MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS) BY MR WONG KAN SENG, MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND CHAIRMAN OF MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON SARS AT PARLIAMENT
ON 24 APR 2003

Business continuity and uninterrupted provision of essential services
The same isolate-and-contain strategy must also apply at the organizational level. MTI has been working with businesses to advise and help them on the precautionary measures that they should put in place to prevent the spread of SARS among their staff, such as daily temperature checks of staff and visitors, segregation of their staff into 2 teams and not allowing cross-contamination, for example. They have also been advised on the need to develop business continuity plans.

Similarly, precautionary measures have also been put in place for all government agencies such as daily temperature checks and heath declarations. All government agencies have also developed detailed operating procedures to safeguard the health of their frontline staff who may be exposed to SARS patients in the course of their work. These include the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority officers, our police officers, paramedics and soldiers. The consequences of a SARS infection spreading through the public service will be dire. We cannot afford to shut down a Government department or Ministry.

Business continuity plans have also been developed for all government and essential service agencies to ensure that essential services such as water, electricity and public transport will continue to be provided, even if some of the staff members in these agencies come down with SARS. An alternative temporary office site has been identified for government agencies to use in the event their premises have to be vacated for a period for a general clean-up. Back-up information technology infrastructure has also been put in place. Remote access and telecommuting work solutions are also being developed for the public service. The public are also being encouraged to make greater use of the various electronic services that government agencies have launched over the years, to help minimize the level of physical interaction required.

Need for Quick response
While we take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of SARS, we also plan for various scenarios for which quickness of response and the ability to muster resources at extremely short notice is absolutely key. Let me take the example of the closure of the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market (PPWM). Once we assessed the situation and decided on Saturday, 19 April evening that the best course of action to prevent further spread of SARS into the community was to shut down the Market and place all the stall holders and workers there on Home Quarantine, Police, AVA and MOH officers immediately swung into action to cordon and control access into and out of the market. Some 50 Police officers were mobilized immediately for the operation. Particulars of all those there were taken down to facilitate contact tracing. Given the large number of people affected at the Market, some 3,000 to 4,000 persons, additional manpower had to be mobilized to ensure that the contact tracing can be completed quickly. Hence, all 84 senior constituency managers in People's Association and their staff were mobilized on Sunday to handle and complete the contact tracing by Monday. SCDF mobilized 100 men to help CISCO serve the HQOs and install the cameras so that the job could be completed within 2 days. Another 20 SCDF volunteers were also activated to help act as interpreters when serving the HQOs. We also decided that as an additional preventive measure, frequent customers of PPWM such as the market stallholders should also be subject to daily temperature checks. To do this, we mobilized the grassroots network in all the constituencies on Monday to organize the exercise. They quickly got together, and by Tuesday morning the first group of market stallholders conducted their temperature parades and this has been rolling out over the last couple of days to more markets. Some community leaders even took leave from work to volunteer in this effort. This example not only illustrates the quickness of response required by the entire Government and the community, but also the resources we have to marshal to contain the situation as quickly as possible. Here, I want to thank all those involved for their time and sacrifice. From tomorrow, NEA officers will take over the task of temperature-taking for about 20,000 stall-holders and stall assistants so that this can be sustained.

While ENV and the Town Councils have done thorough checks and taken extra measures to ensure that an Amoy Gardens scenario should not occur here, we take no chances. We have identified and prepared 2 HDB blocks to be used as emergency housing in the event we have to move residents from a whole block should the need arise. This is to protect them although they will be inconvenienced for a few days. Investigations can then be carried out without hindrance to look into whether there are peculiar causes that could have led to a few unconnected residents being infected with SARS . The logistics and utilities as well as the operational plan to effect such a mass evacuation have already been worked out. Hence, while we take all precautionary measures, we cannot be complacent.

Global Cooperation
However, actions at the individual and national level are not enough, because SARS is a global problem. To fully contain it, international cooperation is essential. Such cooperation is already happening on the medical front. The significant strides made on this within a short space of time in the fight against SARS shows what could be achieved if nations are prepared to work together to overcome this problem.

Hence, the ASEAN Leaders will be meeting in Bangkok next week together with their Health Ministers and Ministers in charge of immigration matters, to discuss the measures that ASEAN member nations could take as a collective group to keep our borders open and contain the spread of SARS. Ideally, we should get to a position where we can assure the rest of the world that it is safe to travel in and out of ASEAN.

Overcoming the crisis and returning to normalcy
Whether we like it or not, SARS will be with us for some time. It is important that we do not allow ourselves to be defeated and continue with our normal life with suitable adjustments. As long as the necessary precautionary measures are taken, all activities can and should continue.

I am happy to note that the majority of Singaporeans have already made the adjustments and are carrying on with their lives as normal. This is evident from the many mass community events that are going on as planned as well as the crowds at hawker centers and food courts. I was at a restaurant last week and it was full.

In summary, my committee will not let up on our efforts to contain and overcome the SARS situation. If all Singaporeans cooperate and stay united, we will weather this crisis like many others before and emerge triumphant.