected students and staff had recovered and returned to school, said the spokesman.

He added that the school is working with MOH and SFA to investigate the incident and will continue monitoring the well-being of its students and staff.

Original food vendor reportedly involved in similar incident in Feb. 2024

While the original food vendor was not named, CNA reported that it understands the company was also involved in an alleged food poisoning case which took place at a three-day camp for Secondary 1 students from Northbrooks Secondary School earlier this year.

According to ST, 26 students and a teacher reported to have developed gastroenteritis after eating food provided at the camp in February 2024.

However, the food vendor declined to respond to CNA's queries, saying that SFA investigations are ongoing.

Joint statement from SFA and MOH

In response to Mothership's queries, SFA and MOH said they are investigating the gastroenteritis cases.

SFA and MOH also emphasised that food safety is "a joint responsibility", adding:

"While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food safety practices. SFA will not hesitate to take enforcement action against errant food operators."

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