Via the Singapore Ministry of Health: News Highlights. This is a notably detailed response. Excerpt:
7TH FEB 2020
Contact tracing for Case 29 (announced on 6 February) so far has not established a link to previous cases or travel history to mainland China.
2. Today, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed three additional cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Singapore. Contact tracing is underway; as of now, we have not uncovered links to previous cases or travel history to China.
3. As there are now a few local cases without any links to previous cases or travel history to China, we have stepped up our risk assessment from DORSCON Yellow to DORSCON Orange.
Precautionary measures calibrated to manage escalating scenarios
4. We have planned for such a scenario involving community spread. Since last month, the Government has implemented a series of defensive measures to reduce the risk of imported cases and community transmission. We have strengthened these measures progressively as the situation escalated, both globally and in Singapore.
5. With the heightened risk posture of DORSCON Orange, we will be introducing the following additional precautionary measures to minimise the risk of further transmission of the virus in the community:
Additional precautions for large-scale events
6. We advise event organisers to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events. For those who choose to proceed, they should take all necessary precautions. These include: ·
• Carry out temperature screening; ·
• Look out for respiratory symptoms such as cough or runny nose, and deny entry to unwell individuals; ·
• Remind participants not to attend if the participants have recent travel history to mainland China, and require travel declaration, if possible; ·
• Ensure that event venues are ventilated and are adequately equipped with facilities for hand washing; and ·
• Increase the frequency of cleaning commonly used areas; and ·
• Maintain a registration list of participants, if practical.
7. Individuals who are unwell, on Leave of Absence, or have recent travel history to mainland China, should not attend such events. Daily health checks at the workplace
8. All employers should require their employees to conduct regular temperature-taking and check whether they have respiratory symptoms such as cough and runny nose. Temperature should be taken at least twice daily, and anyone with a fever or is unwell should leave office immediately to see a doctor.
Enhance business continuity capability at workplaces
9. All workplaces should step up their business continuity plans, and prepare for widespread community transmission. The business continuity plans can include allowing employees to telecommute or dividing the workforce into segregated teams.
