Infectious Diseases Act 1976 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3A · Control of Infectious Disease During Public Health Threat and Public Health Emergency
21E. Declaration of public health emergency
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If the appropriate Minister is satisfied that the incidence and transmission, or a significant likelihood of the incidence or transmission, of an infectious disease in Singapore constitutes a serious threat to public health and poses a substantial risk of —
appropriate Minister
“appropriate Minister” means —(a)in the following cases, the Minister charged with the responsibility for health and sanitary measures in relation to vessels, aircraft, vehicles and persons entering or leaving Singapore:(i)the establishment of any advisory committee under section 5 for the purpose of giving advice to the Director‑General or the Director‑General, Food Administration;(ii)any purpose relating to sections 28, 29 and 33 to 45, including the making of subsidiary legislation in relation to any of those sections; or(b)in any other case, the Minister charged with the responsibility for regulation of diseases and disease control;
a significant number of human fatalities or incidents of serious disability of persons in Singapore; or
a severe shortage or impairment of healthcare services (including a severe shortage of the supply of medical equipment, medication, vaccines or other prophylaxis) in Singapore,the appropriate Minister may, by order, declare a public health emergency.
Once a public health emergency is declared, the appropriate Minister must without delay cause to be published a notice of the PHE Order in a manner that he or she thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of all persons who in his or her opinion ought to have notice of the PHE Order.
Every PHE Order —
comes into force as soon as the notice is published in accordance with subsection (2); and
subject to subsection (5) and section 21F, remains in force until it is revoked by the appropriate Minister or upon the expiry of 90 days after the date on which the order is made, whichever is earlier.
Without affecting subsection (3)(a), a copy of every PHE Order must be —
published in the Gazette; and
presented to Parliament as soon as possible after the PHE Order is made.
If Parliament passes a resolution to annul a PHE Order, the PHE Order ceases to be in force, but the annulment does not affect anything previously done pursuant to the PHE Order.