Singapore closes borders to all foreign travellers from China to stem spread of coronavirus
- The island nation is the first Southeast Asian country to bar entry to all new visitors arriving from mainland China, except Singaporeans and permanent residents
- It has also reported three new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 16, including the first Singaporean to be infected
The island nation has China as one of its biggest trading partners and is a popular destination for Chinese tourists. Figures from the Singapore Tourism Board showed that 248,000 travellers from the mainland entered Singapore last November, while 3.42 million mainland Chinese tourists visited in 2018.
The visa suspension will come into effect immediately so travellers can be informed in advance, while the travel restriction will start at 11.59pm on Saturday. The government did not say when these restrictions would be lifted.
Singapore also announced three new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing its total to 16. The new cases include one of the Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on January 30, a 47-year-old woman who travelled to the Chinese city with her family.
She did not have any symptoms when she boarded the flight but was found to have a fever during a medical screening at Changi Airport. She tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
The two other new cases are both Chinese nationals: a 31-year-old man who holds a work pass for Singapore and had visited Hubei province, returning to the city state on January 26; and a 38-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan on January 22.
The coronavirus has infected more than 11,000 people around the world, killing more than 213. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak an international public health emergency.