Debated in Parliament on 9 Jan 2024.
Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health in light of the pneumonia outbreak in China and considering the expected rise in overseas travel amongst Singaporeans during the winter season (a) what precautions and alerts regarding the outbreak are in place; (b) how are these communicated to travellers; (c) what measures are there to minimise the risk of travellers importing pneumonia-related illnesses into Singapore; and (d) whether the Ministry is stepping up on the monitoring of such illnesses locally.
China underwent a surge in respiratory illnesses towards the end of 2023. This was to be expected after post-pandemic opening up, which was the experience of many countries, including Singapore.
These illnesses are typically caused by common respiratory pathogens, such as influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which are also circulating in Singapore. What we need to watch out for are new pathogens and new variants of COVID-19, which the Ministry of Health (MOH) is actively monitoring with our international partners.
MOH issued public advisories on 2, 8 and 15 December 2023 to encourage the public to remain vigilant and to adopt necessary precautions during this period, including when travelling. This includes keeping up-to-date with vaccinations, practicing good personal hygiene, wearing a mask in crowded places and minimising social interactions if unwell.
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