Singapore: Authorities to further ease COVID-19 restrictions from September 28 /update 20

Event

Singaporean authorities will further ease restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from Monday, September 28, following falling rates of infection in recent weeks. From Monday, offices may operate at up to 50 percent capacity as long as they ensure that employees work at least half of their working hours from home. Most other health protocols will remain in place, including the one-meter (3ft) distancing between desks. Businesses providing essential services may continue to operate at full capacity. From October 3, up to 100 people will be allowed to attend events such as weddings and religious events, as long as guests are divided into multiple zones of up to 50 people and other measures are followed.

The wearing of face masks remains mandatory in public spaces, as do social distancing measures.

Travelers entering the country and serving a 14-day stay home notice outside of dedicated facilities are required to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout their quarantine period. The new measure is used to track individuals to ensure they do not leave their place of residence and will apply to all travelers entering the country, including Singaporeans, permanent residents, and pass holders. Those aged 12 and below are exempt from the measure.

As of Thursday, September 24, there have been 57,639 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Singapore with 27 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.