Singapore’s Ministry of Health on April 20 began to put up health advisory posters at airports and distributed advisories to travellers returning on flights from areas affected by the avian influenza A (H7N9) in China and SARS-like Coronavirus in the Middle East.

The ministry’s statement wrote that it is taking “additional measures” in view of the rising number of reported cases of H7N9 in China , and as Singaporeans are likely to travel abroad during the coming school holidays.

The individual health advisories, which are printed in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, remind travellers to look out for signs and symptoms of flu, such as fever and cough, and seek early medical attention from any clinic if they are ill with such symptoms.

The ministry said individuals should inform their doctors of their travel history, particularly if they have been to such areas in China as Anhui , Beijing , Henan , Jiangsu , Shanghai and Zhejiang with reported cases of H7N9.

The advisories also include Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Jordan and the United Arab Emirates where there are reported cases of Coronavirus.

Earlier, Singapore ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Singaporeans travelling to affected areas that they should e-Register with MFA to facilitate MFA to contact them in the event of an emergency.

According to Singapore ’s Ministry of Health, there have been no cases of avian influenza (H5N1) detected in Singapore , either in humans or poultry.

However, as of April 19, four Singaporeans who developed respiratory illness after returning from China had been picked up by the enhanced vigilance and monitoring system at public hospitals. All four tested negative for H7N9.

The ministry added that it will continue to maintain close contact with the World Health Organisation and its overseas counterparts to monitor the situation closely and ensure that public health is safeguarded. It also assured the public that hospitals here have appropriate infection control measures in place.-VNA