SINGAPORE, Aug 24 — About 80 preschoolers enrolled at a centre in Bukit Batok have been screened for tuberculosis (TB), after a teacher there was found to have contracted the infectious disease.

The teacher, a Chinese national who taught at the Little Greenhouse pre-school on Bukit Batok Street 31, had phoned in sick last Thursday morning. She had shown no signs of being sick in the days prior, said Ms Ruth Kua, deputy chief operating officer of Global EduHub, the preschool’s parent company.

The teacher did not update the preschool on her condition after she was diagnosed, according to Ms Kua.

The preschool, which has 104 students, found out only on Friday after the Ministry of Health (MOH) called to inform them that there was a confirmed TB case from their school, she added.

About three-quarters of the students were screened today, with the remainder set to undergo screening on Friday.

The 20-odd staff at the preschool will also be screened progressively at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, with about five being screened today.

In addition to sanitising the premises last Saturday, Ms Kua said the preschool phoned or messaged parents, asking them to check on their children’s health. "So far, the majority have reported to us that they are OK,” she said.

The MOH’s TB Control Unit visited the preschool on Monday to assess the environment, as well as provide guidance on the steps to be taken. TODAY has contacted the Health Ministry for details.

Kua said about five children were taken home by their parents after Wednesday’s screening so they could rest.

Six rows of chairs were lined up outside the preschool for parents who may want to observe the screening, but Ms Kua said many did not feel the need to stay behind and described their reaction to date as "very calm.”

Kua said she had sought advice from the Early Childhood Development Agency on the need to temporarily close the centre, and was told that there was "no need at all.”

"But we have to monitor the situation closely and to see what’s the next step... We’ll monitor closely before we make a decision whether to close the centre or not,” she added. — TODAY