SINGAPORE: Temperature screening for travellers arriving at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will begin at noon on Friday (Jan 24), in response to cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia that began in Wuhan, China and which has since spread to other countries.
The screening is also being implemented in anticipation of increase in travel volume leading up to the Chinese New Year holidays, according to an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) news release on Friday morning.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Singapore confirmed its first case of the Wuhan virus on Thursday evening – a male Wuhan resident, 66, who arrived in Singapore with his family on Jan 20. He is currently in isolation at the Singapore General Hospital and is in stable condition.
Singapore authorities had announced on Thursday that border screening would be expanded to all land and sea checkpoints, while a travel advisory has been expanded for Singaporeans to avoid travelling to Hubei province, where Wuhan city is located.
ICA on Friday said temperature screening will be conducted by "healthcare assistants" for travellers arriving at the land checkpoints, and suspect cases will be referred to hospitals for further assessment.
The screening will be implemented "progressively" for all modes of transport as follows:
Advertisement
Advertisement
- By bus: Travellers will be screened at the alighting bus concourse or bus hall before immigration counters. Bus drivers will be screened at the security check area.
- By train: Travellers will be screened at the alighting platform before entering the train hall for immigration clearance.
- By car: Travellers are required to wind down their car windows for temperature screening at the security check area before immigration counters.
- By motorcycle: Travellers are required to remove their helmets for temperature screening at the security check area after immigration counters.
- By lorry: Travellers will be screened at the cargo platforms or immigration counters.
READ: Wuhan virus patient's hotel room 'thoroughly disinfected', workers who cleaned room quarantined: Shangri-La Group
China's National Health Commission confirmed 830 cases of patients have been infected as of Thursday, while the death toll from the virus has risen to 25.
Elsewhere, the virus has infected at least one person in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the US.
