Chinese New Year often brings heavy human traffic as people hurry to fly to loved ones or for a short getaway. But this year, travelling will bring more than just the worries of check-in queues as China reports more deaths and infections from the rapidly-spreading Wuhan pneumonia.
The news comes smack in the middle of China’s busiest travel periods of the year, also known as the “largest annual human migration in the world”.
According to The Straits Times, the disease has reached China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and, most recently, the US. It is also confirmed to be transmissible from human-to-human, and symptoms include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.
Even though countries have stepped up safety measures to track and contain the virus, it is important that we ourselves exercise our own caution to avoid falling sick over this period of heightened anxiety. It doesn’t help that Singapore’s flu season this year has fallen right over CNY, making it all the more important to make sure we keep ourselves in the pink of health.
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Precautions for travellers
Besides avoiding travel to Wuhan, the Ministry Of Health (MOH) advises travellers to monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return to Singapore, and seek prompt medical attention if they feel unwell.
Always wear a mask if you have symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose, and call the clinic before you visit.
Tips to protect yourself this CNY
If you’re staying put in Singapore this CNY, here are some ways to keep friends, family and yourself healthy during this celebratory but cautious season.