SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Jan 23) said Singaporeans should avoid travelling to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, stepping up a notch from its advice on Wednesday for people to defer non-essential travel there.

The ministry said it updated the travel advisory “in view of the developing novel coronavirus situation in Wuhan and other parts of China”, with confirmed cases spreading beyond Wuhan to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangdong, which abuts densely populated Hong Kong.

It also cited the travel halt imposed by the Chinese authorities on Thursday, as all flights out of the city were cancelled and trains, buses and ferries suspended.

“MOH also reminds the public to continue to exercise caution and (pay) attention to personal hygiene when travelling to the rest of China,” the ministry said in a statement.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Singapore so far, MOH has said it expects more suspected cases or even imported cases due to Singapore’s status as a travel hub.

It reminded travellers and members of the public to avoid contact with live animals and not to eat raw and undercooked meats.

The ministry added that travellers should observe good personal hygiene, wear a mask when they have cough or runny nose, and see a doctor promptly if they feel unwell.

Those who need to travel to the affected areas are advised to regularly check MOH’s website for updates and to heed the advice of the local authorities while in China.

Nearly 600 people in China have been confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, with 17 people dead.

Cases have also turned up in Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and Vietnam.

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