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No warning issued for travels to Singapore despite raised coronavirus alert status: Ministry
The new cases prompted Singapore to raise its alert status to orange, the same level it reached during the SARS outbreak in 2003.
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A general view shows the entrance to the Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel, where a business meeting was held attended by over a hundred participants and that has been linked to several novel coronavirus cases in Malaysia and South Korea, in Singapore on Feb. 6. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (AFP/Roslan RAHMAN)
The government has yet to consider issuing a travel warning for Indonesians visiting Singapore, despite the latter’s decision to raise its alert status for the new coronavirus, a Foreign Ministry official has said.
Singapore on Friday reported three more coronavirus cases that have not been linked to previous infections or travel to China, Reuters reported. Singapore now has 33 confirmed coronavirus cases, the latest being a teacher and a British man who had traveled to Singapore for a business meeting.
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The new cases prompted the country to raise its alert status to orange, the same level it reached during the SARS outbreak in 2003. The orange alert means the virus is severe and passes easily from person to person and was last raised during an outbreak of H1N1 influenza in 2009-2010. The highest alert is red, which indicates the virus is spreading widely.
Upon being asked on Friday whether the Indonesian government would issue a travel warning following the raised alert status, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said: “I haven’t heard of any status change for travels to Singapore.”
He added that the government had already conducted health screenings at hundreds of entry points to the country following protocols issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on regulating incoming and outcoming foreigners and Indonesian citizens.
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“We follow the WHO and Health Ministry’s recommendation in medical aspects upon managing our border,” Faizasyah said. He added the government had been keeping track of the coronavirus’ spread.
The number of deaths from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 717 on Saturday, as reported by AFP. (dpk)
