This evening, less than 24 hours after Singapore’s outbreak strategy had been launched, the Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first case of the novel coronavirus. The new coronavirus had already killed 17 people and infected more than 570 in China.
Singapore’s first reported case, a 66-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan, had arrived in the city-state with his family three days earlier.
On 21 January, he developed a fever and cough, and was diagnosed with pneumonia at Singapore General Hospital the following day. He was isolated and remained in a stable condition.
His nine travelling companions were quarantined for 14 days. A second suspected case was also reported that night.
Earlier that day, the leadership and senior management had discussed the immediate safety implications of the novel virus on the School’s operations during the first monthly operations meeting for 2020.
It was the calm before the storm.