After a confirmed case of a potentially more serious variant of Mpox was reported in Sweden and Thailand each, Singapore has started carrying out temperature and visual screening at Changi and Seletar airports as a precautionary measure.
The island country’s Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Transport and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will be enhancing the surveillance capabilities against the infectious disease at the borders. Screening will also be done at sea checkpoints for crew and passengers landing on the shores from mpox-affected areas, The Straits Times reported.
No direct flights to Singapore
As per the MOH’s instructions, no direct flight is operated between Singapore and any nation that has an mpox outbreak. Temperature and visual screening will be conducted at Changi and Seletar airports for inbound travelers and crew arriving from areas potentially exposed to the viral disease outbreak.
Checkpoints will have health advisories for passengers to see and take required precautions. Travelers are strongly urged to adhere to the advisory, particularly if they are traveling to or from affected countries. Individuals exhibiting fever, rash, or symptoms consistent with Mpox will be referred for medical evaluation.
Singapore’s MOH has said that the country has seen no case of mpox clade I to date. However, it is monitoring the global situation up close.
On August 14, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in over 27,000 cases and more than 1,300 deaths since January 2023, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
(With PTI inputs)