Hotels and travel agencies here have reported a handful of cancellations from foreigners intending to visit, amid mounting fears over the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

However, observers say that it is too soon to gauge the likely impact of the outbreak on the local economy.

Several governments, including the United States, Britain and South Korea, have issued travel advisories for those travelling to Singapore.

Mr Patrick Fiat, general manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts, said the hotel has received three cancellations since Tuesday. It waived cancellation charges for a pregnant Canadian woman.

“If the current number of cases increases, we may see the situation worsen,” he said.

Travel agency Hong Thai Travel said several independent travellers from mainland China and Taiwan due here next week have cancelled their trips.

“Although they did not specify that it was because of Zika, it is unusual for travellers to cancel at the last minute,” noted assistant general manager Tony Aw.

Another travel firm, Lex Travel, said that cancellations for pre-planned group tours have risen by 20 to 30 per cent since the start of the week.

“Numbers (of Zika cases) can scare people, especially tourists,” said UOB economist Francis Tan.

“But it’s too early to tell whether there will be an impact on the economy… What we do know is that unlike Sars, which hit us in 2003, the ease of transmission and severity (in terms of mortality) are not as bad.”

Then, arrivals slumped by as much as 71 per cent in a month.

Ms Jean Ng, sports director of the Singapore Tourism Board, said it will track developments closely and monitor the travel trade to address any concerns by visitors.

CIMB Private Banking economist Song Seng Wun said September is usually quiet for tourism, other than the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, which can bring in up to $100 million in receipts.

Preparations for the Sept 16 to 18 F1 race are “on track and proceeding as per normal”, said a spokesman for event organiser Singapore GP.

A Ministry of Trade and Industry spokesman told The Straits Times that the World Health Organisation has not issued travel restrictions to Zika-affected areas, and that Singapore remains a safe destination.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said that the carrier has neither cancelled flights following news of the outbreak here nor seen shifts in demand for travel to or from Singapore.

This article was first published on September 2, 2016.
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To wait or not – this question is on the minds of couples planning to have a child after the spread of Zika to several areas in Singapore.

The advice from doctors is that there is no real reason to delay, since it seems unlikely the virus will be eliminated from these shores.

Instead, those planning parenthood should accept that this is likely to be the “new normal” and take precautions against being bitten by the Aedes mosquito – which spreads Zika – and make sure their homes are mosquito-free.

What is the Zika virus?

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“The transmission vector is a mosquito which is endemic in Singapore. You might want to delay pregnancy but when do you think Zika is going away?” said Dr Christopher Ng of GynaeMD Women’s and Rejuvenation Clinic.

The same point was made by infectious diseases specialist Leong Hoe Nam of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital: “If we can’t clear the Zika cases in the next few weeks, chances are that it will stay rooted in Singapore. But life must go on.”

While a Zika infection is typically mild, with symptoms of fever and rash along with others such as sore eyes and joint ache, it can have serious effects on unborn children. Pregnant women who catch the disease may give birth to babies with unusually small heads – and this could lead to developmental problems.

Said massage therapist Suhailah A. Samin, who has two sons: “We were planning for a third child but decided not to have more kids during this Zika period. We’re afraid we may not be able to cope with the pregnancy and will suffer… more worries with all the ‘what-ifs’.”

Other couples, however, are taking any risk in their stride.

“We are no longer young,” said renovator Sky Yong, 41.

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Both he and his wife, finance manager Ashley Low, 39, work fairly near Aljunied, where the first cluster of local Zika transmission was detected.

“We love children… Zika, Aids, whatever virus is out there, we will still go for it. We can’t live controlled by fear,” added Mr Yong.

Housewife Christina Chong, 36, and her husband, lab officer Ong Wai Chung, 37, are also undeterred. “We have been waiting for so long, planning for two or three years, before the virus came along. We are just avoiding the affected areas but there’s nothing much you can do.”

Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo, who oversees the National Population and Talent Division, said it is natural for prospective parents to be concerned. She encouraged them to find out more about the disease and its potential health risks, and speak to doctors if necessary.

“I hope they are not overly deterred because, as with dengue and chikungunya, we have to deal with Zika through taking regular precautions such as using mosquito repellents when going outdoors and looking out for symptoms,” she said.

Read also:

• Pregnancy and Zika: Here’s what you need to know
• Zika infection: Expert advice on how pregnant women can protect themselves
• Zika outbreak: Why free testing for mums-to-be who show symptoms islandwide

This article was first published on Sep 02, 2016.
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Three-year-old Jarrell Tan loves spending weekends with his siblings at the void deck under his home in Bedok North Avenue 3, where they take turns to ride their bicycles and scooters.

But now, he will have to be happy playing at home.

His father, IT engineer Tan Kok Soon, 34, is taking steps to protect his children from the Zika virus that has arrived in his neighbourhood – and that includes keeping them at home.

The Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that Bedok North Avenue 3 could be a Zika cluster.

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Parents like Mr Tan are not taking any chances, even though the virus is not known to have a serious impact on young children. Mr Tan is ensuring his three children have repellent on before they go to childcare in the mornings.

“My wife and I have also closed all the windows and turned on the air-conditioning in our home to keep the mosquitoes out,” he said.

Housewife Ho Hwee Chin, 63, is also doing the same, having banned her four grandchildren – aged one to seven – from going to the playground. She said: “I don’t want to leave it to fate.”

Neither do the authorities and the town councils. Efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus were in full swing yesterday with pest control officers fogging the vicinity and oiling drains to prevent mosquito breeding.

Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap, who takes care of Kaki Bukit ward which part of the affected cluster of 43 blocks comes under, spoke to residents and visited homes yesterday. House visits were also conducted by Fengshan MP Cheryl Chan. Six of the blocks in the cluster come under her single-member constituency.

At East Coast GRC’s Kampong Chai Chee ward, where the remaining blocks are, more than 30 grassroots volunteers went door to door at 12 blocks of flats, passing out fliers to residents containing information on the virus and how to prevent its spread. The new cluster in the eastern part of Singapore is a major residential hub near the Bedok MRT station.

Yesterday, residents went about their usual activities. Volunteers are keeping an eye out for pregnant residents and have been told to note down their particulars so they can offer help if needed.

Zika is associated with microcephaly in unborn babies, a defect that results in abnormally small heads. The risk is higher during the first trimester and early part of the second trimester of pregnancy.

Madam Noor Diah Ahmad Junsi, 40, who is seven months pregnant, has been spraying insect repellent around her house, especially before she sleeps at night.

Although she is considered to be at a lower risk since she is in her final trimester, the law firm secretary is still worried.

“There is no guarantee that my baby will not get affected,” she said.

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Doctors are advising pregnant women that there is no need to get tested for Zika, unless they show key symptoms, such as a fever and rash.

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On Wednesday, a pregnant woman took to Facebook to say that a doctor at Woodlands Polyclinic would not refer her for a free test even though she had “all (Zika) symptoms besides rashes”. So she paid $300 for the blood and urine test for her peace of mind.

The Health Ministry and Clinical Advisory Group on Zika and Pregnancy advise that unless a pregnant woman has clear symptoms of Zika – fever and rash, and another symptom such as red eyes or joint pain – there is no need to get regular blood or urine tests.

Those in the private sector, such as obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) clinic A Company for Women, have also released advisories along these lines.

Dr Christopher Ng of GynaeMD Women’s and Rejuvenation Clinic said that he has been getting at least one call a day from his patients inquiring about the possibility of getting tested.

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He generally asks them to come in to discuss the issue, adding: “I wouldn’t be surprised if some people want to go ahead anyway, despite MOH’s general advice against doing so.”

Read also: 

• Zika outbreak: Why free testing for mums-to-be who show symptoms islandwide
• First case of pregnant woman with Zika in Singapore; potential new cluster at Bedok North Ave 3
• Pregnant woman with Zika is well: Family

This article was first published on Sep 02, 2016.
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The spread of the Zika virus has widened to areas in the north and east, after single cases were found in Yishun, Upper Thomson and Simei. The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday also revealed that a second pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the virus.

She has been linked to the original cluster in the Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive area, where the other expectant mother lives.

The 31 new infections detected as of noon yesterday, and another five found through look-back testing, take the total number of locally transmitted Zika cases here to 151 – less than a week after the first case involving a Malaysian woman living in Aljunied was found.

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In a Facebook post a few hours before MOH’s latest update last night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was only a matter of time before the Aedes mosquito-borne virus reached Singapore.

“The cases so far have been in Aljunied and Bedok, but we must assume that Zika is elsewhere in Singapore too,” he wrote, adding that scientists are still learning about Zika “But we know that for most people, it is mild, and in fact often causes no symptoms at all. Pregnant women are at risk, as they are with other viral infections like dengue and chicken pox. Do take precautions and get tested if you show symptoms.

“Our best defence is to eradicate mosquitoes and destroy breeding habitats, all over Singapore. Do the five-step Mozzie Wipeout. Let’s all do our part to fight Zika, and dengue as well.”

The National Environment Agency said it is determining areas where mosquitoes are more prevalent, and taking action to reduce the population there – even if the area has no known Zika case.

This is aimed at breaking the disease transmission chain, and preventing further spread.

After Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive, cases have been found in Paya Lebar Way/Kallang Way, Bedok North Avenue 3, Punggol Way and Joo Seng. Yesterday, MOH said it has found that three cases are not linked to any existing cluster. The affected people live in Yishun Street 81, Tagore Avenue and Harvey Crescent.

By the end of today, there should be posters on Zika and how to wipe out mosquitoes in every Nee Soon South lift, said the area’s MP Lee Bee Wah. Checks will also be stepped up to find any pools of water which could allow mosquitoes to breed.

Yishun residents took the news in their stride, highlighting that unless one is pregnant, an infection has little impact. The bigger worry for most was how the virus was spreading. Said bank executive Agnes Teo, 36: “When the first case was reported, it was so far away, and now it’s in my neighbourhood.”

A resident of a landed estate near Harvey Crescent in Simei, Ms Yip Ming Yen, 38, said her family had started to take precautions such as closing the windows and using insect repellent. “It’s definitely a concern,” said the lawyer.

Meanwhile, the mother-in-law of the first pregnant woman found to have Zika here told The Straits Times yesterday that the family is feeling a bit better now that she is well and returning home from hospital soon. “She just has to go back later for check-ups regularly.”

What is the Zika virus?

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Malaysia yesterday confirmed its first case of Zika linked to the outbreak here. Its Health Ministry said the 58-year-old financial consultant travelled to Singapore on Aug 19 to visit her daughter, who lives in Paya Lebar.

The daughter also tested positive for Zika, and is one of at least six Malaysians living here who have been infected. More than 50 cases involve foreigners, most of whom are from China and India.

•Additional reporting by Yeo Sam Jo and Janice Heng

This article was first published on September 2, 2016.
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