AUSTRALIA and Taiwan have issued travel notices following a spate of locally transmitted Zika virus cases in Singapore.
There has been 56 confirmed cases of the virus in Singapore so far.
“There is ongoing transmission of Zika virus in Singapore. All travellers should protect themselves from mosquito bites,” stated Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on its website on August 29.
It continued: “Adopt additional measures advised by the Department of Health, including deferring non-essential travel if pregnant, avoiding pregnancy for two months following your return.”
As well, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control yesterday raised the travel notice level for Singapore to Level 2, which calls for a high degree of caution and strong protective measures. The highest alert level is 3, which cautions against non-essential travel to a country.
It stated on its website: “Pregnant women and women planning pregnancy are advised to postpone their trips to areas where Zika virus is active. Travellers visiting areas with ongoing Zika transmission are advised to avoid mosquito bites.”
Malaysia too has voiced concern over the spread of the virus with its health minister S Subramaniam warning of the high risk in disease transmission to its borders.
Screening measures have been stepped up at major entry points in Malaysia, especially at the causeway points where most travel between Singapore and Malaysia take place.
The Malaysian health minister estimates more than 150,000 Malaysians travelling back from Singapore via the Woodlands-Johor Bahru causeway daily.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health reported that those infected by Zika were not known to have travelled to Zika-infected areas recently, thus confirming that local transmission has taken place.
The ministry is now conducting joint operations with the National Environment Agency to combat mosquito breeding in hotspots throughout the island.
