Preparedness Measures for Ebola Virus Disease Workshop on Strengthening Ebola Preparedness and Joint Response among ASEAN+3 FETN member countries 1-3 Dec 2014, Bangkok

Our Approach to Combating EVD I.Minimise the risk of infection II.Early detection of suspect cases in Singapore III.Prevent/minimise local spread in the event of an imported case

1.Suspect Case –A person with a fever (>38 ⁰ C) or current history of fever AND has been in countries with reported EVD activity (currently Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali) within the past 21 days, OR –A person with fever (>38 ⁰ C) or current history of fever AND has had exposure to a confirmed or suspect case of EVD within the past 21 days. 2.Confirmed Case –A case with laboratory confirmation of Ebola virus infection. Case definition

I. Minimising Risk General advisory to the public and companies on the postponement of non-essential travel, and specific advisory on precautionary actions to be taken to minimise risk of infection Health Advisory Posters (HAPs) at airport for outbound travellers Temporary visa requirements for nationals from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for entry into Singapore

II. Early Detection of Cases Health Advisory Posters (HAPs) and individual Health Advisory Notices (HANs) for inbound travellers at all checkpoints Temperature screening upon arrival covers travellers from West Africa, of whom 80% transit in the Middle East Nationals and self-declared travellers from Ebola-affected African countries will be directed to a screening station −Screened for fever; −Requested to complete a Health Declaration Card (with contact information); and −Administered a questionnaire to assess for the risk of exposure to Ebola Those with fever will be sent to dedicated hospital for further assessment and testing Those who are well but assessed to have a risk of exposure to Ebola will be kept under phone surveillance or quarantine for up to 21 days

II. Early Detection of Cases Inclusion of Ebola as notifiable diseases under the Infectious Diseases Act Circulars to doctors and hospitals to raise awareness, provide guidelines and protocols on infection control and management of suspect and confirmed cases of Ebola Visits to hospitals and preparedness exercises are being conducted to ensure that they are well-prepared and adequately resourced for case management

III. Preventing/Minimising Local Spread in Event of Imported Case Centralised management of cases (designated wards) Ebola virus testing by laboratory Close monitoring of every suspect cases Contact tracing and quarantine operations are in place

Harmonization of PPE Guidance on PPE for healthcare workers and staff in acute hospitals and primary care settings PPE guidance has also been adapted to non- healthcare settings Work with relevant agencies (whole of government approach) to promulgate the PPE recommendations to relevant staff.

Public Communications Dedicated webpage for EVD on the MOH website Press releases on measures implemented to safeguard against outbreaks −Raising the awareness and knowledge of travellers about the potential risk of diseases; −Increasing public confidence. Interviews by subject experts with the media

Risk Assessment Widespread and intense transmission continues in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There is low travel connectivity between Singapore and West Africa, where widespread and intense transmission remains limited to. As such, the risk of the spread of the disease to Singapore is currently assessed to be low. Local transmission from an imported case can be prevented with early identification and isolation of a patient, quarantine of close contacts and strict infection control measures.

Thank you