Singapore raises risk alert for novel coronavirus to Orange

SINGAPORE authorities on Friday evening raised their risk assessment of the 2019 novel coronavirus from Yellow to Orange, the second highest level.

Making the announcement at a press conference, Gan Kim Yong, Health Minister and co-chair of a multi-ministry task force set up to combat the virus, said this comes as the ministry has not been able to establish any link to previous cases or travel history to mainland China for Case 29, which was revealed on Feb 6, despite two days of investigations.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed three new cases on Friday, with contact tracing still underway. Similar to Case 29, MOH has yet to uncover links to previous cases or travel history to mainland China as of 2pm, Mr Gan said.

All three new cases - Cases 31, 32 and 33 - have no recent travel history to China, but two of them had visited Malaysia on several occasions in January.

They bring Singapore's total cases to 33, two of whom are in critical condition in the intensive care unit, said Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at MOH.

The last time the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) was raised to Orange was in 2009 during the H1N1 outbreak, as well as during the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic in 2003.

DORSCON is a colour-coded framework that indicates the government's assessment of the current disease situation.

Orange is an indication that the government now considers the disease severe, with the potential to spread easily between individuals. The next and highest level will be Red.

With the alert level now raised to Orange, authorities are introducing additional precautionary measures to minimise the risk of further transmission in the community, said Lawrence Wong, National Development Minister and co-chair of the multi-ministry task force.

This includes advice to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events. Those who choose to proceed with such events should take necessary precautions, including temperature screening and a heightened alertness towards unwell individuals or people who have recent travel history to mainland China.

Employers too should conduct regular temperature-taking at least twice a day, and all workplaces should step up their business continuity plans, MOH said in its statement. This can include allowing employees to telecommute or dividing the workforce into segregated teams.

MOH said it will also implement temperature screening and closer controls of entry points into hospitals while ensuring hospitals put in measures to care for pneumonia patients separately from other patients.

Liew Wei Li, director of schools at the Ministry of Education, said schools will suspend inter-school and external activities till the end of the March school holidays with immediate effect.

Preschools and social and eldercare services will also limit the number of visitors to their premises.

"As a general good practice, we advise people not to shake hands during this period, but adopt alternative greetings," Mr Gan said.

MOH's statement noted that such measures will only be effective in containing the spread of the virus if individuals also play their part. The ministry urged individuals to practice good personal hygiene, calling it "the most effective method" to prevent transmission.

People who are unwell should stay home and wear a mask if they must go out, such as to see a doctor, MOH said.