Bedok Central TB cases: Hawkers & merchants to get half-month rental rebate after reduced footfall

The government will be offering rental rebates to help small businesses in Bedok Central that have seen fewer visitors after the recent tuberculosis (TB) clusters announcement.

Eligible hawkers and merchants at 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market, one of the affected locations, will only need to pay half of their rent and service and conservancy charges (S&CC) in May.

These two rebates will be provided by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the East Coast Town Council respectively.

The measures were shared by East Coast GRC Members of Parliament (MPs) Tan Kiat How and Edwin Tong on their Facebook pages on May 4.

The support measures were put together after the MPs visited the affected hawkers and merchants, Tong said.

"Both of these measures will help alleviate their financial position given the current reduced footfall," he added.

Reduced footfall

The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) announced on Apr. 30 that 13 cases with genetic similarities were discovered across three clusters in Bedok Central between January 2023 and February 2026.

The affected locations are Heartbeat@Bedok, 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market, and the Singapore Pools Bedok Betting Centre.

Mandatory TB screening began on May 4 for tenants and workers at these locations, while members of the public can also sign up for voluntary screening.

Screening has now been extended by one more day to May 8 to accommodate more residents, Tan said.

The news about the clusters sparked concern among the public, causing people to avoid the affected locations.

The number of customers at Ummi Kitchen and FZ Vegetarian hawker stalls has fallen by as much as 70 and 60 per cent respectively, the owners told The Straits Times.

Since the news broke, Tan has made several Facebook posts encouraging the public to continue patronising the area.

He also reiterated that none of the reported TB cases were people working at the three locations, and that the area remains safe.

Showing support

Amid the public concern, many went forward for the TB screening, and many more visited the affected hawkers to show support.

Some even travelled across the island to support them, Tan said on May 4.

Tong, in his post, said that to further reassure the public, the MPs will engage the Hawker and Merchant Associations and work with them to step up cleaning and sanitisation in the area when suitable.

While awaiting the screening results, support will be in place for those who need it, Tong also assured.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and do more if needed as we work towards a return to normalcy," he added.