Coronavirus: Be prepared for long haul fight, says Gan Kim Yong

The coronavirus outbreak shows no signs of abating, and while Singapore has put in place multiple lines of defence to check cases coming in from abroad or being passed within the community, it must prepare for a long fight against the virus, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament yesterday.

"There could be a long road ahead... We must stand ready to respond to new developments as the situation evolves," he said. He made this point even as Singapore marked the second day in a row of no new confirmed cases, although global concerns of further spread remain.

Mr Gan outlined three potential scenarios.

One, there could be further community spread in more Chinese cities beyond Wuhan, or in other countries, necessitating additional measures to prevent importation.

Two, there could be community spread in Singapore. If this is extensive, steps such as suspending classes in schools and cancelling mass gatherings may be considered.

Three, the virus could mutate to be more infectious and spread widely, resulting in a pandemic.

"We must stay calm, but cautious. Our early intervention efforts have helped to contain the spread so far, but while we hope for the best, we must plan for the worst," Mr Gan said in a 30-minute ministerial statement on how Singapore has been tackling the outbreak.

He noted that Singaporeans may feel anxious, given the many unknowns. "I want to reiterate the Government's firm commitment that we will spare no effort in protecting our people," he said.

"We will act swiftly and share information on the novel coronavirus openly and as soon as possible."

The virus was first reported in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, late last year, and as of yesterday, it had affected more than 17,000 people globally and killed over 360.

Mr Gan told the House that Singapore has set up multiple lines of defence to reduce the risk of imported cases and local community transmission of the coronavirus.

"We have been stepping up our posture and efforts at each line of defence," he said. These include health screening at checkpoints, imposing border controls, and clinics on alert to detect and contain cases.

"Most importantly, all of us must play our part and exercise social responsibility, to prevent or stem any possible spread of the coronavirus in the community," he added.

Mr Gan said it was heartening to know China is doing all it can to arrest the spread of the virus, including restricting travel for its people.

"We have to work together and collaborate with each other. For this reason, Singapore will be putting together an assistance package to help the communities in China affected," he added. More details will be given later.

He also appealed to all Singaporeans to work with the Government in the fight against the virus.

In a ministerial statement following Mr Gan's, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong urged Singaporeans not to overreact or succumb to prejudice.

There have been 18 confirmed cases of the virus here to date, all with recent travel history to Hubei.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs a multi-ministry task force with Mr Gan, gave an update on measures in place to protect Singaporeans.

Mr Wong said 524 people, such as close contacts of confirmed cases and travellers with higher risk, were under quarantine as of Sunday night. Of these, 302 were at home under strict conditions.

Lower-risk groups like travellers returning from other parts of China are asked to take a 14-day leave of absence. They should stay at home as much as possible, among other precautions. But some residents, on learning of someone on quarantine or leave of absence in their block, have asked that they be moved elsewhere. Some landlords have even evicted tenants on leave of absence.

Last night, the Government warned that landlords found to have irresponsibly evicted tenants may face restrictions and could even be barred from renting out their flats to foreign work pass holders in future.

Mr Wong said such behaviour was irresponsible. "Such actions are not helpful, and they have no place in our society. We are bigger than this in Singapore," he said.

Both ministers noted that such attitudes were in the minority.

Mr Wong said most people, including healthcare and transport workers, were carrying on with their lives quietly, doing what they can to fight the virus.

Mr Gan said: "This is a fight that calls on every individual to do his part. We are confident that we can manage and overcome this challenge as a nation, and emerge stronger together."