Coronavirus: Singapore tells all new arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days as 47 new cases confirmed

New measure – to be ‘strictly’ enforced – will apply to all new arrivals, regardless of where their journey began

Move comes as health ministry reports the largest single-day increase yet

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A man arrives at the Woodlands checkpoint in Singapore, after crossing the causeway connecting the city state to Malaysia. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:16pm, 18 Mar 2020Updated: 10:35pm, 18 Mar 2020

Singapore on Wednesday said it would require all new arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days and warned it would “strictly” enforce the measure.

The new restriction starts on Friday and will apply to everyone, citizens and residents included and regardless of where their journey began. It is an escalation of travel restrictions targeted at arrivals from countries with mushrooming infections.

Singapore’s decision follows similar moves by Taiwan and Hong Kong. Taiwan requires travellers from more than 26 countries to serve 14-day quarantines, while Hong Kong has tightened travel restrictions so that all arrivals from Thursday will be quarantined for 14 days. Australia and New Zealand imposed similar self-quarantine measures this week.

“The expansion of the travel advisory is to reduce the risk of Singaporeans being infected with the virus when abroad, and spreading it to other Singaporeans when they return,” said the health ministry.

The outbreak started in China but has now spread to more than 100 countries with more than 190,000 infections. The centre of the pandemic has also shifted to the West with more infections outside China than the 80,894 within the mainland.

Singapore's National Development Minister Lawrence Wong. Photo: AFP