We refer to the letter from Mr Gan Jia Yi (Stay-home notice: Why allow such a long time lapse?, March 21).
The stay-home notice (SHN) is an important measure to limit the importation and spread of Covid-19 in Singapore.
The Government has been progressively extending the SHN to returning residents from various countries, as the global Covid-19 situation evolves, and it now applies to all travellers who enter Singapore, regardless of their travel history.
We have also stopped the entry of all short-term visitors. Further precautions were taken for returnees from the United Kingdom and the United States, and later extended to Asean countries, India, France and Switzerland. They will have to serve their 14-day SHN in dedicated facilities.
The roll-out of new border measures necessarily involves a wide range of stakeholders, who need to undertake significant preparatory work to ensure smooth implementation.
Sufficient lead time needs to be provided to airlines, hotel operators, travellers, employers and implementing agencies, so that the adjustments to their plans and processes can be made.
Prior to this, the Government had also taken additional precautionary steps to mitigate the public health risk, such as instituting a 14-day leave of absence (LOA) for students and staff of schools, pre-schools and student care centres who had returned to Singapore.
Employers were also advised to impose a 14-day company LOA on all employees who returned from overseas travel.
In addition, Singaporeans were advised to defer all travel abroad, to reduce the risk of Singaporeans being infected when abroad, and spreading it to other Singaporeans when they return.
We urge everyone to be socially responsible: Monitor our health and isolate ourselves if we have recently returned to Singapore from abroad.
We should all do our part to protect ourselves, our families and loved ones, and fellow Singaporeans.
Goh Chour Thong
Director, Media Relations
Ministry of Home Affairs
Lim Siok Peng
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
