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During a sitting of Parliament on Feb. 6, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung spoke of the continued necessity of SG Arrival Cards for returning Singaporeans and residents, and their importance in controlling the spread of diseases.
Member of Parliament (MP) Liang Eng Hwa asked Ong whether the Ministry of Health (MOH) would review the SG Arrival Cards for returning Singaporeans and residents.
He also asked if the information obtained from the health declarations are significant to support public health surveillance efforts. Finally, he asked whether such information can already be obtained from data captured in the immigration and other government systems.
Control spread of disease
Ong replied that the primary purpose of the SG arrival card is to control the spread of diseases.
"In the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, MOH reviewed our need for data collection at the borders, and we decided to implement the Digital SG Arrival Card system for purposes of disease control," Ong said.
He gave other examples of diseases that MOH wished to guard against, such as Yellow Fever, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Ebola.
Previously, only foreigners were required to submit health information on a physical card. Now, all travellers are required submit a digital health declaration due to the risk of infectious diseases, as everyone is at risk.
"The information required has been streamlined and simplified to three questions to ascertain the risk of a traveller being infected with the current diseases of concern," said Ong.
Yellow Fever concern
Speaking in greater depth about Yellow Fever, Ong stated that travellers at risk of yellow fever infection and do not have a valid relevant vaccination certificate will be assessed and may be quarantined to protect against the risk of importing Yellow Fever into Singapore.
"This is because Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector that spreads Yellow Fever, is present in Singapore," Ong said.
Another example pointed out was regarding the MERS-Coronavirus and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. Travelers suspected of being infected can be referred for further medical assessment and isolation if necessary.
Ong pointed out that these dynamic information, such as recent symptoms or countries of travel, is not captured in government systems.
Liang then asked a follow-up question on whether the SG Arrival Card would be a permanent feature.
Ong replied that as infectious diseases continuously exist around the world, such measures are needed in order to prevent an endemic in Singapore. All measures are reviewed from time to time, but as of now, MOH feels the measures are still necessary.
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