“We are very impressed” with Singapore’s efforts to find and treat COVID-19 cases said World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday.
"Singapore is leaving no stone unturned, testing every case of influenza-like illness and pneumonia," Dr Tedros said at a media briefing.
The WHO chief said he had spoken to Health Minister Gan Kim Yong about Singapore's response to the COVID-19 outbreak and was impressed “with the efforts they are making to find every COVID-19 case, follow up with contacts, and stop transmission".
"So far they have not found evidence of community transmission," he added.
The Ministry of Health on Tuesday night announced the recovery and discharge of 5 COVID-19 patients. The island nation has a total of 81 confirmed cases of which 29 have recovered and been discharged, with 1051 testing negative and 28 test results pending as of February 18.
Singapore has been relentless in its bid to track and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has infected over 75,000 people across the world. The latest in the Ministry of Health’s measures to help prevent the spread of the disease is a strict Stay-Home Notice for all Singapore residents and long-term pass holders with recent travel history to mainland China outside the Hubei province.
These travellers will now be required to stay home at all times during their 14-day leave period – a stricter measure than the previous Leave of Absence which allowed people to leave their homes for brief periods.