The novel corona virus that was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei province, China is now officially named as COVID-19 by WHO. The deadly and highly contagious virus is known to cause severe pneumonia which might lead to death. There is still no cure/vaccine for this virus at the moment.

Because of the recently identified Bangladeshi worker contracted with COVID-19, foreign domestic workers (maids) are now considered as having higher risk of contagion. Government issued the following updates:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 11 Feb]

2019-nCoV [DORSCON ORANGE]
Precautions for Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) and employers

For both the FDW and employer:
– Wash hands frequently and properly
– Cover one’s mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing/sneezing and dispose of it immediately
– Avoid sharing food, utensils and personal items
– If feeling unwell, wear a mask, see a doctor promptly

For the employer:
– Consider having everyone in the household take temperature twice daily
– Minimise contact between an unwell FDW and those under her care
– Monitor the health and temperature of children/elderly under your FDW’s care and watch for symptoms

Off-day arrangements
– If FDW goes out: Advise her to avoid crowded places and contact with those who display flu-like symptoms.
– If FDW stays at home: Employers should not assign work to them.
– If FDW forgoes the off-day: Employers must provide compensation.

For more: go.gov.sg/ncov-fdw

Government also provided another clarification on the nature of the virus:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 11 Feb]

Infectious disease expert Dr Leong Hoe Nam dispels common misconceptions about 2019-nCoV

Should I handle common objects like money?
If you handle money, make sure you wash your hands, be it with alcohol, or soap and water, before you touch your face.

Should I avoid places where confirmed/suspect cases have been?
No as those places would have been cleaned thoroughly and be one of the cleanest spots in Singapore. NEA’s guidelines for cleaning here go.gov.sg/neaadvisory

Is my online shopping package safe to handle?
When the packages travel, even through Wuhan, the long process and exposure to the sun would have destroyed the virus.

Should I be worried if I live near a quarantine site?
No. The virus can only spread by droplets. The virus does not go into the air. You cannot breathe it in.

Watch in full: go.gov.sg/ncov-expert1
On the nCoV situation in Singapore: go.gov.sg/ncov-sg

Additional measures for preschools:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 11 Feb]

[DORSCON ORANGE] Measures for preschool children and staff

In all preschools:
– Limit visitors. If necessary to enter, temperature checks and travel declarations needed
– Limit staff deployment across centres
– Suspend large group activities and excursions
– 14-day Leave of Absence for staff/children returning from China, and for those with household members under quarantine
– More health and temperature checks
– Step up cleaning and encourage good personal hygiene

One of the confirmed nCoV cases is a grandfather who picked up his grandchild from a preschool in Kovan

Facts of the case:
– The preschool had earlier taken precautionary measures, eg. Visitors are restricted from entering the preschool
– Staff and children were not in close contact with the grandfather
– The child is well; household is under Quarantine
– School has been thoroughly disinfected and sanitised; LOA issued to
teachers and children in the same class.

For more: go.gov.sg/ncov-preschool

Updates on the number of positive cases and recoveries:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 11 Feb]

Update on 2019-nCoV cases

MOH has confirmed 2 new cases as of 12pm on 11 Feb.

Separately, 2 more confirmed cases have been discharged from hospital today, making it a total of 9 who have fully recovered.

Confirmed: 47
Tested negative: 608
Pending results: 43
Discharged: 9

Most of remaining 38 are stable or improving. 7 are in critical condition in ICU.

Both new cases have no recent travel history to China.

Case 46: Male Singapore PR, 35, went to work at RWS Casino prior to admission.

Case 47: Male Bangladesh National, 39, a Singapore Work Pass holder. He went to work at Seletar Aerospace Heights (same location as case 42), prior to admission.

Of the 25 locally transmitted case, 15 have links to 3 known clusters. Contact tracing is underway for the remaining 10.

For more: go.gov.sg/moh11feb

Stay vigilant and save everyone!

Update on cleaning of public places:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 10 Feb]

In light of the 2019-nCoV outbreak, cleaning efforts are being ramped up in our public spaces:

🏘 Estates
Increased cleaning and disinfecting, esp for touchpoints like lift buttons, railings, table tops and seats found in common areas.

🚌 Public transport
Trains and buses will be disinfected more regularly, esp for touchpoints like grab poles, overhead handles, seats and windows. Surfaces at MRT and LRT stations, and bus interchanges will be cleaned and disinfected.

🍲 Markets and hawker centres
Stallholders are being engaged on public hygiene and cleanliness. This includes proper handwashing, monitoring their temperature, disposing refuse properly and separating raw and cooked food.

🍽 Food establishments
Operators are advised to practice good housekeeping, such as storing goods above floor level to facilitate cleaning, ensuring bins are covered at all times, and to wash and disinfect all bins daily.

Advisories: go.gov.sg/NEAadvisory
Read: go.gov.sg/ncov-cleanspaces

Update on additional measures for workplaces:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 10 Feb]

2019-nCoV: Further measures for workplaces

Stepping up Business Continuity Plans (BCP):
👨‍💻 Consider split team arrangements
🏠 Allow backend staff to work from home where possible
🌡 Temperature screening of staff and visitors

For large-scale events:
❌ Employers are advised to defer or cancel non-essential events.

📝 If proceeding, additional precautions should be taken, like temperature screening and denying entry to
– unwell individuals
– those with travel history to China
– those on a Leave of Absence (LOA)

For those on LOA:
🏠 Employers may allow them to work from home, where possible.
✅ If not possible, employers should provide additional paid leave, or other mutually-agreed arrangements.

For those on Home Quarantine Order:
✅ Deemed to be on paid hospitalisation leave for the duration of the Order

Read more:
go.gov.sg/workplaceadvisory

Update on additional measures for taxis and private hire cars:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 10 Feb]

2019-nCoV [DORSCON Orange] Enhanced measures for Taxi and Private Hire Car passengers and drivers 🚕🚙

Temperature screening 🌡
– All taxi and private hire car (PHC) drivers advised to check their temperatures at least twice daily
– Those unwell should see a doctor immediately
– Drivers who don’t have a fever will receive a sticker indicating they’ve been checked
– PHC operators will require drivers to take + submit temperature via mobile apps
– LTA and driver associations will work with taxi/PHC operators to progressively set up temp-taking stations for all taxi/PHC drivers

Masks 😷
– Passengers to be socially responsible and wear masks if unwell, before boarding taxis/ PHCs
– Drivers to offer mask, if available, to unwell passengers without a mask, riding to seek medical attention
– Govt to contribute 300,000 masks for operators to distribute to active drivers

Read more: go.gov.sg/taxiandphc

Update on number of positive cases:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 10 Feb]

Update on 2019-nCoV cases

MOH has confirmed 2 new cases as of 12pm on 10 Feb. One was on the evacuation flight from Wuhan.
1 more confirmed case has been discharged from hospital today.

Confirmed: 45
Tested negative: 581
Pending results: 39
Discharged: 7
Most of remaining 38 are stable or improving. 7 are in critical condition in ICU.

Case 44: Male S’porean, 37, no recent travel history to China, worked at Certis Cisco Centre, was on duty at Chingay 2020, stays at Sembawang Drive

Case 45: Female S’porean, 2, evacuated from Wuhan on 30 Jan

No evidence of transmission through aerosol
Based on evidence available in China, an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that there is currently no evidence that the virus can be transmitted through aerosol. The currently known transmission routes of the virus are via respiratory droplets and physical contact.

More: go.gov.sg/moh10feb

Stay vigilant and safe everyone!

Update on possible scams during this crisis:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 9 Feb]

Beware of scam callers asking for financial details, and claiming to be from the Ministry of Health conducting contact tracing.

How do you know if MOH is really calling you?
MOH will not ask for your financial details when conducting contact tracing.

📞 If you wish to verify the authenticity of a call about contact tracing, use the MOH General hotline at 6325 9220, or

🖥 Refer to official sources for information, such as www.moh.gov.sg (MOH website) and go.gov.sg/2019ncov (Gov.sg website)

SMH… I hope these scammers receive cruel retribution for such a cruel action during this crisis.

Update on measures to protect the vulnerable groups:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 9 Feb]

Further safeguards for vulnerable groups

🏫 Preschools & facilities providing care and social services will:
– Restrict casual visitors
– Limit movement of staff across different facilities

In addition, facilities providing care and social services will:
– Allow max 2 designated caregivers/visitors per enrolled client/resident
– Increase temperature screening to twice daily

If you wish to use MSF frontline services (e.g. submitting Baby Bonus forms) use online services, or email/post instead, to avoid crowds 💻📧

More on:
Raised protection of vulnerable groups
go.gov.sg/raisedprotect

MSF advisories:
go.gov.sg/2019ncovadvisorymsf

Update on enhanced measures for public transportation:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 9 Feb]

Enhanced transport measures

How are public transport facilities being kept clean? 🚌🚆
All transport operators have stepped up measures to ensure good public hygiene for Singaporeans:
✔ More cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, especially high-contact points like seats and handrails
✔ Staff have started taking temperature regularly and practise good personal hygiene

Is it safe to take public transport?
Yes. The risk of nCoV infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or public places, is low.

Is it safe to take taxis or private-hire cars?
Yes, they have been:
✔ Ramping up cleaning efforts
✔ Winding down windows for ventilation after trips

How can I play a part?
🧼Wash hands often with soap
🙆‍♂Avoid touching face
😷 Wear a mask if sick or recovering from illness
🤧 Cover your mouth with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose used tissue paper immediately

For more information: go.gov.sg/ncov-cleanspaces

Update on number of positive cases:

[Sent by Gov.sg – 9 Feb]

Update on 2019-nCoV cases

MOH has confirmed 3 new cases as of 12pm on 9 Feb. The cases have no recent travel history to China.
4 confirmed cases have been discharged from hospital today.

Confirmed: 43
Tested negative: 516
Pending results: 98
Discharged: 6

Most of remaining 37 are stable or improving. 6 are in critical condition in ICU.

Case 41: Male S’porean, 71, visited Paya Lebar Methodist Church and a gathering at Braddell Heights residents’ Committee

Case 42: Male Bangladesh national, 39, visited Mustafa Centre prior to admission, stays at a dormitory in Kaki Bukit Road

Case 43: Male S’porean, 54, stayed at home prior to hospital admission, except for trips to seek treatment

Medical practitioners are on the lookout for suspect cases, so S’pore will likely see more cases that will need to be investigated.

For more: go.gov.sg/moh9feb

Leave of Absence
MOM has revoked 4 work passes for breaches of LOA, and suspended privileges of 6 employers go.gov.sg/breach

Stay safe everyone!