Lest you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would know by now that the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases has surpassed 37,000, while the number of deaths has hit over 800.
Both of these figures are more than what was recorded during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) period back in 2002 and 2003.
Countries all over the world are implementing various measures to try to curb the spread of the virus, such as barring entry into the country for those who have travelled to mainland China in the past 14 days.
But in the midst of all of that, what happened to the Singaporeans who are stuck at the epicentre of the outbreak aka Wuhan?
Second Scoot Flight Brought 174 S’poreans & Their Family Members Back to S’pore from Wuhan
Don’t worry, they have not been forgotten. A second flight has brought the Singaporeans and their family members back from Wuhan.
It landed at Changi Airport this Sunday morning.
In total, 174 Singaporeans and their family members were on the flight, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Sunday.
Consular Officers and medical personnel were also on standby on the Scoot flight to provide assistance during the journey if need be.
I know what you’re thinking. Are they going to tabao the Wuhan virus back to Singapore for us?
The answer, thankfully, is no.
In the statement, MFA assured us Singaporeans that those returning will be put through medical screening.
“The returning passengers will undergo medical screening upon arrival at Changi Airport.”
Those found to have a fever or respiratory symptoms will be brought to the designated hospitals for further examination.
The other passengers will be quarantined for 14 days.
“The Singapore Government expresses its appreciation to the PRC government, Hubei provincial government, Wuhan city government, and the PRC Embassy in Singapore for facilitating their safe return.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan took to Facebook to welcome the passengers on the flight home.
He said, “The Singapore Government expresses its appreciation to the PRC government, Hubei provincial government, Wuhan city government, and the PRC Embassy in Singapore for facilitating their safe return.”
You can view the full post here:
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat also welcomed the passengers and said Singapore will “work closely” with China and other countries to overcome the virus.
Seven New Confirmed Cases in Singapore
On Saturday night, seven new cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed which included a taxi driver and a private-hire car driver.
In total, Singapore has 40 confirmed cases of the Wuhan virus.
On Friday, Singapore increased its DORSCON level to Orange after a number of confirmed cases were found without any links to previous cases or travel history to mainland China.
