Wuhan virus: No new cases in Singapore, 186 close contacts isolated or quarantined

UPDATE: A joint statement from three ministries warned landlords not to evict tenants who are placed on leaves of absence (LOAs) or home quarantine orders (HQOs).

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (3 February) announced that there are no new cases of the Wuhan coronavirus as of 2pm, with the total tally standing at 18.

It is the second day in a row with no new confirmed cases in Singapore, with the latest two announced by the ministry on Saturday.

Singapore remains the third country with the highest number of confirmed cases outside mainland China, behind Thailand and Japan.

16 of the 18 cases – all of whom have travelled to Hubei province, home to Wuhan, recently – are Chinese nationals while the remaining two are Singaporeans. The ministry said that there is currently no evidence of community spread here.

None of the cases is critically ill and all remain in stable condition, with most of them improving, added the MOH.

The ministry also said that 262 suspect cases have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, while test results for the remaining 32 cases are pending as of 12pm on Monday.

Contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing, it added.

As of 12pm on Monday, the MOH has identified 256 close contacts.

Once the close contacts are identified, they will be closely monitored by the ministry and quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient.

In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.

Of the 187 who are still in Singapore, 186 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated. Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining close contact.

524 individuals quarantined

In Parliament on Monday, co-chair of a multi-ministry taskforce for the coronavirus, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, said that a total of 524 individuals are currently quarantined in Singapore. Of that figure, 222 are being housed in government quarantine facilities, with the remaining at home.

The minister also revealed that since Saturday, more than 200,000 face mask packs – or 15 per cent of the total – have been distributed by the government. The decision to release masks directly from the national stockpile – built up over the years thanks to crises like the SARS epidemic – to the general public was taken thanks to a “rapid consumption rate” by the public, he added.

Landlords who evict tenants face restrictions

A joint statement by the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower on Monday (4 February) said that the government has received feedback of landlords evicting tenants who are placed on LOA or HQO, and based on their nationality.

The statement said that guidelines are available for landlords to adopt should they have a tenant who is on home quarantine or LOA. There is no need for them to evict persons who are serving their HQO or LOA.

Landlords found to have irresponsibly evicted their residents may face restrictions and even be barred from renting out their flats to foreign work pass holders in future.

Same family of coronaviruses as SARS

The novel strain belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak and also started in China.

On Monday, China's death toll from the coronavirus epidemic soared past 360, exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the SARS outbreak.

The coronavirus has also spread to 26 territories beyond mainland China, sickening close over 17,000 people worldwide. The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the new virus last Thursday (GMT), after initially downplaying the threat posed by the disease.

The new strain likely originated from Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market, where live animals or products – such as foxes, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, porcupines, and camel meat – are sold.

Patients suffering from the new strain may exhibit fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness – such as coughing or difficulty in breathing –, as well as pneumonia-like symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, and headache.

However, some who have died from it have not displayed symptoms of fever, according to details released by China’s National Health Commission, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travellers as they arrive at airports and other travel hubs.

This means that temperature screening, the most common measure being used at transport links and airports to check travellers, may not identify some infected people.

Travel ban

On Friday, the taskforce announced expanded travel curbs in a bid to contain the outbreak.

All China passport holders not residing in Singapore are barred from entering or transiting through Singapore.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has suspended the issuance of all forms of new visas to those with China passports. Singapore’s status as a visa-free transit facility for those with China passports has also been suspended.

Previously issued short-term and multiple-visit visas for those with China passports would also be suspended. During this period of suspension, they are not allowed entry into Singapore.

Wong said on Monday, that for holders of Chinese passports who have not visited China in the past 14 days, the ICA is prepared to issue them with a short-term visit pass or extend their short-term pass.

All new visitors with recent travel history to mainland China within the last 14 days are not allowed to enter or transit through Singapore.

Returning Singaporeans and long-term visa pass holders with similar recent travel history are allowed to enter, but they have to get 14 days of Leave of Absence upon returning.

As of 1pm on Sunday, 15 travellers have been refused entry into Singapore following these restrictions.

Affected passengers who give false or inaccurate information in their travel history may be subject to penalties under the Infectious Diseases Act. A person who is convicted under the Act could be jailed up to six months and/or fined up to $10,000.

Separately, the MOH has advised Singaporeans to defer all travel to Hubei, and all non-essential travel to mainland China.

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