By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

For the fifth week in a row, Singapore surpassed 1,000 dengue fever cases, in fact, last week saw 1678 cases, by far a new weekly record.

Through July 13, officials have reported 17,249 total dengue cases, more than the total cases in all of 2019 (15,998).

Experts have been predicting for weeks that the total number of cases this year will exceed the 22,170 cases reported in 2013.

So far, 16 dengue related fatalities have been recorded.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) says urgent collective action must be taken by the public to remove any stagnant water in their homes and immediate surroundings. This is to destroy any mosquito breeding habitats and break the cycle of dengue transmission.

Starting Wednesday, NEA says enhanced penalties will be imposed for households, construction sites and Town Councils found to be breeding mosquitoes to help better safeguard public health and protect every individual in the community. Heavier penalties will be imposed on households with the following offences:

  • Repeated mosquito breeding offences
  • Multiple mosquito breeding habitats detected in a single inspection; and
  • Mosquito breeding detected after having received a legal notice from NEA.

Enforcement on Town Councils will be tightened for mosquito breeding found in common mosquito breeding habitats like drains and scupper or gully traps, and fines will be raised for mosquito breeding at construction sites.