Screening Measures Also Implemented at Sea Checkpoints for Ships from Mpox-Affected Areas
Starting on Friday (Aug 23), Changi and Seletar airports will implement temperature and visual screenings for travelers and crew arriving from areas with potential exposure to mpox outbreaks, announced the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Transport, and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. The Ministry also revealed that similar screening measures will be extended to sea checkpoints for passengers and crew on ships arriving from mpox-affected regions.
In a statement released on Thursday, MOH emphasized that health advisories are now in place at air checkpoints, and travelers are strongly encouraged to adhere to these guidelines. If any travelers show symptoms such as fever, rash, or other signs associated with mpox, they will be referred for immediate medical assessment.
Furthermore, all travelers are required to report any mpox-related symptoms, such as fever or rash, along with their recent travel history through the SG Arrival Card. Suspected cases will be isolated in hospitals for further evaluation and testing.
The MOH confirmed that contact tracing will be initiated for all confirmed mpox cases to contain the virus’s spread within the community. Close contacts of confirmed cases will be offered vaccination to reduce the risk of infection. However, the ministry clarified that population-wide vaccination for mpox is not recommended at this time, given the current global epidemiology of the disease.
As of Thursday, MOH reported 13 confirmed cases of mpox for the year, all of which were caused by the less severe Clade II strain. No cases of the more severe Clade I strain, which has been linked to outbreaks in Africa, have been detected in Singapore. Though two cases of Clade I have been identified in Sweden and Thailand, the MOH confirmed that there have been no local transmissions of this strain in those countries.
The MOH’s measures come as part of global efforts to manage the outbreak, following the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox as a global public health emergency on August 14, 2024.
