“In fact, the bigger risk is importation of cases from countries where we have not had travel restrictions because the countries with travel restrictions may very well have contained the virus,” he said.
The World Health Organization has been criticized for stopping short of calling the rapidly-spreading coronavirus a pandemic, which it defines as the worldwide spread of a new disease. That designation could spur countries to roll out higher-level, emergency-grade response plans around the globe – and bring more disruptions to daily life.
Singapore’s slower virus case growth is a marked contrast to the more rapid spread in some other developed Asian economies including South Korea and Japan. That’s led to questions about whether Singapore’s aggressive containment actions could be a model for other countries to copy, or if its unique circumstances as an advanced city-state with tight government controls mean its solutions aren’t easily repeatable.
By Friday, the number of cases globally approached 100,000 as the outbreak in the US gathered pace, and China and South Korea continued to report new infections and deaths. Singapore has tallied 117 confirmed cases as of Thursday evening, while a total of 81 have fully recovered and been discharged from the hospital.
Earlier this month in the US, National Institutes of Health infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci told NBC News the coronavirus outbreak had now reached “likely pandemic proportions,” a reporter at the network said in a tweet.
Nevertheless, Singapore has stopped short of calling the outbreak a pandemic. “Because it is often a largely emotional element associated with this term it may be better to be more precise in our choice of words rather than use the word pandemic,” Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also a co-chair of the task force said at the press conference on Friday morning. “Perhaps it would be more accurate talking about how it spread across countries.”
Cleaner Singapore
In the latest effort to quell transmission in Singapore, the government on Friday said it will amend its environmental public health laws later this year to introduce mandatory cleaning standards. It will cover public cleanliness standards on the frequency of disinfection of high contact areas, pest management and back-of-house waste management.
“Although Singapore is generally considered a clean and green city, we want to further step up cleanliness and hygiene standards in all facets of our lives, and make these our new norms,” Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said in a statement.
While the penalties for an offense under the new standards are not yet known, Singapore is known for its strict laws. Those caught littering or spitting at a public place face a maximum fine of $2,000 for first offense while repeat offenders could be penalized up to $10,000.
Despite the measures, Singapore continues to see new cases arising. This week it received an imported case of an individual who arrived in the city-state on a Turkish Airlines flight. The Health Ministry said the passenger was symptomatic while on board the flight and authorities will identify, contact trace and quarantine cabin crew as well as passengers who were sitting within two rows of him.
