Stepping up precautionary measures, all new visitors who have traveled to Cheongdo or Daegu, South Korea, in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore.
The measure will begin on 26 February 2020 at 11.59pm.
The move comes after South Korea raised its alert level to red, which is its highest, on 24 February 2020.
Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Cheongdo or Daegu will be issued a Stay Home Notice.
Those issued with the notice must be at their place of residence at all times for a period of 14 days.
According to the Manpower Ministry (MOM), all Singapore workpass holders – including dependants – who are overseas and with travel history to Daegu and Cheongdo within the last 14 days must obtain the Ministry’s approval before returning to Singapore.
Their employers must apply an entry approval through an online portal that will be made available at 8am on 26 February 2020.
Employers of these individuals must also declare to MOM that they have arranged suitable premises for their employees to serve the Stay Home Notice.
“With the rapidly evolving situation in these regions, visitors and returning travelers from Daegu and Cheongdo pose a heightened risk to Singapore. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce has decided to step up precautionary measures to limit the potential risk this group poses to Singapore, based on the current risk assessment,” said the taskforce at a press conference on 25 February 2020.
As of 12pm on 25 February 2020, South Korea reported 893 cases, with 501 cases linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu and 113 from Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that the precautionary measures are not static.
“You can tell from our recent experience that they [measures] are constantly being adjusted and updated as the situation evolves, and as we see the risk changing over time. These are the measures for now, but we will not rule out further updates. We will continue to monitor the situation in the Republic of Korea very carefully.
"If the virus were to spread beyond these two regions, and we see a broader transmission of the virus in the community, we will impose more stringent measures for the whole of the Republic of Korea,” said Mr Wong.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) had issued an advisory on 23 February 2020 to avoid non-essential travel to Cheongdo or Daegu.
The Ministry had also expanded the definition of suspect cases to include persons with pneumonia or severe respiratory infection with breathlessness who had been to Daegu or Cheongdo in the last 14 days before the onset of the symptoms.
The previously announced travel advisory to Singaporeans to defer all travel to Hubei Province and all non-essential travel to mainland China remains in place, along with the measures on Hubei travelers and returning residents from Hubei, added MOH.
MOH said that it will continue to monitor the situation closely.
