As you’d probably know, there’s an influx of Wuhan virus confirmed cases in China and across the world in the last 24 hours.
And just when you thought Singapore’s safe from this spike, you’re wrong.
After a new confirmed case was reported yesterday (27 January 2020), two more confirmed cases were announced today, bringing the total confirmed case to seven here in Singapore.
Two New Confirmed Cases Also From Wuhan
Just like all the confirmed cases, these two new cases hail from Wuhan, too, and had arrived in Singapore before the Wuhan lockdown.
The first is a 56-year-old Chinese national who landed in Singapore on 19 January 2020, and had stayed with his family members in Pasir Ris Grove.
The area only has condos and no HDBs blocks.
It was only seven days later, at 25 January 2020, that he developed his symptoms.
He then went to Changi General Hospital the next day, and was tested positive for the virus yesterday (27 January 2020) at 11pm.
The other new patient, who’s 35 years old, has landed in Singapore on 23 January 2020 and stayed in Marina Bay Sands. His symptoms came the next day, and after going to Raffles Hospital on the same day, he was transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
He, too, was tested positive on the same day and time as the previous patient.
So all in all, in the whole of yesterday (27 January 2020), three people were tested positive, and all three of them are from Wuhan.
With this trend, the authorities have set in new travel restrictions.
No Entry or Transit for Travellers with Passports Issued in Hubei
For a start, the “ban” is now official.
From tomorrow (29 January 2020) noon onwards, there will be no entry or even transit through Singapore for people who’ve been to Hubei in the last 14 days, and people who hold a passport that’s issued in Hubei.
How about those who are already in Singapore, like all the seven cases reported so far?
The authorities will be contacting all of them—estimated to be about 2,000—and would assess whether they are at risk. High-risk individuals will be quarantined, and non-compliance on the Quarantine Orders could lead to jail-time.
Now, for the final group of people who have long-term residence in Singapore (e.g. returning residents or long-term visit passes), how about them? These people who have been to Hubei or have a Hubei-issued passport will be quarantined on their return—with or without a fever.
In other words, almost anyone who’s travel history in Hubei will either not be able to enter Singapore or would be quarantined immediately.
Lest you’re not aware, Wuhan is the capital city of Hubei province. The entire province is now under a city-by-city quarantine.
So far, Hong Kong and Malaysia have travel bans for people from Hubei, too.
