Situation Update On Sars Preventive Measures In Singapore (18 Dec)

18 Dec 2003

Background

The Ministry of Health reported yesterday on a Taiwanese SARS patient who was in Singapore from 7 Dec 2003 to 10 Dec 2003. The patient was afebrile throughout his three days here. He departed Singapore early in the morning of 10 December 2003, and developed fever only in the evening on the same day following his return to Taiwan.

Contact tracing completed

The Ministry of Health has completed its contact tracing. A total of 276 people have been identified to have come into contact with the Taiwanese SARS patient while he was in Singapore from 7th to 10th December. This includes 76 additional contacts who were on flight CI-662 from Singapore to Taiwan on 10 Dec 03 and who had returned to Singapore. They had not been seated close to the Taiwanese patient. They are currently being contacted to ensure that they are well.

The Ministry has contacted the Singaporean man who was on Flight CI-662 and seated in the same area as the Taiwanese SARS patient. The Singaporean man had returned to Singapore but had left the country again. He reported that he is well. MOH has advised him to monitor himself for fever and symptoms and to seek medical attention should he be unwell. MOH has also notified the authorities in that country.

The Ministry has identified another 5 persons to be placed on HQO till 19 Dec. This brings the total number of persons on Home Quarantine Order (HQO) to 75. The rest are on telephone surveillance and are advised to monitor their own temperature and to seek medical attention when they are unwell.

Only 5 contacts are unwell so far. This includes one person who had been placed under home quarantine order. They have been assessed by the Infectious Disease physicians at the Communicable Disease Centre. Although all of them have been diagnosed as non-SARS, as a precautionary measure, they have been admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre.

With the stringent public health measures that are in place, the Ministry would like to assure the public that there is no cause for alarm. The Ministry is monitoring the situation closely and has taken the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of SARS.