S’poreans must be prepared for Wuhan virus spreading in the community: PM Lee
Prime Minister Lee pledged that the Government would continue to monitor the situation and do more if needed.
SINGAPORE — While there has not been local transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus in the city-state, Singaporeans must be prepared for it to spread in the community, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.
“We have not had local transmission or community spread yet, but that can happen, and we must be prepared for it,” Mr Lee wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 28), hours after authorities in Singapore ratcheted up measures against the virus.
Experts believe that the Wuhan virus may be less lethal but more infectious than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars), Mr Lee noted.
This means that patients who contract the Wuhan virus may be contagious before symptoms show.
“If true, this will make it harder to screen and detect new cases, and to stop the spread,” Mr Lee cautioned.
The Sars outbreak of 2003 infected 238 people in Singapore and resulted in 33 deaths here.
On Tuesday, the Health Ministry announced that from noon on Wednesday, visitors who travelled to the central Chinese province of Hubei — the epicentre of the virus — in the last 14 days or hold Chinese passports issued in the province will be barred from entering or transiting in Singapore.
Returning Singapore residents and holders of long-term passes, such as work passes, who recently visited Hubei will be quarantined.
Singapore has seven confirmed cases of the virus, all of whom are Chinese nationals from Hubei.
The virus is believed to have originated from an illegal wildlife market in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei. Thousands have since come down with the virus and more than 100 people have died.
ENOUGH MASKS IF USED RESPONSIBLY
Meanwhile, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Health, assured Singaporeans that there are enough masks in Singapore if they are used sensibly and responsibly.
“There is no need to rush to buy masks. We are working with retailers like NTUC FairPrice and Unity Pharmacy to push out the stocks,” he wrote on Facebook.
This was after he visited a warehouse to check on the stockpile with fellow Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, who is also NTUC FairPrice’s chief executive officer.
Dr Lam said people might have noticed that some retailers have started to ration the sale of masks in packs with smaller quantities.
“This is to ensure that there is adequate supply for Singaporeans and to prevent unnecessary hoarding.
“We are also working with retailers to manage pricing and we remind them not to profiteer from the increased demand,” said Dr Lam.
PM LEE URGES CALM
Prime Minister Lee pledged that the Government would continue to monitor the situation and do more if needed.
In the meantime, he urged calm.
“All of us can do our part to limit transmission of germs by practising good hygiene. Wash your hands regularly, and seek medical advice early and wear a mask if you feel unwell.
“But in general, there is no need to wear a mask if you are not ill,” Mr Lee said.
He reiterated that Singapore had been preparing for a crisis like this since the 2003 Sars outbreak.
“We have activated our contingency plans and all our agencies are working together. Our hospitals and healthcare workers are well-prepared,” said Mr Lee.
He also urged the public not to listen to or spread rumours, and to get updated information from trusted sources.
