04/04/2020 11:30 PM
By Massita Ahmad
SINGAPORE, April 4 -- All Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long Term Pass holders returning from ASEAN countries, France, India and Switzerland will be required to serve a 14-day self-isolation at dedicated Stay-Home Notice (SHN) facilities.
It will take effect from “April 5, 2020, 2359 hours”, said the republic’s Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement here today.
MOH noted that the expansion of enhanced SHN requirements was aimed at protecting Singaporeans and to further ring fence the risk of community transmission from imported cases.
The arrangement was first applied to returnees from the UK and US where they were placed at hotels.
According to the ministry, this arrangement will continue to apply to returnees from the two countries.
MOH stressed that the countries were chosen based on its assessment of risks and the history of imported cases in Singapore.
It added that for those who are coming back from other countries, "they can serve their 14-day SHN at their place of residence."
“The dedicated SHN facilities are not just about the provision of hotel rooms. We also work with the hotel operators to provide training for their staff, and to put in place proper security arrangements, as well as infection control and precautions.
“It takes time to get ready such facilities, and we do not have enough at present to accommodate all returnees. Therefore based on the current capacity, we have prioritised the facilities for returnees from these specific countries,” said MOH.
The Multi-Ministry Taskforce on COVID-19 will continue to monitor the dynamic and evolving COVID-19 situation, and work closely with the private sector to adjust its capacity of SHN facilities accordingly, it said.
-- BERNAMA
