A GROWING number of countries worldwide are issuing travel advisories to Singapore as cases of Zika infection in the city-state climbed to 115 (as of August 31) in less than a week.
After Australia and Taiwan first issued travel notices for those travelling to Singapore, the UK, US and South Korea have also now done the same.
Nations are warning against travel to Singapore especially for those who are pregnant or planning to conceive.
“Singapore’s first cases of locally transmitted Zika virus were confirmed in August 2016. You should discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant,” stated the UK government on its foreign travel advisory portal.
For South Koreans, they will receive a text message with a Zika warning when they arrive in Singapore. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advised South Korean women to avoid pregnancy for two months after returning from a country on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list.
Singapore was added to the CDC list with a Level 2 alert, which encourages travellers to practice enhanced precautions.
“Because Zika virus is primarily spread by mosquitoes, CDC recommends that travellers to Singapore protect themselves from mosquito bites. Sexual transmission of Zika virus is also possible, so travellers are encouraged to use condoms (or other barriers to prevent infection) or not have sex,” stated CDC on its website.
Pregnant women should not travel to Singapore at all, CDC further cautioned.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s neighbouring countries Malaysia and Indonesia have stepped up measures including thermal screening at airport terminals and border crossings.
“Zika will create fear for tourists wanting to holiday in Singapore and it is bad for the tourism industry,” commented Abdul Rahman Mohamed, general manager of Mayflower Holidays in Malaysia.
“The government must be very transparent in containing the outbreak to create confidence. This must be managed properly.”
The Singapore Tourism Board has stated that it is premature to consider any impact on tourism for now.
Singapore inbound operator Tour East concurs. “At this moment, there is no immediate impact. We have not received any cancellations and I have made a few calls to my contacts in the inbound segment and it is the same feedback,” assured Judy Lum, senior vice-president sales & marketing at Tour East.
“We hope there will be minimal impact despite the travel advisories especially with so many people willing to travel to Brazil during the Olympics despite the high level of infection in Brazil. I believe the fear of Zika virus is not as magnified as the press made it out to be.”
The virus has been found to be locally transmitted, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH), meaning those infected were not known to have travelled to Zika-infected areas recently.
The MOH alongside Singapore’s National Environment Agency is currently ramping up efforts to contain the spread of the disease, which includes identifying potential clusters for vector control efforts.
Additional reporting from S Puvaneswary
