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The Ministry of Health has confirmed six new cases of the Wuhan virus in Singapore on Feb. 4, 2020.

Out of the six cases, four are local human-to-human transmissions.

Shopkeepers, tour guide infected

The source of the virus is a Chinese medicine store at Yong Thai Hang, 24 Cavan Road in Lavender.

The shop is a tourist stop for Chinese travellers.

This is the first instance of "limited local transmission", meaning that the patients had been infected locally.

Of the four cases, two are shopkeepers at the medicine store.

The third is a domestic helper of one of the shopkeepers.

The fourth is a tour guide who brought tour groups to the store.

According to the tour guide, the Chinese travellers who visited the shop have gone back to China, but were coughing and sneezing during their stay in Singapore.

The shopkeepers and the tour guide had prolonged interactions with the travellers.

Tourist spot

When Mothership visited the shop vicinity, shopkeepers in the area told us that multiple buses of tourists appearing to be from China would stop by the shop.

Freddy Ngiam, licensee of Hotel Snow right beside the shop, said that there are around five buses a day, although the buses are not full.

Ngiam said he last saw Chinese tourists three days ago.

The staff of Wings Woodcraft and Antique, a store two units away, revealed that the Chinese medicine store was opened a few hours on Feb. 3 for cleaning.

The cleaning was reportedly done by Yong Thai Hang's own staff.

Virus unlikely to survive in physical environment for long

According to Gov.sg, there is no need to avoid these places where there have been suspected or confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

For one to be infected by a confirmed case, he/ she has to have close contact with the person.

This is defined as within 2m distance from the infected person for at least 30 minutes, according to the health authorities.

The virus is very unlikely to survive in the physical environment for a few days.

The risk of transmission through physical spaces is also reported to be extremely low.

However, while the official number of days the virus can survive on a surface has yet to be confirmed, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong mentioned in parliament that the rough estimate right now is about two to three days.

Two days was also the amount of time SARS was able to survive on plastic surfaces back in 2003.

MOH advises members of the public to continue practising good personal hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly with soap and water, as well as avoid touching your face with your hands.

One should also wear a surgical mask and seek prompt medical attention if feeling unwell.

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Top image by Andrew Koay