SINGAPORE, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's government announced a slew of new precautionary measures on Sunday to further reduce the risk of imported COVID-19 cases to Singapore.
Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement that the city-state will implement additional border restriction measures.
According to ministry, from 23:59 p.m. March 16, all travelers, including Singapore Residents, Long Term Pass holders and short-term visitors, entering Singapore with recent travel history to other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Japan, Switzerland, or Britain within the last 14 days, will be issued with a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN).
In addition, they will have to provide proof of the place where they will serve the 14-day SHN, and may also be swabbed for testing for COVID-19, even if asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, all short-term visitors who are nationals of any other ASEAN country will have to submit requisite information on their health to the Singapore Overseas Mission in the country they are resident before their intended date of travel, and the submission will have to be approved by the MOH before travel to Singapore, said the ministry.
The MOH also advises Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel abroad. It said the advisory, with immediate effect, will apply for 30 days, and will be reviewed thereafter.
"This is to reduce the risk of Singaporeans contracting COVID-19 infection while overseas during this global pandemic," the ministry added.
According to the statement, Singapore has recorded an increase of 25 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in three days as of March 14. Of these, more than three-quarters were imported cases.
The MOH said it has seen a number of these cases entering Singapore for the purpose of seeking medical care, which imposes a significant burden on Singapore's healthcare resources during the critical period when the government is focused on containing the situation within Singapore.
Also on Sunday, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower introduced new measures respectively for Foreign Domestic Workers, and for all work pass holders and dependant's pass holders with travel history to other ASEAN countries, Japan, Switzerland, or Britain within the last 14 days. The affected are required to be approved the by ministry before commencing the journey to Singapore.
