“PART 3A
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
DURING PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT AND
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
Division 1 — Public health threat
Declaration of public health threat
(2)Once a public health threat is declared, the appropriate Minister must without delay cause to be published a notice of the PHT Order in a manner that he or she thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of all persons who in his or her opinion ought to have notice of the PHT Order.
(a) | comes into force as soon as the notice is published in accordance with subsection(2); and |
(b) | subject to subsection(5) and section21D, remains in force until it is revoked by the appropriate Minister or upon the expiry of 90days after the date on which the order is made, whichever is earlier. |
(a) | published in the Gazette; and |
(b) | presented to Parliament as soon as possible after the PHT Order is made. |
(5)If Parliament passes a resolution to annul a PHT Order, the PHT Order ceases to be in force, but the annulment does not affect anything previously done pursuant to the PHT Order.
Extension of validity of PHT Order
(2)Section21C(3), (4) and (5) applies to an order made under subsection(1) as those provisions apply to a PHT Order.
Division 2 — Public health emergency
Declaration of public health emergency
(a) | a significant number of human fatalities or incidents of serious disability of persons in Singapore; or |
(b) | a severe shortage or impairment of healthcare services (including a severe shortage of the supply of medical equipment, medication, vaccines or other prophylaxis) in Singapore, |
the appropriate Minister may, by order, declare a public health emergency.
(2)Once a public health emergency is declared, the appropriate Minister must without delay cause to be published a notice of the PHE Order in a manner that he or she thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of all persons who in his or her opinion ought to have notice of the PHE Order.
(a) | comes into force as soon as the notice is published in accordance with subsection(2); and |
(b) | subject to subsection(5) and section21F, remains in force until it is revoked by the appropriate Minister or upon the expiry of 90days after the date on which the order is made, whichever is earlier. |
(a) | published in the Gazette; and |
(b) | presented to Parliament as soon as possible after the PHE Order is made. |
(5)If Parliament passes a resolution to annul a PHE Order, the PHE Order ceases to be in force, but the annulment does not affect anything previously done pursuant to the PHE Order.
Extension of validity of PHE Order
(2)Section21E(3), (4) and (5) applies to an order made under subsection(1) as those provisions apply to a PHE Order.
Exercise of powers under Requisition of Resources Act1985
(2)Whenever it appears to the appropriate Minister that it is necessary for the securing of the safety of human life and health in the event of a public health emergency, the appropriate Minister may by order direct that all or any of sections8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 of the Requisition of Resources Act1985 shall come into operation and those provisions shall come into operation and remain in operation for such period as may be specified in the order.
(3)An order under this section must not be in force for a period exceeding 7days from the date of commencement of the order unless it has been made with the approval of the President.
(a) | any competent authority or authorised officer appointed under section4 or 5 of that Act may exercise all the powers under sections8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17 of that Act (whichever is applicable) pursuant to the order under subsection(2); and |
(b) | Parts4, 5 and 6 of that Act apply in respect of anything done under section8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 or 17 of that Act pursuant to the order under subsection(2), as they would apply in respect of anything done under that section of that Act pursuant to an order made under section2(2) of that Act. |
(5)To avoid doubt, subsection(2) does not affect the power of the Minister charged with the responsibility for the Requisition of Resources Act1985 to make an order under section2(2) of that Act or exercise any other power under any provision of that Act during a public health emergency.
Division 3 — Measures during public health threat or
public health emergency
Regulations during public health threat or public health emergency
(a) | where a PHT Order is in force— for the purpose of preventing, protecting against, delaying or otherwise controlling the incidence or transmission of the infectious disease in question in Singapore; or | ||||
(b) | where a PHE Order is in force— for the purpose of—
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(a) | where a PHE Order is in force— declaring the whole of or any area in Singapore to be a restricted zone; | ||||
(b) | requiring any person or class of persons to enter, stay at or in, and not leave—
whether or not that place is a place of accommodation; | ||||
(c) | restricting the movement of any person or class of persons or contact between persons, including prohibiting or limiting group activities or other activities of any person or class of persons within the place mentioned in paragraph(b), restricting the use of any facilities at that place and limiting movement to and from that place, whether by time or location; | ||||
(d) | requiring the doing of one or both of the following at a specified time, in a specified manner or to a specified extent, in relation to any premises or facility used to carry out any business, undertaking or work:
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(e) | restricting the time, manner or extent for the carrying on of any business, undertaking or work, including prescribing restrictions on the maximum number of people, opening hours or facilities provided, for the carrying on of the business, undertaking or work; | ||||
(f) | prohibiting or restricting the holding of, or the attendance of persons at, any meeting, reception, procession, event or other gathering in—
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(g) | disapplying any requirement, prohibition or restriction in paragraph(b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) under certain circ*mstances; | ||||
(h) | any saving and transitional provisions that may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of the PHT Order or PHE Order, as the case may be; and | ||||
(i) | any other matter necessary or expedient to be prescribed for giving effect to this Part. |
(4)The regulations remain in force until their expiry or revocation or the date the PHT Order or PHE Order (as the case may be) ceases to be in force, whichever occurs first.
(5)The regulations and any amendment of the regulations must be presented to Parliament as soon as possible after publication in the Gazette.
(6)If a resolution is passed by Parliament annulling the regulations or any part of it, or any amendment of the regulations, as from a specified date, the regulations or that part or amendment ceases to have effect as from that date, but without affecting anything previously done under those regulations, that part, or those regulations as amended.
(a) | a contravention of any provision of the regulations shall be an offence punishable—
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(b) | any person who, without reasonable excuse, refuses or fails to comply with any regulation may (without affecting any proceedings which may be taken against the person) be arrested without warrant, and may be removed from the place in respect of which that regulation applies, by any police officer or any Health Officer appointed under section4(1)(a), (b) or (e) who is authorised in writing by the appropriate Minister. |
Appointment of adjunct Health Officers
(2)The appointment of any adjunct Health Officer is subject to any condition or restriction imposed by the Director‑General of Public Health, the Director‑General, Food Administration or the Director‑General of Health.
(3)The Director‑General of Public Health, the Director‑General, Food Administration or the Director‑General of Health may at any time revoke the appointment of an adjunct Health Officer, or vary any condition or restriction of the appointment.
Enforcement of regulations made under section 21H
(a) | direct any individual or group of individuals to do one or more of the following:
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(b) | direct any person carrying on a business, undertaking or work, or any individual working, at any premises or facility (other than at a time, in a manner and to the extent permitted under the regulations) to do one or more of the following:
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(2)A direction under subsection(1) may be given orally.
(a) | to a group of individuals, it is deemed to have been given to each member of the group if the oral direction is made in a manner which is likely to be audible to all the members of the group or as many of them as is reasonably practicable; and |
(b) | to an officer, an employee, a manager, a partner or an agent of a person carrying on the business, undertaking or work, or working, at the premises or facility in subsection(1)(b), it is deemed to have been given to the person carrying on that business, undertaking or work at the premises or facility. |
No appeals during public health threat or public health emergency
(a) | any order, requirement or direction of the Director‑General of Health under section18(1), 19(1), 20(1) or 21(1) made during the period the PHT Order or PHE Order (as the case may be) is in force; or |
(b) | any requirement, restriction or prohibition, or the disapplication of any requirement, restriction or prohibition, imposed by regulations made under section21H.”. |