Enforcement action with enhanced penalties for mosquito breeding offences for households, construction sites and Town Councils will take effect from 15 July 2020

Singapore, 2 July 2020 – As of 29 June 2020, there have been more than 14,000 reported dengue cases this year. The total number of cases for 2020 is expected to exceed the 22,170 cases reported in 2013, which was the largest dengue outbreak in Singapore’s history. The majority of mosquito breeding detected continues to be found at common areas of residential estates, premises and homes. The National Environment Agency (NEA) strongly urges all owners of premises and occupiers to regularly Do the Mozzie Wipeout, to remove any stagnant water in their immediate surroundings and destroy any mosquito breeding habitats found, to help break the cycle of dengue transmission as quickly as possible.

Dengue cluster situation update

2          As of 1 July 2020, there are 334 active dengue clusters reported. With the concerted efforts of the community and stakeholders, the 69-case cluster at Bideford Road and 57-case cluster at Angklong Lane are closed. However, there are still large dengue clusters located at Woodleigh Close, Aljunied Road / Geylang Road, Bukit Panjang Ring Road, Leicester Road / Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and Bournemouth Road, where intensive vector control operations are ongoing.

3          Some dengue clusters also have a faster rate of disease transmission, such as the 191-case cluster at Aljunied Road, 185-case cluster at Bukit Panjang Ring Road, 175-case cluster at Bournemouth Road, 107-case cluster at Geylang Road, 106-case cluster at Geylang East Avenue 1, 85-case cluster at Brighton Crescent, and 77-case cluster at Arnasalam Chetty Road / Kim Yam Road, with an average of about two to five cases reported per day in the past two weeks (refer to ANNEX A for information on the top five largest dengue clusters).

Egregious mosquito breeding continues to be detected during NEA’s inspections

4          NEA has been working with key stakeholders to conduct intensive vector control operations at dengue cluster areas. With the cooperation of members of the Inter-Agency Dengue Taskforce (IADTF) and the general community, we have closed about 75 per cent, or 994 of 1,328, of the dengue clusters notified, since the start of this year. However, during our recent inspections, we still continue to detect egregious cases of premises with multiple mosquito breeding habitats, and habitats with profuse mosquito breeding. In cases where urgent vector control action is necessary, a legal notice under the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act (CVPA) will be served by NEA to the occupiers, requiring them to open up their homes for inspection at a specified date and time [1]. NEA will be taking enforcement action against these recent cases of egregious mosquito breeding: 

i. Residential premises located within a dengue cluster at Arnasalam Chetty Road / Kim Yam Road

NEA inspected the premises in June 2020, and three instances of profuse mosquito breeding were detected in a: water feature, flower pot and container cover. The mosquito breeding in the water feature was in excess of a few hundred mosquito larvae, and was too numerous to count.

ii. Residential premises located within the periphery of a dengue cluster at Clover Avenue

NEA was able to gain access to inspect the premises only after repeated attempts.  Despite prior notifications and efforts to gain access, three instances of profuse mosquito breeding were still detected in pails and a porcelain bowl, of which one habitat had about 50 mosquito larvae.

iii. Lian Beng construction site located within a dengue cluster at Potong Pasir Avenue 1

NEA issued a Stop Work Order (SWO) on 24 June to the construction site, after we detected repeated mosquito breeding episodes. The SWO will be lifted only when the preventive measures have been carried out according to NEA’s requirements. The multiple/ profuse mosquito breeding habitats detected on several occasions included: a canvas sheet, a ground puddle, metal formworks, a steel toe board, a hollow metal pole, and a concrete structure (some habitats had 100 mosquito larvae or more).

iv. Two residential premises located within a dengue cluster at Aljunied Road / Geylang Road

Mosquito breeding habitats were detected within the premises during repeat inspections. The mosquito breeding habitats detected included: a jacuzzi where breeding was detected on two separate occasions, a cooking pot, and on a canvas sheet, of which three habitats each had 50 mosquito larvae or more.   

v. Town Council or Residents’ Committee-managed common areas of HDB estates in high Aedes mosquito population areas

• Mosquito breeding detected in an improperly stored, unused incense burner (the mosquito breeding was too numerous to count).
• Mosquito breeding in a perimeter drain (the breeding was too numerous to count, comprising both larvae and pupae)
• Mosquito breeding detected in a discarded plastic container (50 mosquito larvae or more, including pupae, indicating that the item with stagnant water had been left there for a while)
• Mosquito breeding detected in a plastic container in a Residents’ Committee garden (50 mosquito larvae or more)

5.         These egregious cases of mosquito breeding show that some owners of premises and occupiers are still not carrying out the necessary basic vector control checks, despite the extensive outreach on dengue prevention over the past few months and the current serious dengue situation. NEA will continue to take strong enforcement action against premises with mosquito breeding detected. From 15 July 2020, NEA will impose heavier penalties for households found with repeated mosquito breeding offences, multiple mosquito breeding habitats detected during a single inspection, and mosquito breeding detected after having received a legal notice from NEA. Enforcement will also be tightened for construction sites and Town Councils [2].

NEA continues with stepped-up community outreach efforts on dengue prevention

6          In addition to ongoing islandwide inspections, NEA has intensified dengue inspection and outreach efforts in the month of June, and accessed about 6,900 premises for inspection and vector control over the past three weekends. Over the most recent weekend of 27 and 28 June, we have completed outreach deployments at six such large dengue clusters, reaching out to more than 8,000 people. These efforts will continue at other large dengue cluster areas over the upcoming weekends. Engagement efforts have also been supported by dengue prevention publicity across various platforms, such as digital and social media, out-of-home, print advertisements and SMS blasts, to inform residents of the urgency of the situation and to urge them to Do the Mozzie Wipeout (refer to ANNEX B for pictures of NEA’s officers conducting inspections and outreach).

Every individual has a part to play to break dengue transmission

7          All residents living in dengue cluster areas are strongly encouraged to cooperate with NEA officers, and facilitate their checks and indoor misting in their homes. As the Aedes aegypti mosquito has adapted well to the urban environment and dwells mainly in indoor spaces, it is critical to quickly eradicate mosquito breeding habitats and adult mosquitoes in homes, to break disease transmission. As the Aedes mosquito’s life cycle can be as short as seven days, it is important to Do the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week. NEA also strongly advises members of the public to regularly use aerosol insecticide spray and mosquito repellent, to protect themselves and their families.

8          NEA encourages everyone to use the resources available on our website and myENV app to receive updates on the dengue situation, and to take proactive action to protect yourself and your loved ones. NEA has also developed a ‘Check and Protect’ checklist, highlighting common mosquito breeding habitats, which is available for download at go.gov.sg/dengue-checklist.        

12        Regular updates on the dengue situation can be found on the NEA website, Stop Dengue Now Facebook page, and myENV app. The public can also download the myENV app to get regular alerts on dengue clusters and areas with higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population.