PART III
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES WITHIN SINGAPORE
6.
—(1) Every medical practitioner who has reason to believe or suspect that any person attended or treated by him is suffering from an infectious disease or is a carrier of that disease shall notify the Director within the prescribed time and in such form or manner as the Director may require.
[5/2003]
(2) Every person in charge of a laboratory used for the diagnosis of disease who becomes aware of the existence of an infectious disease in the course of his work shall notify the Director within the prescribed time and in such form or manner as the Director may require.
[5/2003]
(3) Any person who is aware or who suspects that any other person is suffering or has died from or is a carrier of an infectious disease shall notify the Director within the prescribed time and in such form or manner as the Director may require.
[5/2003]
(4) Any person who is required to notify the Director under this section shall give any other particulars required by the Director in so far as they can be reasonably ascertained by him or are within his knowledge.
(5) Any person who fails to comply with the requirements of this section or furnishes as true information which he knows or has reason to believe to be false shall be guilty of an offence.
(6) When any person who is charged with failing to comply with the requirements of subsection (1), (2) or (3) in relation to the notification of an infectious disease, he shall be presumed to have known of the existence of the disease unless he proves to the satisfaction of the court that he had no such knowledge and could not with reasonable diligence have obtained such knowledge.
7.
—(1) The Director may, from time to time, undertake epidemiological surveys of people, animals or vectors in order to determine the existence, prevalence or incidence of —
(a)
any infectious disease; or
(b)
any other disease which the Minister, by notification in the Gazette, declares to be a disease to which this section applies.
[5/92]
(2) In investigating any disease the Director may require any person —
(a)
to furnish him, as soon as practicable, with such information as he may require for the purpose of the investigation; and
(b)
to submit to such medical examination as he thinks fit.
[5/92]
(3) Any person who fails, without reasonable excuse, to furnish any information or to submit to any medical examination required under subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence.
8.
—(1) The Director may require any person who is, or is suspected to be, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease to submit to medical examination or medical treatment at such times and at such hospital or other place as the Director may determine.
[7/2003]
(2) If any person fails to comply with the requirements of the Director under this section —
(a)
that person shall be guilty of an offence; and
(b)
the Director may order the removal of that person to any hospital or other place where the person may be detained and (if necessary) isolated until he has been medically examined or treated.
[5/2003; 7/2003]
9. Where any person has died whilst being, or suspected of being, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease, the Director may order a post-mortem examination of the body of that person for the purpose of —
(a)
determining the cause or circumstances of the death of that person; or
(b)
investigating into any outbreak or suspected outbreak of, or preventing the spread of, that disease.
[7/2003]
10.
—(1) The Director may, for the purpose of investigating into any outbreak or suspected outbreak of an infectious disease, preventing the spread of an infectious disease, or treating any person who is, or is suspected to be, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease —
(a)
require any medical practitioner to obtain from his patient such information as the Director may reasonably require for that purpose and transmit such information to the Director; and
(b)
with the approval of the Minister, prescribe by order any general or specific measures or procedures for that purpose for compliance by any medical practitioner, hospital, medical clinic, clinical laboratory or healthcare establishment.
[7/2003]
(2) Any person who fails to comply with a requirement or an order referred to in subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
[7/2003]
(3) A patient of a medical practitioner who fails to provide the medical practitioner or a person acting on his behalf with any information sought from the patient pursuant to a requirement under subsection (1)(a) that is within the patient’s knowledge shall be guilty of an offence.
[7/2003]
(4) A medical practitioner shall comply with a requirement under subsection (1)(a) to transmit information to the Director notwithstanding any restriction on the disclosure of information imposed by any written law, rule of law, rule of professional conduct or contract; and he shall not by so doing be treated as being in breach of any such restriction notwithstanding anything to the contrary in that law, rule or contract.
[7/2003]
(5) In this section, “clinical laboratory”, “healthcare establishment” and “medical clinic” have the same meanings as in the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (Cap. 248).
[7/2003]
11.
—(1) Any person who —
(a)
donates any blood or blood product at any blood bank or hospital in Singapore for any use or purpose; and
(b)
directly in connection with such donation of blood or blood product, supplies any material information which he knows to be false or misleading,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.
[13/99]
(2) In this section, “material information” means any information directly relating to the likelihood of transmission of an infectious disease by the use of any blood or blood product.
[13/99]
12.
—(1) The Director may, by notice in writing, require the owner or occupier of any premises or vessel to cleanse or disinfect it in the manner and within the time specified in the notice.
[5/2003]
(2) Any owner or occupier who fails to comply with the requirements of the notice served under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
(3) Without prejudice to any proceedings under subsection (2), where a notice issued by the Director under subsection (1) has not been complied with, a person authorised in that behalf by the Director may enter the premises or vessel to which the notice relates and take or cause to be taken such measures as have been specified in the notice.
[4/2002]
(4) The cost and expenses incurred by the Director under subsection (3) shall be paid by the person in default and may be recovered as a debt due to the Government.
13. The Director may order the destruction of any animal and the disposal of any food or water wherever found if he considers such animal, food or water to be a source for the transmission of an infectious disease.
14.
—(1) Where any person has died whilst being, or suspected of being, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease, the Director may by order —
(a)
prohibit the conduct of a wake over the body of that person or impose such conditions as he thinks fit on the conduct of such wake; or
(b)
impose such conditions as he thinks fit for the collection, removal and disposal of the body of that person.
[7/2003]
(2) If any person contravenes any order under subsection (1) —
(a)
that person shall be guilty of an offence; and
(b)
any Health Officer may take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that the order is complied with, including entering any premises at any time without warrant and with such force as may be necessary to collect, remove and dispose of the body of the deceased person.
[7/2003]
(3) Any costs and expenses incurred by a Health Officer under subsection (2)(b) shall be borne by the person in default and may be recovered as a debt due to the Government.
[7/2003]
15.
—(1) The Director may order any person who is, or is suspected to be, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease to be detained and isolated in a hospital or other place for such period of time and subject to such conditions as the Director may determine.
[7/2003]
(2) The Director may order any person who is, or is suspected or continues to be suspected to be, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease, or who has recently recovered from or been treated for such disease, to remain and to be isolated and (if necessary) be treated, in his own dwelling place —
(a)
for such period of time as may be necessary for the protection of the public; and
(b)
subject to such conditions as the Director may consider necessary for this purpose.
[7/2003]
(3) If any person against whom an order under subsection (1) or (2) is made —
(a)
fails to proceed to the place in which he is to be isolated within the time specified in the order;
(b)
without the permission of the Director, leaves or attempts to leave the place in which he is being isolated; or
(c)
fails to comply with any condition to which the person is subject,
that person shall be guilty of an offence.
[7/2003]
16.
—(1) The Director may, in his discretion, order any person who is, or is suspected to be, a case or carrier or contact of an infectious disease to undergo surveillance for such period of time and subject to such conditions as the Director thinks fit.
[7/2003]
(2) Any person subjected to surveillance by the Director under subsection (1) who fails to comply with any condition relating to his surveillance imposed by the Director shall be guilty of an offence.
[7/2003]
17.
—(1) The Minister may, for the purpose of preventing the outbreak or spread of an infectious disease, by notification in the Gazette declare any premises to be an isolation area.
[7/2003]
(2) A notification under subsection (1) shall be effective until the expiration of such period as may be specified in the notification or until it is revoked by the Minister, whichever occurs first.
[7/2003]
(3) The Director may, in relation to an isolation area, by order —
(a)
prohibit any person or class of persons from entering or leaving the isolation area without the permission of the Director;
(b)
prohibit or restrict the movement within the isolation area of any person or class of persons;
(c)
prohibit or restrict the movement of goods;
(d)
require any person or class of persons to report at specified times and places and submit to such medical examinations, answer such questions and submit to such medical treatment as the Director thinks fit;
(e)
authorise the destruction, disposal or treatment of any goods, structure, water supply, drainage and sewerage system or other matter within the isolation area known or suspected to be a source of infection; and
(f)
prohibit, restrict, require or authorise the carrying out of such other act as may be prescribed.
[7/2003]
(4) Action necessary to give effect to an order under subsection (3) may be taken by a Health Officer or a police officer.
[7/2003]
(5) Any person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes an order under subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence.
[7/2003]
(6) A person who leaves or attempts to leave or is suspected of having left an isolation area in contravention of an order under subsection (3) may be arrested without warrant by any police officer, or by any Health Officer authorised in writing in that behalf by the Director.
[7/2003]
(7) Without prejudice to any of the orders which the Director may make under this Act, the Director may issue an order under section 15 against a person who is arrested under subsection (6) as if he were a person referred to in that section.
[7/2003]
(8) Goods brought into or removed from an isolation area in contravention of an order under subsection (3) shall be forfeited to the Government and may be seized, dealt with and disposed of in accordance with section 55(2) and (3) as if those goods were any substance or matter referred to in section 55(1)(c).
[7/2003]
18.
—(1) If, in the opinion of the Director, a building is so overcrowded as to expose the occupants thereof to the risk of infection by an infectious disease, the Director may, by notice in writing, direct the owner or occupier of the building to abate the overcrowding or to close the building or part thereof within the time specified in the notice.
(2) When a building or any part thereof has been directed to be closed under subsection (1), any person who enters the building or part thereof without the permission of the Director shall be guilty of an offence.
19.
—(1) If the Director suspects that any food establishment is the source of or is responsible for the transmission of an infectious disease, he may, by notice in writing, order the closure of the food establishment and prohibit the sale or distribution of the food or water found therein for such period as may be specified in the notice.
(2) Any person aggrieved by any order of the Director under subsection (1) may, within 7 days from the date of the order, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.
20.
—(1) Where it appears to the Director that the holding of any meeting, gathering or any public entertainment is likely to increase the spread of any infectious disease, the Director may prohibit the meeting, gathering or public entertainment in any place.
(2) Any person who holds, is present at or has taken part in any meeting, gathering or public entertainment in contravention of a prohibition by the Director under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
21.
—(1) The Director may, by order in writing, prohibit any person who is a case or carrier of an infectious disease for any period specified therein from carrying on any occupation, trade or business in which that person is likely to cause the spread of the disease.
[16/80]
(2) The Director may, by order in writing, prohibit any person for any period specified therein from carrying on any occupation, trade or business if his occupation, trade or business is conducted in such manner as is likely to cause the spread of any infectious disease.
(3) Any person aggrieved by any order of the Director under subsection (2) may, within 7 days from the date of the order, appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.
(4) Any person who contravenes any order made under subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence.
21A.
—(1) A person who knows, or has reason to suspect, that he is a case or carrier or contact of a disease set out in the Fifth Schedule shall not expose other persons to the risk of infection by his presence or conduct in any public place or any other place used in common by persons other than the members of his own family or household.
[7/2003]
(2) A person having the care of another person whom he knows, or has reason to suspect, is a case or carrier or contact of a disease set out in the Fifth Schedule shall not cause or permit that person to expose other persons to the risk of infection by that person’s presence or conduct in any such place.
[7/2003]
(3) A person shall not lend, sell, transmit or expose, without previous disinfection, any clothing, bedding or rags which he knows to have been exposed to infection from a disease set out in the Fifth Schedule, or any other article which he knows to have been so exposed and which is liable to carry such infection.
[7/2003]
(5) A person shall not incur any liability for contravening subsection (1) if his presence or conduct in a place mentioned in that subsection is necessary for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment.
[7/2003]
(6) Where the Director has designated a hospital or other place for the treatment of any disease set out in the Fifth Schedule, subsection (5) shall only apply in relation to the obtaining of medical treatment at the designated hospital or place for that disease.
[7/2003]
(7) A person shall not incur any liability for contravening subsection (3) by transmitting with proper precautions any article for the purpose of having it disinfected.
[7/2003]