SINGAPORE: There are no new cases of the novel coronavirus in Singapore for the second day in a row, the Ministry of Health said on Monday (Feb 3) evening.

None of the 18 previously announced cases are critically ill, and all of them remain in stable condition, MOH said, adding that most are improving.





As of noon on Monday, 262 suspect cases have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, while test results for another 32 cases are pending.



The ministry said that it has identified 256 close contacts of the 18 cases. Of the 187 who are still in Singapore, 186 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated.



"Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining close contact," MOH added.



The number of total infections in China's coronavirus outbreak has passed 17,200 nationwide, the National Health Commission said on Monday.

In its daily update, the commission said there had been 57 new deaths from the virus - all in hardest-hit Hubei province except one, bringing the national toll to 361.



The 18th confirmed case in Singapore is a 31-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on Jan 22. She was a travelling companion of the 12th confirmed case.

The 17th case, a 47-year-old woman, is one of the Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30. She was asymptomatic when she boarded the flight but was found to have a fever during medical screening upon her arrival at Changi Airport.



Singapore on Friday announced that it will widen travel restrictions to include all new visitors with recent travel history to China. The expanded measures started at 11.59pm on Saturday.

As of 1pm on Sunday, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) refused entry to 15 travellers into Singapore, due to either their travel histories to mainland China in the last 14 days, or suspension of visa facilities.



On Saturday, authorities began distributing packs of four surgical masks for each Singapore household. There have been long queues for masks at pharmacies and retailers across the country.



Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Sunday also said that the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus situation could be "wider, deeper and longer" than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003.

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