Leave of absence for work pass holders who visited China recently
They must avoid work for 14 days; no new work passes for workers from China
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Above, from left: Ministry of Health director of medical services Kenneth Mak, Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority Commissioner Marvin Sim at a news conference held by the multi-ministry task force yesterday.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Work pass holders who have travelled to mainland China recently will be required to take a leave of absence when they return, forcing their employers to brace themselves for a temporary shortage of workers.
The Manpower Ministry will also reject all new work pass applications for workers from mainland China, it said yesterday.
Renewal applications for existing work pass holders will not be affected, it added.
Both measures - which expand on an earlier ban on new workers from Hubei province - kick in with immediate effect.
The ministry said that workers who have travelled to mainland China in the past two weeks and have been put on the 14-day leave of absence should stay at home and avoid social contact.
"They should avoid crowded places and refrain from attending social or public gatherings," it added. "They should monitor their health closely, and seek medical attention immediately if they develop any fever or symptoms of acute respiratory illness such as cough or shortness of breath."
The ministry's statement follows a move announced yesterday to bar entry or transit in Singapore for all travellers arriving from mainland China who have been there in the past 14 days.
Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term-pass holders, as well as work pass holders returning from China, will be placed on a leave of absence of 14 days.
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said separately at an industry event yesterday that the Government is studying how best to support the hospitality, tourism, retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors that have been hit by the Wuhan virus outbreak, as well as the overall economy.
"I am acutely aware that many are concerned about the overall outlook for the economy, especially with the impact from the Wuhan virus. There will be impact. We are already seeing it, and you will see more impact to come," added Mr Wong, who is co-chair of the Wuhan virus ministerial task force.
Measures will be introduced during the Budget this month, he noted. "We know that specific sectors of course will bear the brunt of it, as was the case in Sars - hospitality, tourism, to some extent, retail and F&B... but there will also be an overall impact on the economy," he said.
Mr Chee Teck Lee, chief executive of optics manufacturer Moveon Technologies, said that seven of his employees who are in China to celebrate the Chinese New Year with their families are finding it hard to return to Singapore, and some of them have had their flight tickets cancelled.
"We may have to hire part-time workers in the meantime. They may not be as competent and will need training, but it is better than not having anyone (on the operations line)," said Mr Chee.
Medical device manufacturer Racer Technology, which recently opened a new factory in Ningbo, China, has told its Singapore staff who had returned home not to go back to work in China for now.
Chief executive Willy Koh said that about 10 to 20 people, or 50 per cent of its staff in China, will not be flying back to Ningbo given the developing Wuhan virus outbreak.
The Ningbo factory is due to reopen for operations on Monday, and Mr Koh said that his company has bought face masks to ship to his employees there as they are facing a shortage.
Two of his employees who returned to Singapore on Jan 23 have been asked to go on a 28-day leave of absence and are working from home, Mr Koh said.
"I have 160 employees, and I can't afford for any of them to fall sick, so it is better to take precautions," he said.
• Additional reporting by Grace Leong
