This is when TB will be listed under the 6th Schedule of the Infections Diseases Act - only the second disease after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom (Sars) to be so listed - which allows for more draconian actions.

TB is a bacterial infection that most commonly affects the lungs, but could also affect other parts of the body. If not properly treated, it could lead to death.

Symptoms of TB include weakness, weight loss, fever, lack of appetite, chills, and sweating at night. People with TB of the lungs may also have a bad cough, pain in the chest, and cough up blood.

In the 1960s, Singapore saw about 5,000 new cases a year. The numbers have fallen over the years, with a low of 1,256 new cases a year in 2006 and last year, giving hope that it was on its way out.

But this year has seen a reversal of the trend, with 700 new infections in the first half of the year. Of greater concern is the spread within the community. Incidence of TB this year is projected at 38.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 35.1 last year.

TB can be cured if patients adhere to the treatment. Those who drop out partway through treatment could face a relapse with a drug resistant TB which is more difficult to treat.