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SINGAPORE: Twenty-one work stoppage orders have been issued at construction sites for repeated mosquito breeding offenses so far this year as Singapore experiences a record dengue outbreak.
Ten contractors will also be charged with repeated mosquito breeding offenses, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a press release on Wednesday (September 16).
A construction site on Serangoon North Avenue 1, located within a dengue cluster, received a work stoppage order Wednesday. A prior work stoppage order had been issued at the site on July 15.
“The profuse mosquito breeding habitats detected at the site included pools of water in the upper story units, with 50 or more larvae in each habitat,” NEA said.
Two stop-work orders were also issued for a construction site located within a dengue cluster at Arnasalam Chetty Road and Kim Yam Road on July 20 and September 9.
Breeding habitats at this site included an air conditioning compressor, a tarp, a flower pot and a wooden frame, the agency said.
In addition, around 250 construction site citations were issued from January to August this year.
NEA said it had increased audits at construction sites since Singapore’s “circuit breaker,” prioritizing sites within dengue cluster areas and near residential areas.
“All 1,213 construction sites have been inspected at least once since the start of the circuit breaker period,” the agency said.
READ: Construction companies rely on on-site workers and pest control companies to prevent mosquito breeding during circuit breaker
He added that fewer construction sites have been found to have mosquito breeding, and in August there was a 55 percent reduction in the breeding of larvae of the Aedes mosquito that causes dengue fever compared to July.
However, some construction sites continue to detect multiple mosquito breeding habitats and habitats with abundant or repeated breeding.
“These egregious cases of mosquito breeding show that some construction site managers are still not carrying out the basic controls necessary for vector control, despite the current dire situation of dengue, and extensive communications and outreach about the dengue prevention in recent months, “said NEA. .
The agency said it would continue regular inspection of construction sites.
WEEKLY CASES OF DENGUE DECREASE, BUT REMAIN HIGH
There were 726 cases of dengue last week, as new infections declined for the fifth week in a row.
The NEA said Singapore is still in the traditional peak dengue season and weekly cases could remain high beyond October if mosquito prevention measures are not maintained.
Singapore is in the midst of a record dengue outbreak. A historic record for new weekly cases was broken in June, when 895 people were infected in just five and a half days.
READ: Weekly number of dengue cases in Singapore surpasses ‘all-time high’
The annual count of dengue cases also surpassed a 2013 record in early August.
On Wednesday, the NEA said 29,206 dengue cases have been reported so far this year.
The agency added that it has closed about 89 percent of the 2,404 dengue clusters reported since early 2020.
However, he said that the total number of dengue clusters remains high, with large clusters in these locations:
– Aljunied Road, Geylang Road and Geylang East Avenue 1 and 2
– Arnasalam Chetty Road and Kim Yam Road
– Bukit Timah Road
– Arthur Road
NEA said it was working with government agencies and city councils on sustained environmental management efforts to combat these groups.
