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Singapore Experiencing Third Wave of H1N1 Cases

Preschoolers of Traveling Parents Told to Stay Home from School

Jun 26, 2009 Julie Maggiacomo Carrera

A mandatory, one week Leave of Absence (LOA) is enforced among children of family members who have traveled to infected areas.

The number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in Singapore has now reached 220, according to a June 24, 2009 press release by the Ministry of Health. Although the threat level has not raised above yellow, a new guideline has been put into place impacting all schools. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is ordering a LOA for seven days to any child who has traveled to an infected country, whether or not he is displaying symptoms, according to a June 23, 2009 MOE press release.

Advisories Issued by MCYS

For childcare centres and preschools, the guideline goes a bit further as released in two advisories dated June 18 and June 23, 2009 by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Any child who has had a parent or other household member that traveled to an infected area has been asked to stay home for the same seven day period.

This notice has taken some parents by surprise at the last minute. At least one local Woodlands preschool has turned away a minimum of two children from the school this week, according to one parent. In total, 78 children have been issued LOAs, which includes 12 with family members under home quarantine orders, according to Ang Yiying in the June 25, 2009 Straight Times article "Few Childcare Kids on Holiday."

Although it is not clear when reading the two advisories, seen in the link above, they do include parents or other household members who have traveled to infected countries, according to a MCYS spokesperson in a personal interview on June 25, 2009. The countries are based on a list provided by the Ministry of Health.

Third Wave of Swine Flu Has Hit Singapore

At a June 22, 2009 press conference the Minister for Health, Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, explained the need for Singapore to contain and adjust their strategy towards the H1N1 virus. "There were 3 waves of exported cases to Singapore. The first wave came from the US. The second wave came from Australia. . . . The third wave began last week, from fellow ASEAN countries. . . .," stated the Minister. There is a concern that this last wave will be rather large because of the close location of these countries.

"The reopening of schools will raise the risk of local transmission from infected students who recently returned from overseas. That is why it is important to get the recently returned students to stay at home for a week before they rejoin schools," continued the Minister.

Precautions Extreme But Necessary

The MCYS decided to increase the precaution at childcare centres. Although this safeguard seems a bit extreme to parents who are told that their child has to stay home, in the long run, this may become highly beneficial as cases of the H1N1 virus continues to rise. See related article entitled "Swine Flu Cases on the Rise in Singapore."

The copyright of the article Singapore Experiencing Third Wave of H1N1 Cases in General Medicine is owned by Julie Maggiacomo Carrera. Permission to republish Singapore Experiencing Third Wave of H1N1 Cases in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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