COVID-19: Singapore criticises irresponsible virus carriers

Hanoi (VNA) – Singaporean authorities on March 10 criticised coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 carriers for socially irresponsible actions that risk spreading the disease.

Speaking at a press conference, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong revealed that as of March 10, Singapore had 160 confirmed cases, of whom 35 failed to minimise social contact despite fever or respiratory symptoms.

About 22 percent of them continued to go to work or contact with many people when they were ill, Gan said, adding that 24 percent had visited more than one health clinics, with eight visiting three or more clinics.

Therefore, the health ministry called on the public to show bigger social responsibility amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including providing full and comprehensive information when being required, and going to health clinics for examination immediately and then staying at home if felling unwell.

On the same day, Indonesian police announced that six people had been arrested for allegedly spreading misinformation online about the coronavirus.

A woman in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya was arrested on March 9 for spreading inaccurate claims on Facebook that a patient who was being treated for the virus in the city, police said.

Five others were also detained for spreading false information on social media, including claims a Muslim woman flying to Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage had died suddenly from the virus at Jakarta's international airport.

All six suspects are accused of violating laws banning the spread of misinformation, which carries as much as six years in prison.

COVID-19 has killed more than 4,200 people and infected nearly 119,000 globally since it emerged in December last year./.