SINGAPORE will be able to overcome the new flu outbreak with minimum casualties with the lessons learnt from Sars and if the people are socially responsible, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday.

Speaking at a May Day Rally attended by over 1,400 at Downtown East in Pasir Ris, Mr Lee said the authorities are taking all the precautionary measures to keep the virus at bay.

Warning that the latest flu is different from the Severe Accurate Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and seems more contagious, PM Lee said Singapore is better placed to fight it, from the experience it has gained in battling Sars. But Singaporeans must do their part too.

In his first remarks on the H1N1 flu outbreak which has spread to 11 countries, Mr Lee said: 'We've been preparing for a pandemic since 2004, but still we cannot be complacent.'

While there are no confirmed cases in Singapore yet, Mr Lee said 'we must expect cases in Singapore at some point'.

'Once it is in Singapore, it will be harder to confine, to isolate, to prevent spreads. So we are taking all the precautions,' he said.

He added that it will be difficult to catch all cases, even with checks being set up at airports and sea terminals.

'Thousands of Singaporeans and foreigners come into Singapore everyday, and some people infected do not show any symptoms,' said Mr Lee, adding that hospitals here are all on full alert.

Singapore on Thursday raised the pandemic alert level from Yellow to Orange, and will quarantine people who have been to Mexico recently and tighten infection control measures at hospitals.

Urging Singaporeans to do their part and be socially responsible, Mr Lee said: 'Keep good personal hygiene, wash your hands regularly, avoid crowded areas, if you are ill, stay at home. If you have to go out when you're unwell, wear a mask.'

He assured the people that Singapore has sufficient stocks of antiviral medicine should an outbreak occur here.

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