SINGAPORE - Newly arrived migrant workers who have travelled to India’s West Bengal state are required to undergo daily temperature checks at Singapore’s onboard centre and monitor their health for 14 days after arrival, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said.

The ministry provided the details on February 3, in response to queries following the Communicable Diseases Agency’s announcement on its initial response to a Nipah virus outbreak in India, as reported by Business Today.

Two cases of the virus have been confirmed in West Bengal since December.

MOM said no new cases have been reported in Singapore.

The Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans, mainly through exposure to bats or the consumption of date palm sap and fruits contaminated by bats.

Human-to-human transmission is rare but remains possible.

An MOM spokesperson said a relatively small number of migrant workers from West Bengal arrive in Singapore each month.

As a precaution, surveillance measures at the onboard centre and worker dormitories have been tightened.

The onboard centre serves as an orientation facility for work permit holders in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors.

A typical three-day stay includes a medical examination, vaccination checks and a settling-in programme.

Under existing procedures, all newly arrived workers are required to sanitise their hands, wear surgical masks and undergo temperature screening upon arrival.

MOM said the enhanced monitoring measures aim to safeguard public health while ensuring the continued safety and wellbeing of migrant workers.