Singaporeans are concerned about their well-being and that of their family in the light of the coronavirus, but should not let their fears overwhelm them or cause them to overreact, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

He urged people to support each other and look out for one another - including those who are on quarantine or leave of absence from work - saying there is no need to fear having a government quarantine facility nearby or someone in the same block under quarantine.

Mr Wong, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling the spread of the virus here, also updated Parliament that as of Sunday night, there were 524 people under quarantine. Of these, 222 were in government quarantine facilities, while 302 were serving quarantine at home.

"Persons under quarantine are required to stay in their designated locations at all times during the quarantine period," he said. "They cannot physically interact with others living in the same premises."

Those under home quarantine will have to take video and phone calls to ensure they do not leave, and regular spot checks will be carried out. Those who breach quarantine orders may be fined or jailed.

In a ministerial statement, Mr Wong said being able to detect and isolate infected patients and their close contacts is Singapore's second line of defence - after border controls - against the virus that was first reported in Wuhan and has infected more than 17,000 people and killed more than 360.

While high-risk individuals are put under quarantine, lower-risk groups such as travellers returning from other parts of mainland China are asked to take a 14-day leave of absence from their return date. "This is one way to reduce their exposure when they are back, and thus reduce the risk of community spread in Singapore," he said.

Those on leave of absence are expected to remain home as much as possible and keep records of those they come into close contact with. They should also minimise time in public places, avoid crowds and keep tabs on their health.

Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) said some residents living near government quarantine facilities have expressed concerns over this proximity, to which Mr Wong replied that there is no reason to fear having such a facility nearby.

"We have to be mindful that anyone who is in quarantine is not an infected person," he said. "They have been exposed, so they are of some risk... So, we want them quarantined, just to be safe."

He reiterated that there are strict protocols in place to ensure that people stay within the quarantine facilities, and that places visited by those diagnosed with the virus are thoroughly disinfected in a process supervised by the National Environment Agency. "With all these measures in place, we should continue to assure Singaporeans that there is no need to be fearful or overreact due to fear or panic," he said.

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) said news that about 30,000 work pass holders from China left Singapore over the Chinese New Year break and had not returned had caused some anxiety among residents, and asked if there was a way to ensure that they complied with the leave of absence strictly.

In reply, Mr Wong said the authorities were working with employers to identify them and where they live so that if they are living in dormitories, these could be fitted so the returnees can be in more isolated areas and not interact with others.

The Government is also looking at measures to help employers who are impacted by the outbreak.

Landlords who evict irresponsibly may face sanctions

Landlords found to have irresponsibly evicted their tenants could face restrictions and even be barred from renting out their flats to foreign work pass holders in future, the authorities said last night. In a joint statement, the Manpower, Education and National Development ministries said they had received feedback about landlords evicting tenants who are placed on home quarantine orders or leave of absence (LOA) due to the coronavirus, and based on their nationality. The ministries said such persons, who could be workers or students, are well, and these are simply precautionary measures to protect Singaporeans from the spread of the coronavirus. "Guidelines are available for landlords to adopt should they have a tenant who is on home quarantine or LOA. There is no need for landlords to evict (such) persons," they said.

In his statement, Mr Wong said he could appreciate that many Singaporeans are concerned for themselves and their family members, but stressed that they have to do their part to cooperate.

"Some residents, upon learning that there is a person under home quarantine or on leave of absence in the same apartment block, have asked that the person be moved elsewhere," he said.

He also cited reports of land-lords stigmatising tenants based on their nationality, or evicting mainland Chinese tenants who are on leave of absence.

"If landlords start turning tenants away, then our overall containment efforts will be much harder, and we end up endangering ourselves and others," he said. "The outcome will be completely counterproductive."

"We should not condone such irresponsible actions that will end up putting Singapore and Singaporeans at greater risk," he added, saying other examples of irresponsible behaviour include attempts to profiteer from the sale of masks and the spread of falsehoods online.

He stressed that Singaporeans have a responsibility not to spread unverified information or fake news which can cause needless panic and fear. The Government has used the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act to correct such statements, and will continue to do so, he said.

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It has also stepped up its efforts to provide timely and accurate information, he added, urging people to turn to official or credible sources and be discerning about the information they share.

He also noted that anti-mainland Chinese sentiment has emerged among some groups, both online and in the real world.

"Such actions are not helpful and they have no place in our society. We are bigger than this in Singapore," he said. "I hope all of us in this House - regardless of political party - will stand together and do our part to confront and condemn such prejudice and discrimination wherever they exist."