Paradegoers at Chingay unfazed by Wuhan virus

About 12,000 turned out in force on the first night of the Chingay Parade at the F1 Pit Building yesterday, amid concerns over the Wuhan coronavirus.

Stands were nearly filled as about 6,000 volunteer performers put on a colourful display of cultural dances alongside stilt walkers, pole dancers and a giant balloon lion dance.

The parade opened with firecrackers paving the way for a Merlion float carrying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee, as well as Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing.

Spirits were upbeat as the attendees cheered on the guests of honour. Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu were also present.

Before the parade, attendees The Straits Times spoke to said that while they had some concerns about attending the annual event to celebrate the Chinese New Year, they had confidence in the measures put in place by the organisers.

These include thermal scanners set up at all eight entry points of the parade for temperature screening of performers and spectators.

Those with suspected cases of fever will be moved to an isolation point for further assessment, organisers had said on Thursday.

Nine first-aid booths were also set up at the F1 Pit Building where the parade is being held till today.

One attendee, Mr James Koh, 49, said he was initially worried about going to the parade, but noted that the confirmed cases so far have been imported cases from Wuhan.

"So far, there has not been any local transmission, so we feel safe. The authorities have also been controlling the situation quite well, so overall, we feel secure," said Mr Koh, who works in IT. He attended the parade with his wife and nine-year-old daughter.

He also felt that the measures in place are adequate. "Thermal screening is good, I think that's the best you can do in such a situation," he added.

Meanwhile, other attendees like patient service associate S. Nur Elyana, 22, chose to take their own precautions, such as having hand sanitisers with them.

While a minority of attendees were spotted wearing face masks, Ms Elyana said she did not bring any mask as there is a need to wear one only if a person is unwell.

However, Mr Erivan Garioli, 21, and his family are not taking any chances. The Brazilian who has been living in Singapore for a year said his family brought along face masks as a precaution.

Among the approximately 6,000 volunteer performers are six from China who flew in from the Chinese city of Xi'an on Jan 21; they were screened and cleared by a doctor to take part.

The six are among about 500 performers from overseas, including Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

An estimated 280,000 people in total are expected to attend the two-day parade.

Meanwhile, at the Chiam See Tong Sports Fund Charity Shield held at Our Tampines Hub yesterday, ushers used dual-laser infra-red thermometers to screen the temperatures of the 400 fans who turned up to watch the football match.

Event organisers also offered refunds for those who bought the $20 tickets but were unable to attend if they had been feeling unwell.