Singapore — among the many international locations with probably the most confirmed instances of the brand new coronavirus — is more and more feeli
Singapore — among the many international locations with probably the most confirmed instances of the brand new coronavirus — is more and more feeling the warmth because the variety of contaminated instances climbs.
The influence on the tourism sector will probably be “important” as vacationers from mainland China accounted for 20% of Singapore’s whole worldwide guests final yr, stated Keith Tan, chief govt of the Singapore Tourism Board.
“The Chinese economy is a lot more significant now than it was 17 years in the past throughout SARS. And … in 2003, for tourism, China accounted for simply 9% of our worldwide customer arrivals,” he advised CNBC Thursday. “Now it is about 20%. So the direct influence, on a regular basis this lasts, will probably be extra important than SARS.”
The newest coronavirus outbreak, thought to have originated from a seafood market within the Chinese language metropolis of Wuhan, has introduced again reminiscences of SARS. Through the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003, regional economies together with Singapore have been despatched right into a tailspin.
On Thursday, two new instances have been introduced, which took Singapore’s whole confirmed instances to 30, according to the health ministry. The youngest affected person up to now is a six-month-old child.
Medical workers stroll to the Nationwide Centre for Infectious Illnesses constructing at Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore on January 31, 2020.
Roslan Rahman | APF | Getty Photos
Singapore bars vacationers from China
As the present outbreak…