9 December 2009
With reference to the latest Press Release, dated 08 December 2009, by The Ministry of Health (MOH) Singapore, the 2009 H1N1
vaccine (CSL – Panvac H1N1 vaccine) is now ready to be rolled out to children aged 6 months to less than 10 years. Please refer to MOH’s website, which explained the recommended
dosage for each child.
Useful Information
20 July 2009
Singapore has confirmed her first H1N1 related death. A 49-year-old H1N1 patient, with multiple health problems, died on Saturday afternoon. According to the MOH, he died of a heart attack, contributed by severe pneumonia and H1N1 infection.
According to a report on CNA, more than half of flu cases here (53%) are H1N1 positive. The number jumped from just 13 per cent in a span of only four weeks.
There are currently 44 confirmed H1N1 cases in hospitals, including 3 in ICU.
17 July 2009
There are currently 36 confirmed H1N1 cases in hospitals, including 3 in ICU.
A 49-year-old man has become the latest person infected with the H1N1 flu virus to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The man, who has multiple health problems such as diabetes and hypertension, had sought treatment at the Changi General Hospital yesterday morning. He has been experiencing flu-like symptoms, including severe pneumonia, for four days.
He was admitted immediately to ICU and is currently in critical condition.
Another three patients who were earlier admitted to the ICU are recovering.
The condition of the 51-year-old male patient with multiple health conditions has stabilised. He was moved out of ICU on Thursday.
The other two female patients are still in the ICU. Both are in stable condition.
15 July 2009
The Health Ministry says there are currently 46 confirmed H1N1 cases in hospital, including 1 in ICU.
According to the news reported on CNA, the 51-year-old man, who is in ICU, has diabetes and hypertension. He was previously in a critical condition. However, his condition has since stablised.
13 July 2009
As of last Friday, there are 60 confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) cases in hospitals, including 1 in ICU.
According to a statement released by MOH, with effect from Saturday 11 July 2009, temperature screening measures at our border checkpoints will be discontinued.
10 July 2009
H1N1 is now spreading within the local communities of Singapore. Most patients do recover from the infection with only basic symptomatic treatment and rest. The estimated case fatality rate is around 0.16 to 0.3% ie out of 1000 thousand infected only about 1-3 people will die from complications. The Ministry of Health has identified several groups of patients that are considered high risk for developing complications when infected with H1N1. These are
- Persons >= 65 yrs old
- Children <= 5 yrs old
- History of chronic lung disease such as chronic obstructive lung disease or chronic asthma
- History of heart disease
- Anyone with regular follow-up in the last one year on
- Chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes
- Kidney impairment
- Haemoglobinopathies such as Thalassaemic patients
- Immunosuppression from medication or infection such as HIV infection
- Children and teenagers 6 months to 18 years who are on long term aspirin treatment
- Pregnant women
Ministry of Health has advised the public that anyone who has come down with influenza-like-illness should excuse themselves from work or school and present themselves to a doctor at the Pandemic Preparedness Clinics (PPC) or polyclinics or to see their own family doctors. Ministry of Health has defined influenza-like-illness (ILI) as anyone coming down with fever (>38) + two out of any of these symptoms (sore throat, cough, body aching, running nose). Patients with ILI will be assessed by the doctors regarding their risk of developing influenza complications according to the list given above. Patients who fit into the list will be treated with Tamiflu. Adult patients with ILI will be given 7 days of medical leave from onset of symptoms and for children, 10 days of medical leave. The medical leave is given so that the patients can be isolated at home and avoid further spread to the people around them.
Patients with ILI should be socially responsible by
- Avoiding crowed places
- Avoid taking public transport
- Isolation at home especially if there are young children, elderly or patients with chronic diseases
- Avoiding visitation
- Avoid going to work places
- Wearing a mask if there is a chance of contact with other people in close proximity
With the presence of local spread, patients should also highlight to the doctors if they develop flu symptoms that do not fit into the ILI definitions, when they have been to the local clusters. This is because some patients with H1N1 will not present with typical ILI symptoms.
Due to the high risk of influenza related complications, it is advisable for patients to seek consultation with their specialist if they are pregnant, on kidney dialysis, on chemotherapy, or if age <1 year old.
9 July 2009
As Singapore moves towards the full mitigation phase, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has made more changes to its H1N1 tracking measures.
General practitioners will continue to refer those in high-risk groups - pregnant women and those with health complications - for H1N1 testing.
But contact tracing will be stepped down and Home Quarantine Orders (HQOs) will generally not be issued, except to patients deemed to be a risk to the community.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), countries are no longer required to submit reports on laboratory confirmed cases and deaths to them. They will also not be reporting the number of confirmed cases in each country.
In response, MOH said it will be removing its list of affected countries from its website. It will also stop issuing daily updates on the number of new cases. Instead, it will only report the number of confirmed cases in hospitals.
As at 7 Jul, there were 85 confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) cases in hospitals, including 1 in ICU.
8 July 2009
Singapore has confirmed 106 new cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the total tally to 1,217.
The Health Ministry said of the 1,140 cases investigated so far, 702 were local cases and 438 were imported.
Investigations are on-going for 77 cases.
7 July 2009
Singapore has confirmed 56 new cases (1056th - 1111st case) of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) today, bringing the total tally to 1,111 confirmed cases.
Investigations are on-going for 31 cases. Of the 77 cases investigated today, there were 59 local cases and 18 imported cases. Of the cumulative number of 1,080 cases investigated thus far, 650 were local cases and 430 were imported cases.
According to MOH, it conducts routine bio-surveillance on samples of patients presented with influenza-like illness (ILI) in its clinics and hospitals. Latest data shows that 13 per cent of samples taken from patients with influenza-like illness are Influenza A (H1N1-2009) positive. This means that 13 in 100 patients with influenza-like illness have H1N1. As observed in other countries, this proportion will grow as the virus spreads further in the community, and displaces other influenza strains.
The ministry said the current strain remains mild, except for high-risk individuals with underlying medical conditions where complications and even deaths may occur. Those at-risk individuals are advised to seek prompt medical attention if unwell.
6 July 2007
Over the weekend, Singapore has confirmed 177 new cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the total to 1,055 so far.
The Health Ministry says that the current H1N1 strain remains mild, except for individuals who fall under the high-risk categories.
Members of the public who feel unwell with flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose) should seek prompt medical attention.
If your symptoms are mild, the GPs, the nearest Pandemic Preparedness Clinic or polyclinics, would be able to assess your condition.
3 July 2009
Singapore confirmed another 95 cases of H1N1 flu yesterday, bringing the total cases to 878.
Those who think they have contracted the H1N1 flu are advised to visit polyclinics or pandemic preparedness clinics instead of calling 993 or going to the hospitals if the symptoms are not too serious.
The Health Ministry said doctors should be prudent in the prescription of Tamiflu, even though Singapore has no shortage of the drug. Like antibiotics, the course of Tamiflu should be completed for it to be effective.
2 July 2009
Singapore confirmed 82 new cases of H1N1 flu yesterday, bringing the total to 783. Most are local cases.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it is making the transition to the mitigation phase, so those with flu-like symptoms may see polyclinic or Pandemic Preparedness Clinic (PPCs) doctors, who will make a preliminary assessment. They need not call 993 for the special ambulance.
Only severely ill or high-risk patients will be tested for the H1N1 flu virus, and hospitalised if needed. Those with mild symptoms may be sent home and if necessary, prescribed anti-viral drugs.
The ministry said doctors will take into account patients' risk of developing influenza-related complications, prevalence of H1N1 flu in the community and weigh the risks and benefits of treatment.
Depending on the severity of patients' illness and other risk factors, they may be referred to the hospital for further management. Hospitals will increasingly focus on managing more complex cases.
Cases that are assessed to be very mild are not hospitalised but placed on home quarantine orders.
In the mitigation stage, MOH said hospitals would use their clinical discretion to selectively test patients for H1N1 flu only when required for clinical management (e.g. severely ill patients) and/or in situations where it will be of significant public health importance.
According to MOH, H1N1 flu testing is not necessary before treatment starts and there is no need for GPs to send all suspected cases to hospital for testing.
1 July 2009
Singapore has confirmed 72 new H1N1 flu cases, bringing the tally to 701 so far.
Investigations are on-going for the 72 new cases. Of the 64 cases investigated yesterday, there were 42 local cases and 22 imported ones.
Of the latest cases investigated, the largest number of new cases were linked to the Republic Polytechnic, bringing the total number of cases there to 77.
Another three new H1N1 cases were found linked to an orientation camp at the National University of Singapore, bringing the number of cases in that cluster to seven.
Clementi Camp had two new cases raising the total there to 55, while there was one new case each from the Raffles Institution Boarding School, Butter Factory, Maju Camp and Pulau Tekong Camp clusters.
30 June 2009
Singapore has confirmed 30 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1) today, bringing the total tally to 629 confirmed cases.
In addition to these 30 new cases, 105 other cases were pending investigation yesterday. Of these 135 cases, 71 have been investigated. The latter includes 58 local cases, and 13 imported cases. The remaining 64 cases are still being investigated.
Though the number of infected cases has increased, the severity of the disease remains relatively mild. To date, 246 patients have fully recovered and the rest are in stable condition.
29 June 2009
Singapore confirmed 145 new cases of H1N1 on Sunday, bringing the tally to 599.
The Ministry of Health says that though the number of infected cases has increased, the severity of the disease remains relatively mild.
In addition to these 145 new cases, 77 other cases were pending investigation on Saturday.
Of these 222 cases, 117 have been investigated. They comprise 94 local cases and 23 imported cases. The remaining 105 cases are still being investigated.
The 94 new local cases comprise 19 new cases in the Republic Polytechnic cluster, eight new cases in the Butter Factory cluster, two new cases in the Pulau Tekong cluster and one new case in the Maju Camp cluster.
In addition, there are three new clusters:
- Clementi Camp comprising 43 new cases and two previously unlinked case
- Police Coast Guard (Brani Base) comprising three new cases and one previously unlinked case, and
- A social party comprising one new case and three previously unlinked cases.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is taking measures to mitigate the spread of the H1N1 virus in the Police Coast Guard (Brani Base), which has been deemed to be a new H1N1 cluster.
It said when any of its officers is suspected to be unwell with H1N1, all other officers who had come into contact with him would immediately be asked to stay away from work and to seek immediate medical attention should they feel unwell.
The SPF added that since June 22 this year, SPF officers have been divided into teams, and contact between officers of different teams is reduced to a minimum.
This will ensure that SPF can continue to be operational even if some officers come down with H1N1.
It said it has business continuity plans in place to ensure that its core functions will not be compromised.
Westwood Secondary and Presbyterian High will postpone school reopening by a week, as a teacher in each school had tested positive for the H1N1 virus.
26 June 2009
Singapore confirmed 95 new Influenza A (H1N1) cases yesterday, raising the total infected to 315.
About half of the new cases have been investigated and they comprise 25 local infections and 22 imported ones.
Of the 25 new local infections, 10 were Butter Factory nightspot patrons and staff, four were from the Maju Camp cluster and two caught the virus from close contact with imported cases.
Nine were linked to a new Republic Polytechnic cluster, which had three previous cases.
The remaining 48 new cases are still being investigated.
25 June 2009
On 24 June, Singapore has confirmed another 26 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009), comprising 11 local cases and 15 cases with travel history. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 220.
The 11 new local cases comprise of 2 Butter Factory patrons, 2 who attended a church camp at the Fishermen of Christ Church, 2 full-time national servicemen at Maju Camp and 5 unlinked cases.
Of the 15 imported cases, 4 had a travel history to the Philippines, 4 to Australia, 3 to Hong Kong, 2 to the USA, 1 to the UK and 1 to New Zealand.
MOH said that those who are planning to travel should check their website for the latest update on the list of countries with confirmed cases and/or exported H1N1 cases, so that they can make considered decisions on whether to proceed with their travel plans.
24 June 2009
On 23 June, Singapore has confirmed another 26 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) comprising 10 local cases and 16 cases with travel history. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 194.
23 June 2009
On 22 June, Singapore has confirmed another 26 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 168.
Among the 17 new local cases include:
- 2 additional cases from the Riverlife Church cluster,
- 1 additional case from the Butter Factory cluster,
- 9 cases from a new cluster linked to a camp by the Fishermen of Christ Church
- 1 case who had contact with an earlier confirmed case,
- 2 cases who had contact with an imported case, and
- 2 unlinked cases who did not have any travel history or known contact with confirmed cases.
The 9 imported cases had travelled to Australia, USA, Philippines, UK and Canada.
In view of the signs that a community spread of the H1N1 virus has begun, and cannot be kept at bay much longer, Singapore has decided to modify its strategy. The focus will shift from containing the spread of the virus to mitigating the effects of the outbreak.
It was announced yesterday that schools will reopen as planned but there could be additional measures in place for students who have recently returned from affected countries. They are advised to stay at home an extra week before rejoining school.
There will also be no escalation of the pandemic alert status to Orange. Instead, the alert status will now be Yellow-Mitigation, up from Yellow-Containment.
To cope with the community outbreak, the ministry has prepared the polyclinics and a few hundred family clinics to handle mild H1N1 cases. These clinics are called Pandemic Preparedness Clinics (PPCs) and can be identified by a decal with a big tick and the word 'Ready'. These clinics will refer categories of high-risk suspect patients to public hospitals.
All hospitals are now equipped to handle H1N1 cases, unlike previously, when all suspected cases were sent only to Tan Tock Seng Hospital or the KK Hospital. However, to ensure that hospitals are not overloaded with cases, only those with severe health conditions will be hospitalised. The rest will be put on antiviral treatment and quarantined at home.
Contact tracing will remain in place. However, it will now be on a case-by-case basis decided by public health experts.
22 June 2009
As of 21 June, Singapore has 142 confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1). More evidence has emerged that the Influenza A (H1N1) virus is now being spread in the local community amongst Singaporeans who have no recent travel history.
There are now 3 clusters in Singapore where the H1N1 virus is known to have been transmitted locally. The first is the Riverlife Church in Loyang, where 7 cases were traced. The second cluster is the National University of Singapore. 3 people were previously reported to have caught the virus there and another one is believed to be linked to them. The third cluster is the newly opened Butter Factory club in One Fullerton, where there are 3 confirmed cases and 1 suspect case.
MOH is now advising anyone who visited Butter Factory last Wednesday night (17 June) to monitor their health closely and seek medical help if they are feeling unwell.
19 June 2009
Singapore has confirmed another 11 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1), including one who appeared to have acquired his infection in Singapore. The remaining 10 cases involve travellers returning from countries with known community transmission of H1N1. This brings the total number of confirmed cases here to 77.
Singapore may have its first unlinked local case of H1N1 flu with no travel history to a known infected area. The 73rd case is a 26-year-old Malaysian male who is a PR in Singapore. He developed symptoms the same day he flew to Kuala Lumpur last Sunday.
MOH said he could have come into contact with one of the earlier confirmed cases here. And unless further investigations show otherwise, and if more such unlinked cases emerge over the next few days, this would signal the beginning of community spread in Singapore.
MOH added that Singapore has not reached such a stage yet, and called on Singaporeans to press on with containment efforts and for everyone to do their part.
18 June 2009
Singapore on Wednesday confirmed 17 new cases of H1N1 flu infections.
All 17 cases involve travellers returning from countries with known community transmission of H1N1. Some of these cases proceeded with their travel and/or meetings and social activities despite having developed symptoms.
MOH once again reminded travellers who have recently been to countries that have been considered by WHO to have sustained community transmission or to be in transition towards community transmission, as well as countries that have been reported to have exported cases, not to engage in extensive community activities such as working, shopping and participating in mass activities until they are well.
This will help mitigate the risk of community spread in Singapore and make containment efforts more effective.
Of the 66 confirmed cases so far, 31 are from Australia, 19 from the United States, 11 from the Philippines, with the rest from Thailand, Canada, UK and Chile. One case was a close local contact of an infected traveller.
17 June 2009
Singapore’s Health Ministry (MOH) has warned that the risk of the H1N1 flu spreading in the community has risen with the detection of two new cases yesterday.The total number now stands at 49.
All of the confirmed cases, except one who was a close contact of a confirmed case, are imported cases with a travel history.
The Ministry noted that unlike the earlier imported cases, a number of recent cases had engaged in extensive community activities such as working, shopping and participating in mass activities since their arrival in Singapore.
Some even travelled here, even though they were unwell prior to departure.
Health experts said Singapore’s current strategy of containment — that is, quarantining H1N1 cases — may no longer be sustainable.
The Health Ministry has said it will move to the mitigation stage only when there is sustained community spread. So far there has only been one local H1N1 transmission in the country.
Doctors said they would be looking out for certain groups of vulnerable patients, including pregnant women, those between the ages of 30 and 50, and those with respiratory and cardio diseases. Also at risk are immuno—compromised patients such as those undergoing chemotherapy.
Doctors here said that as soon as the alert button is pushed and Singapore moves to the mitigation stage, the Health Ministry will issue a stockpile of Tamiflu to all 900 or so Pandemic Preparedness Clinics. Already, the clinics have been issued Personal Protection Gears by the the Ministry, in an exercise conducted about two weeks ago.
16 June 2009
On 15th June, Singapore had 7 new confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 47.
The number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Singapore has been on the rise. The mid-year school holidays will come to an end on June 28 and students are advised to take their temperatures daily during the school holidays.
As for childcare centres, the Community Development Ministry says it is closely monitoring the situation, and will advise any new measures accordingly.
15 June 2009
Singapore had the biggest number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases in a day when 13 new cases were reported yesterday. As of 14 June, the total number of confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) is 40.
The MOH reminds travellers to refrain from travelling should they have symptoms within 24 hours of their planned departure and to consult a doctor.
12 June 2009
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday said that Singapore would be on the lookout for 'community spread' of the H1N1 flu virus, a defining characteristic of a Phase 6 situation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic warning level from Phase 5 to 6 yesterday.
According to the minister, evidence of community-level outbreaks in Singapore will be the best trigger point for the country to switch from a 'containment' strategy to a 'mitigation' strategy, although it will try to maintain containment measures for as long as is practical.
In the mitigation phase, there will be a shift from the emphasis on stopping the spread of the virus to caring for those who fall ill. It also means that MOH will be able to look for high-risk groups and pay attention to them. Current procedures such as travel advisories, home quarantine orders and contact tracing will be altered or done away with as part of the switch.
For now, Singapore will still try its best with the containment strategy to buy time to prepare for the pandemic.
The latest updates from MOH revealed that Singapore had 3 confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 21.
The 19th case is a 21-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who is studying in Melbourne. She returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ238 on 9 June at 1615 hours. She was seated at row 46.
The 20th case is a 17-year-old Singaporean male. He returned to Singapore from Los Angeles via Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Airways CX717 on 7 June at 1230 hours. He was seated at row 38.
The 21st case is a 21-year-old male Indonesian studying in Australia. He came to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ228 on 9 June at 2200 hours. He was seated at row 47.
Contact tracing has been initiated for the three new confirmed cases. Passengers seated at the following rows should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999:
- Within rows 44 to 48 on SQ238 on 9 June
- Within rows 45 to 49 on SQ228 on 9 June
11 June 2009
On 10th June, Singapore had no new confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) and the total number of confirmed cases remains at 18.
Two more patients (13th & 14th case) have been discharged, bringing the total number of discharged patients to 12. The remaining 6 patients (7th, 8th, 15th - 18th cases) are still in the hospital and their conditions remain stable.
Contact tracing for the 16th, 17th and 18th cases have all been accounted for.
10 June 2009
On 9th June, Singapore had 3 new confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009). This brought the total number of confirmed cases to 18.
The 16th case is a 40-year-old male foreigner from India who is working in Singapore. He went to Melbourne on 31 May on a business trip and returned to Singapore on Singapore Airlines SQ238 at 1605hrs on 6 June. He was seated at row 45.
The 17th case is a 25-year-old Malaysian female. She was on holiday in Melbourne and developed symptoms on 5 June while she was there. She returned to Singapore on Emirates EK 405 at 2350hrs on 7 June. She was seated at row 32.
The 18th case is a 36-year-old Filipino female who works in Singapore. She returned to Singapore from Manila on Philippine Airlines PR501 at 1835 hours on 8 June. She was seated at row 6.
Contact tracing has been initiated for the following passengers:
- Within rows 43 to 47 on SQ238 on 6 June
- Within rows 30 to 34 on EK 405 on 7 June
- Within rows 4 to 8 on PR501 on 8 June
Affected passengers seated at the above rows, who have not been contacted by MOH yet, should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999.
8 June 2009
Singapore had 1 confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1-2009 last Saturday (6 Jun), and 2 confirmed cases last Friday (5 Jun). This brought the total number of confirmed cases to 15.
The 13th confirmed case is a 23-year-old Singaporean male who went to Melbourne on 27 May and developed symptoms in the early hours of 3 Jun while he was still there. He returned to Singapore on Singapore Airlines SQ238 (Row 40) on 4 Jun at 1611 hours. His fever was detected by the thermal scanner at Changi Airport. Laboratory results confirmed his infection at 1530 hours on 5 Jun.
The 14th confirmed case is a 22-year-old Singaporean female who is a cabin crew with Singapore Airlines and went to New York on 24 May. She was on the same flight (SQ25) from New York to Frankfurt as three of the earlier confirmed cases (the 7th, 10th and 11th confirmed cases). While these three earlier confirmed cases arrived in Singapore on 1 Jun, she had stopped over at Frankfurt and returned to Singapore one day later on 2 Jun at 0630 hours.She developed symptoms in the afternoon of 3 Jun. Laboratory results confirmed her infection at 1530 hours on 5 Jun.
Malaysian MOH has also informed Singapore of two confirmed cases arising from SQ25 on 1 Jun. The two were foreign passengers arrived in Singapore on 1 Jun and left for Malaysia KL on 3 Jun.
The 15th confirmed case is a 39-year-old Indonesian female, who is the aunt of the 11th case. She went to Changi Airport to fetch her niece when the latter arrived from New York via Frankfurt on SQ25 to Singapore at 0618 hours on 1 Jun 09. When her niece developed symptoms in the afternoon of 2 Jun 09, she accompanied her to seek medical attention at Raffles Hospital's Emergency Department in the evening by taxi. Her niece was confirmed positive at 1500 hours on 3 Jun 09. Laboratory results confirmed infection of the 15th confirmed case at 1600 hours on 6 Jun 09.
Contact tracing of all the close contacts of the 13th and 14th confirmed cases have been completed. No contact tracing of flight passengers was undertaken for the 14th confirmed case. This was on the basis that the 14th confirmed case is unlikely to have been infectious onboard the plane.
5 June 2009
Singapore has confirmed its 12th case of Influenza A (H1N1). The patient is an 18-year-old Singaporean.
He went to Melbourne on May 16 and returned on June 1 on Emirates EK405 at 11.50pm. He was seated at row 18. The Health Ministry said he was sent to hospital at about noon on Thursday by ambulance via 993.
Contact tracing for the 12th case has begun.
Contact tracing of all the close contacts of the 10th and 11th cases have completed. The 9th case was discharged from CDC yesterday.
Of the 66 cases investigated thus far, 12 cases have tested positive for the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus, 44 cases tested negative for Influenza A, and 10 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal flu strains.
4 June 2009
As of 3 June 09, Singapore has three more cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009), bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 11.
The 9th case is a 19-year-old Singaporean female studying in USA who returned for the summer holidays. She arrived in Singapore from New York via Tokyo on All Nippon Airways NH901 at 2340 hours on 28 May. MOH has assessed that no flight passengers needed to be quarantined as the case only developed onset of symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation, and she was assessed to be non-infectious during the flight.
The 10th and 11th cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) were on the same flight - Singapore Airlines SQ25 from New York via Frankfurt on 1 Jun - as the 7th confirmed case, a 30-year-old Australian male tourist who was seated at Row 54. The flight arrived in Singapore at 0618 hours on 1 June.
Contact tracing is ongoing for the passengers seated within the following seats for the below cases:
- SQ25 on 1 June 09 (Case #10 & #11: New York via Frankfurt - SIN) Within rows 17 to 21 and rows 57 to 59
Affected passengers who have not yet been contacted by MOH should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999.
Of the 65 cases investigated thus far, 11 cases have tested positive for the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus, 44 cases tested negative for Influenza A, and 10 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal flu strains.
3 June 2009
There was 1 confirmed new case of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) on 2 June 09.
The 8th case is a 15-year-old Singaporean male who is studying in India. He travelled from India to Orlando and Atlanta on a school trip from 17 to 31 May 09. He returned to Singapore from Atlanta via Mumbai on Singapore Airlines SQ421 (Seat 39K) on 1 Jun 09 at 1936hrs. The case was feverish during the flight, and his fever was picked up by the thermal scanner at Changi Airport. He was sent to TTSH via 993 ambulance, and subsequently warded at KKH in the early hours of 2 Jun 09.
Contact tracing of all previous cases, except the seventh case involving a 30-year-old Australian male tourist, and the most recent case, have been accounted for.
Contact tracing is ongoing for the passengers seated within the following seats on the corresponding flights:
- Within rows 37 to 41 on SQ421 on 1 Jun 09
- Within rows 52 to 56 on SQ25 on 1 Jun 09
Affected passengers who have not yet been contacted by MOH should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999 to enable us to check on their health condition.
2 June 2009
In Singapore, we had confirmed 2 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) on 1 June 09 1900 hrs. Both of them have relatively mild symptoms and are in stable condition. Of the 60 cases investigated thus far, 7 cases have tested positive for the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus, 43 cases tested negative for Influenza A, and 10 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal flu strains.
The 6th case is a 36-year-old Singaporean male who was in Manila on a business trip from 18 - 29 May. He returned to Singapore from Manila on Friday 29 May on Singapore Airlines SQ917 at 1750 hours. He was seated at row 17.
The 7th case is a 30-year-old Australian male tourist who had travelled to Chicago from 14 - 21 May, Detroit from 21 - 25 May, and New York from 25 - 30 May. He developed symptoms on 26 May while he was in New York. He arrived in Singapore from New York via Frankfurt on SQ25 at 0618 hours on 1 June.
1 June 2009
With the additional confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) announced on Sunday 31 May 09, the total number of infected persons in the country to now at 5. All five H1N1 patients remain stable. Three have been discharged but the first H1N1 case is still undergoing treatment in hospital.
Singapore has confirmed its fifth case of the Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus.
The patient is a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who had travelled to the US from May 13 to 28.
Some 20 contacts, including 5 family members and 15 flight passengers, have been identified for home quarantine via contact tracing. The Health Ministry has so far managed to contact only 4 of the 15 passengers. As a precaution, the MOH is working closely with the WHO on the contact tracing of passengers who might have been in close contact with the confirmed case of H1N1.
The MOH has declared that the H1N1 strain remains relatively mild in Singapore but the communal spread of the virus is likely to happen soon.
At the moment, the bigger worry is if the strain becomes more virulent. H1N1 carriers without symptoms are also a worry. Singapore scientists are keeping tabs on the virus to check if it evolves and mutates into something more dangerous.
The DORSCON alert level will not be raised to Orange based on the number of cases alone, but on factors such as changes to the virulence and evolution of the virus.
As of Sunday 31 May 09, the Ministry has served 82 Home Quarantine Orders (HQOs) to close contacts of the five confirmed cases. 68 others who have been in close contact with the affected patients are already out of the country. The Ministry has also lined up other facilities for quarantine purposes, if needed.
As the school holidays have already started, many would be planning vacations overseas. The MOH advises Singaporeans to avoid going to North America and affected areas, if they can do so.
29 May 2009
Yesterday, Singapore confirmed three more cases of Influenza A (H1N1), bringing the number of infected persons in the country to four. There were also two additional suspect cases for investigations.
Following the first confirmed case announced on 27 May, the second confirmed case is a 43-year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident who returned to Singapore from San Francisco via Manila on Tuesday, 26 at 1750 hrs. She was on Singapore Airlines, SQ 917 and was seated at 33H. She became unwell while on board.
The third confirmed case is a 28-year-old American female who is working in Singapore. She returned to Singapore from Honolulu via Tokyo on Tuesday, 26 May at 2353 hrs, on United Airlines, UA 803. She was seated at 33C. She became unwell on 26 May.
The fourth confirmed case is a 28-year-old Singaporean male who returned to Singapore from Chicago via Hong Kong on 25 May at 0036hrs. He was on United Airlines, UA 895 and was seated at 55H. He became unwell on 25 May.
The patients are currently being treated at the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). Their symptoms are relatively mild and all of them are in stable condition.
Contact tracing of their close contacts (including passengers on the same flights) is ongoing. They will be quarantined and provided with antiviral prophylaxis.
Passengers within three rows in front and behind the case who have not been contacted by MOH yet, should call the MOH hotline at 1800-333 9999 to enable get their health condition checked. The affected rows for SQ 917 are 30-36; for UA 803, the affected rows are 30-36 and for UA 895, the affected rows are 52-58.
Those who have travelled in the preceding 7 days to affected countries should seek immediate medical attention once they develop influenza-like symptoms. They should call 993 for an ambulance to minimise the risk of infecting those around them, especially people who are at higher risk of severe illness and complications of influenza.
27 May 2009
Today, the Singapore government confirmed the city-state's first H1N1 flu case, a 22-year-old Singaporean woman who is being quarantined in hospital and is the latest of nearly 13,000 cases worldwide.
The patient was in New York from May 14 to 24. She arrived from New York early on 26th May (Tues) on a Singapore Airlines flight (SQ25) and was not picked up by thermal scanners at the airport, as she did not have a fever then, the government said in a statement.
The patient is currently being treated at the Communicable Disease Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and is in stable condition.
The government said they are tracing the flu patient's close contacts. People who had been in close contact with the patient would be quarantined and treated with anti-viral medication. Passengers who travelled on the same flight and were seated in rows 52 to 58 should call the Health Ministry hotline at 1800- 333 9999.
Screening at border checkpoints will continue and people should stay at home if they are suffering flu symptoms. The government had also advised caution over travelling to affected areas.
Sources from Reuters and MOH.
21 May 2009
On 16 May 2009, The Ministry of Health (MOH) lifted the home quarantine order (HQO) for travellers who have been to Mexico recently.
Despite the lifting of HQO, MOH's contact tracing system is still in place. Under the Infectious Diseases Act, the order will still be issued to any person who is a known or suspected close contact of a probable or confirmed case of H1N1 infection.
13 May 2009
The MOH has revised the Flu Pandemic Response Plan to include the Primary healthcare providers GP Clinics, who will be called upon in case of a sustained community transmission in Singapore.
This revised framework called Pandemic Preparedness Clinics or PPCs will allow the PPC doctors from the 800 clinics who have signed up, to undergo training seminars and workshops to update themselves on protocols and practices such as N95 mask fitting.
12 May 2009
The H1N1 flu alert level in Singapore will remain at yellow even if confirmed cases surface here. This is because the fatality rate associated with the H1N1 virus is currently very low and there is a possibility it may simply become one of the normal influenza strains. The MOH also states that it is inevitable that the H1N1-2009 virus would eventually reach our shores.
MOH will be replenishing its stockpile of Tamiflu, Relenza and N95 masks. A group of health experts have also been sent to the affected countries to study their experiences.
11 May 2009
Singapore is at DORSCON Yellow alert status. While community measures such as temperature screening at workplaces, schools, buildings and events have been relaxed, tighter restrictions at healthcare institutions will remain for the time being. We seek the public’s understanding on the need for temperature screening of all visitors at healthcare institutions and restriction of hospital visitors to 2 per patient at any one time.
10 May 2009
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore is downgrading the flu alert to yellow today, as there are no detected cases of H1N1 in Singapore.
Government workplaces and schools have stopped the practice of temperature taking, while some companies are not easing up on Orange alert measures just yet. Although the alert has been lowered, it is important to maintain a good standard of personal hygiene at the workplace, in public and at home.
7 May 2009
MOH has announced a step down for the H1N1 flu alert level. No confirmed cases were reported so far. A total of 32 cases investigated, 25 cases have tested negative for Influenza A, 4-tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal flu strains, and 3 are pending laboratory investigations.
For the HQO update, 13 home quarantine orders have been issued so far.
6 May 2009
Singapore will remain on “Orange” alert over the next 5 days, as NO confirmed cases have been reported. MOH announced the possibility of lowering to “Yellow”, a lower level but more sustainable level of flu precaution, to conserve the resources deployed. The situation will be closely monitored for any changes. However we should remain prepared to deal with the changing threat.
5 May 2009
In Singapore, there are two additional cases for investigations. Of the 29 cases investigated thus far, 24 cases have tested negative for Influenza A, 4 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal strains of Influenza A, and 1 is pending laboratory investigations.
Seven Singaporeans who stayed at Metropark Hotel Wanchai in Hong Kong on 30 April 09 are currently under quarantine in Hong Kong. They are doing well.
As of 1700 hrs, a total of 8 HQOs have been issued. 2 were issued to foreign residents and 6 were issued to Singaporeans.
Other precautionary measures implemented in healthcare institutions under the Orange Alert Status include:
- Temperature screening and screening for flu-like symptoms for visitors to clinical care areas
- Hospital staff are required to don PPE in all areas with patient contact
- The number of visitors would also be restricted to one visitor per patient. This will help facilitate contact tracing and will reduce potential exposure of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
4 May 2009
As of 4 May 09, there were no human cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore.
The MOH announced that the Disease Outbreak Response System Alert status in Singapore remains at ORANGE. Precautionary measures are in place to forestall the spread of the virus to Singapore for as long as possible.
There are no additional cases for investigation. Of the 27 cases investigated thus far, 24 cases have tested negative for Influenza A, and 3 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal strains of Influenza A.
The Home Quarantine Order came into effect today. As of 1900 hrs, a total of 3 HQOs were issued. 1 was issued to a foreign resident and 2 were issued to Singaporeans.
3 May 2009
According to MOH, there are no human cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore. Our Disease Outbreak Response System Alert status remains at ORANGE and precautionary measures are in full swing to forestall the spread of the virus to Singapore for as long as possible.
In Singapore, there are two additional cases for investigations. Of the 27 cases investigated thus far, 23 cases have tested negative for Influenza A, 3 cases tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal strains of Influenza A, and one is pending laboratory investigations.
So far, a total of five persons (3 Singaporeans and 2 foreigners) who have been to Mexico in the last seven days were put on voluntary phone surveillance. Of these, one Singaporean has completed the seven-day phone surveillance and is well. One other Singaporean was reported to have flu-like symptoms today and was admitted to CDC this morning. Laboratory investigations are however negative for influenza A. The others are doing well.
Thermal scanning has been deployed at the airports and sea checkpoints, and is instituted at the land checkpoints today. Temperature checks at the checkpoints may not pick up all infected cases as travellers may be asymptomatic in the early stages of the infection. However, it enables us to take precautionary measures and reduce the risk to Singapore.
The Home Quarantine Order (HQO) is issued under the Infectious Diseases Act to contacts and suspected contacts of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, with the aim of limiting the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) in the community. It can be issued to any person who is a known or suspected close contact of a probable or confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1), as well as persons who arrived in Singapore within 7 days after having departed from Mexico. Travellers entering Singapore with a travel history to Mexico over the past seven days will be quarantined for 7 days when they enter Singapore from when they were last in Mexico. Travellers who are unable to be quarantined at their own residential homes, or are without a residential home in Singapore, will be quarantined in alternative housing such as government chalets, i.e., the Aloha Chalets located at Loyang.
The HQO will come into effect from Monday (0001 hours from 4 May 09). Persons under home quarantine who develop symptoms will be referred to the CDC for a thorough assessment. A dedicated ambulance service (993) is in place to convey them to TTSH Emergency Department. The public is urged to call this number only if they have a travel history to affected areas. For those who have not travelled to affected areas but are unwell, they should put on a surgical mask and see their family doctors.
MOH is also requesting all Singaporeans and travellers who stayed at the Metropark Hotel Wanchai in Hong Kong on 30 April 2009 and who have since returned to Singapore to call MOH’s hotline at 1800-333 9999 (8.30am to 9.00pm). This will enable MOH to advise them on monitoring their own health in light of the confirmed case in Hong Kong.
29 April 2009
Stepped-up checks brought two people to the attention of the authorities. Both were referred on Monday to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC). Preliminary tests cleared both of them.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) elevated Singapore’s alert level from "green" to "yellow" to guard against Influenza A (H1N1).
There has been no known case of Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore. However, 17 cases have been referred for further medical assessment. 16 cases have been referred to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) and one case was seen at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Three cases referred to the CDC (including the two referred yesterday) have all tested negative for Influenza A. The case seen in SGH has tested negative as well.
DPM and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, and Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan held a Press Conference on the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak. At the press conference, an update on the global situation was provided, together with the control measures that MOH and other frontline agencies have put up.
Minister Khaw stressed that the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak will likely be a long war and that Singaporeans must remain vigilant.
Authority sites link for information on the Influenza A (H1N1)