Infectious Diseases Act
(CHAPTER 137)

(Original Enactment: Act 21 of 1976)

REVISED EDITION 1985
(30th March 1987)
An Act relating to quarantine and the prevention of infectious diseases.
[1st August 1977]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Infectious Diseases Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“AIDS” means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome;
[5/92 wef 01/04/1992]
“baggage” means the personal effects of a traveller or of a crew member of a vessel;
“building” means any house, hut, shed or roofed enclosure, whether intended for the purpose of human habitation or otherwise, and any wall, gate, post, pillar, paling, frame, hoarding, slip, dock, wharf, pier, jetty, landing-stage or bridge;
“carrier”, in relation to any infectious disease, means any person who is harbouring or is likely to or is suspected to harbour the agents of that disease;
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Public Health appointed under section 3 of the Environmental Public Health Act [Cap. 95] and includes a Deputy Commissioner of Public Health and an Assistant Commissioner of Public Health appointed under that section;
“contact”, in relation to any infectious disease, means any person who has been exposed to the risk of infection from that disease;
“crew” includes any person who is on board a vessel not for the sole purpose of travelling from one place to another but who is employed in the vessel’s service or in connection with its cargo;
“dangerous infectious disease” means any of the diseases set out in the Second Schedule;
“Director” means the Director of Medical Services and includes a Deputy Director of Medical Services and an Assistant Director of Medical Services;
“food establishment” means any place or any premises or part thereof used for the sale or for the preparation or manufacture for sale, or for the storage or packing for sale, of food, whether cooked or not, intended for human consumption;
“Health Officer” means any medical practitioner in the service of the Government who for the time being is carrying out the duties of a Health Officer arising out of or is connected with this Act or the regulations made thereunder;
“infected” means infected with the germs of an infectious disease;
“infectious disease” means any of the diseases set out in the First Schedule;
“isolation”, in relation to a person or group of persons, means the separation of that person or group of persons from any other persons, except the health staff on duty, in such a manner as to prevent the spread of infection, and “isolated” has a corresponding meaning;
“master”, in relation to a vessel, means the person for the time being in charge or command of the vessel;
“medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner registered or exempted from registration under the Medical Registration Act [Cap. 174];
“Minister” means —
(a)in relation to Parts III and V, the Minister charged with the responsibility for health; and
(b)in relation to Part IV, the Minister charged with the responsibility for the environment;
“nurse” means a nurse registered or enrolled under the Nurses and Midwives Act [Cap. 209];
“occupier”, in relation to any premises or vessel, means the person in occupation of the premises or vessel or having the charge or control thereof either on his own account or as an agent of another person;
“owner”, in relation to any premises or vessel, means the person for the time being receiving the rent of the premises or vessel whether on his own account or as agent, trustee or receiver or who would receive the same if the premises or the vessel were let or chartered;
“port” means any place in Singapore and any navigable river or channel leading into such place declared to be a port under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act 1996 and includes an airport;
[7/96 wef 02/02/1996]
“Port Health Officer” means any Health Officer in charge of a port and includes his deputies and assistants;
“pratique”, in relation to a vessel, means the written permission granted by a Port Health Officer to the vessel to disembark and commence operation;
“premises” means messuages, buildings, lands, easements and hereditaments of any tenure whether open or enclosed, whether public or private and whether maintained or not under statutory authority, and includes any place or structure or any part thereof used or intended to be used for human habitation or for employment or any other purpose whatsoever;
“public health auxiliary” means a public health inspector, an assistant public health inspector or a public health overseer in the service of the Government;
“quarantine” means the compulsory detention in isolation for the purpose and under the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder of any ships, persons, goods, things, animals or plants;
“quarantine anchorage” means any area of the port which has been appointed for the time being for the quarantine of vessels and declared to be a quarantine anchorage by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
[7/96 wef 02/02/96]
“quarantine station” means any island, building or place where quarantine is carried out;
“surveillance” means the subjection of a person or persons to periodical medical examinations or observations with a view to ascertaining his or their state of health;
“vessel” means any ship, boat, aircraft or a vessel of any description used in navigation by sea or air.