SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Feb 17) announced a new Stay-Home Notice (SHN) for Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore from mainland China.
As part of the notice requirements, such travellers will have to remain in their homes at all times during the 14-day leave period. This is stricter than the Leave of Absence (LOA) currently in place, which allows them to leave their homes briefly, for example to have their meals or buy household supplies.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe SHN will take effect from 11.59pm on Tuesday, and will apply to all returnees with recent travel history to China (outside Hubei) within the last 14 days.
With the implementation of the SHN, the Government will no longer be issuing LOAs to such returnees, the health ministry said.
"The vast majority on the present regime would have served out their LOAs in the coming days and we will continue to ensure their compliance in the meantime," said MOH.
[h=3]READ: Coronavirus cases in Singapore: Trends, clusters and key numbers to watch[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: COVID-19 threat could erode with time just as with H1N1, say experts[/h]The SHN will also cover returning workers from mainland China on work passes.
"For such workers, we already require employers to seek prior approval from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) before they travel to Singapore. If employers need help, MOM will link them up with hotels or dormitory operators for their workers to serve out the SHN," said the health ministry.
MOH said the implementation of the SHN is "another precautionary measure we are taking to minimise the risk of additional imported cases of COVID-19".
Similar to those placed on LOA, these travellers are not suspected to have been in close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, nor are they unwell or display symptoms of the virus.
"These individuals are bearing inconvenience for the benefit of the wider community," said MOH.
"We therefore urge all landlords to cooperate and to allow their tenants who are placed on SHN to serve out their full-14 day requirements," it added.
The Government said it would continue to implement surveillance and enforcement measures to ensure compliance to the SHN requirements.
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