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20 Apr 2003
Situation Update
As at 20 April 2003, 4 additional SARS patients have been discharged, bringing the total number of patients who have recovered from SARS to 104. 58 SARS patients remain hospitalised. There is 1 additional SARS case reported today. She is a 28-year-old female visitor who was in contact with a SARS patient in NUH Emergency Department. The SARS patient was admitted to NUH on 8 Apr, transferred to TTSH on 9 Apr and died on 12 Apr.
Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market
Active contact tracing is currently underway for persons who might have come into contact with the three SARS cases from the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market. They include their family members, and the GP and sinsehs that the patients had visited. They will be served home quarantine orders.
In addition, as a precaution, all the stallholders and employees at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market will also be placed on home quarantine orders for a period of 10 days. Persons who are served the Home Quarantine Order must stay at home at all times for the duration stated in the Order. If they breach the order, they will be liable for a fine or jail term. The government would provide financial assistance to those served with the Home Quarantine Orders for the period of the quarantine.
The Ministry of Health would like to strongly urge members of the public who have been to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market during the period from 5 to 19 April 2003 and who have a fever or symptoms of muscle ache, cough or difficulty in breathing, to call the MOH Special Ambulance Hotline at 9-178-8477 / 9-178-8478 immediately. An ambulance will be despatched to bring them for screening at the Emergency Department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The 24-hour ambulance hotline is free of charge. Remember, the sooner you are screened at Tan Tock Seng to exclude SARS, the better you can protect yourself, your families and other people. We would like to appeal to the public not to use the ambulance line as a general inquiry hotline as it would clog up the service for those who need it.
It is critical that we minimise the risk of community spread of SARS. The strong pre-emptive measures being taken are in line with this, but we also need the full cooperation of the public - those who have visited Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market should come forward to TTSH for assessment, as soon as they have fever or feel unwell.
It is Safe to go to TTSH
The public can be assured that they will not catch SARS by coming to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for SARS screening or follow up. Tan Tock Seng Hospital is safe because of the stringent infection controls.
No TTSH staff looking after known SARS patients have caught the infection after the enhanced infection control precautions were put in place in TTSH.
Strict infection control measures are in place at TTSH to ensure the safety of those who go there for SARS screening. Masks are given to all patients. All staff wear masks, gowns and gloves so they cannot infect patients or get infected. Spacious waiting areas are provided. Patients with low risks of SARS are seen by separate doctors in separate clinics. Patients admitted for observation are provided individual rooms. They are never made to stay with other Suspect patients or Probable SARS patients. All precautions are taken so that patients are protected from catching the infection.
Health screening for incoming air and sea passengers
Between 4 pm yesterday to 4 pm today, there were 5 passengers that were screened and none was referred to TTSH. There was one passenger who required screening by the nurses at the ferry terminals. The person was further referred to TTSH for assessment.
Summary of SARS cases
A summary of the SARS cases to date:
Discharged: 104
Hospitalised: 58 (including 19 in intensive care)
Deaths: 14 + 2 (pending further post mortem test results)
Total: 178
Suspected: 87 (including 7 children below 18)
Under home quarantine orders: 467
Travel advisory
MOH urges the public to heed World Health Organisation (WHO)'s advice to postpone travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong until another time. We would also like to advise the public to avoid travel to other SARS affected areas - Beijing, Shanxi, Hanoi and Toronto, unless absolutely necessary.