Singapore reports 47 new coronavirus cases; citizens advised to defer foreign travel

Singapore on Wednesday advised its citizens to defer all foreign travel plans as it reported 47 new coronavirus cases, mostly imported ones, taking the total number of infections in the country to 313.

The new cases are the highest reported in Singapore in a single day. Of the new infections, 33 are imported and includes 30 returning Singapore residents who were infected overseas, Channel News Asia reported citing the authorities.

These imported cases comprise citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders.

Nineteen of them have a travel history to Europe while six had been in North America. Six other cases have a travel history to ASEAN nations while another person travelled beyond ASEAN to other parts of Asia.

The remaining imported case had travelled to both Europe and North America.

As part of enhanced efforts to tackle the spread of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has advised Singaporeans to defer all foreign travel.

Singaporeans returning home from overseas will have to serve a 14-day self-isolation, the report said.

"Most of these cases are imported ones and the majority are Singaporeans and residents coming back from overseas ... we cannot afford to take further risk if the number of these imported cases continue to rise," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong expects the number of cases to increase for which Singapore's healthcare capacity is "designed to handle them".

"So, 47 (cases reported Wednesday) is the highest single day so far, but we do see the number going up ... many residents have returned to Singapore, even before we introduced the Stay-Home Notice and the current travel advisory," said Gan.

"We do expect some of them to be infected. They are now in the incubation period and in the next two or three weeks, we will see some of these infected cases emerging," he said.

The Health Ministry would be announcing additional social distancing measures, particularly for the more vulnerable such as the elderly.

The Ministry said the latest advisory supercedes the advisory issued on Sunday calling on Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel abroad.

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", it added.

In addition, all Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors entering Singapore from 11.59pm on Friday will be issued a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN), an initial measure to check the spread on the deadly virus.

The coronavirus outbreak, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city last year, has infected 198,006 people and killed 7,948, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University.