The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is "very confident" of the measures that the government has taken to contain the novel coronavirus cases in Singapore, STB Chief Keith Tan said on Tuesday (Feb. 11).

"No reason" for other countries to impose travel advisory on S'pore

Speaking to a group of reporters, Tan said that he saw "no reason" for other countries to impose travel advisories on Singapore.

He added that STB is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and that the foreign ministry will also be working very closely with other countries if they make any indications that they would impose a travel advisory on Singapore.

On Feb. 8, Kuwait was the first country to issue a travel advisory to their citizens against travelling to Singapore.

Qatar followed suit the next day (Feb. 9), advising their citizens to avoid travelling to Singapore "except for the most urgent need".

On Feb. 10, Sarawak announced an immediate 14-day self-quarantine will be imposed on those who visited Singapore before their arrival in Sarawak.

Calling this the tourism sector's "biggest challenge" since SARS in 2003, Tan said that STB estimate visitor arrivals to fall by 25 to 30 per cent in 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Travellers to S'pore infected

Several foreigners were found to be infected with the novel coronavirus after visiting Singapore.

They include two South Koreans, a Malaysian and a British national, all of whom attended a business conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

A Chinese national from Wuhan, the epicentre of the viral outbreak, also attended this meeting.

Top image via tea.in.saigon/IG, yun_u1106/IG