Disease Outbreak Response System Condition Explained
The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) is a disease crisis management plan in Singapore.[1] The system is colour-coded reflecting the disease situation in Singapore. Beside showing the disease situation, it also outline the impact on the general public and what the general public should do.[2]
History
In 2003, after the SARS outbreak in Singapore, the Ministry of Health created the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan which included DORSCON.[3] DORSCON was first used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic in Singapore. The plan was further updated after the swine flu pandemic is over.
In 2013, then-Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced a revised DORSCON framework. The framework now considers disease severity in addition to the spread of diseases in Singapore, thereby indicating the overall public health impact in Singapore. In addition to that, control measures are no longer hard-wired to each phase but are modular for MOH's continually assessment of the risks, hence making the framework more flexible with four colour alerts instead of five. This allows the framework to be used for both mild and severe diseases.[4] [5]
In 2023, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced plans to replace the colour-coded DORSCON framework with a 4-tiered public health situational framework.[6]
DORSCON levels
| Level | Nature of Disease | Disease | Impact on Daily Life | Advice to Public |
|---|
| Green | Disease is mild or disease is severe but does not spread easily from person to person. | MERS, H7N9 | Minimal disruption, e.g. border screening, travel advice. | - Be socially responsible: if you are sick, stay home
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Look out for health advisories
|
| Yellow | Disease is severe and spreads easily from person to person but is occurring outside Singapore or disease is spreading in Singapore but is typically mild, i.e. only slightly more severe than seasonal influenza. Can be more severe in vulnerable groups or being contained.
| H1N1 | Minimal disruption, e.g. additional measures at border and/or healthcare settings expected, higher work and school absenteeism likely. | - Be socially responsible: if you are sick, stay home
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Look out for health advisories
|
| Orange | Disease is severe and spreads easily from person to person, but disease has not spread widely in Singapore and is being contained. | SARS, COVID-19[7] | Moderate disruption, e.g. quarantine, temperature screening, visitor restrictions at hospitals.
| - Be socially responsible: if you are sick, stay home
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Look out for health advisories
- Comply with control measures
|
| Red | Disease is severe and is spreading widely. | | Major disruption, e.g. school closures, work from home orders, significant number of deaths. | - Be socially responsible: if you are sick, stay home
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Look out for health advisories
- Comply with control measures
- Practise social distancing: avoid crowded areas
| |
Status change
- 28 April 2009, Raised from Green to Yellow.[8]
- 30 April 2009: Raised from Yellow to Orange.
- 11 May 2009: Reduced from Orange to Yellow.
- 12 February 2010: Reduced from Yellow to Green.[9]
- 22 January 2020: Raised from Green to Yellow.[10]
- 7 February 2020: Raised from Yellow to Orange.
- 26 April 2022: Reduced from Orange to Yellow.[11]
- 13 February 2023: Reduced from Yellow to Green.[12]
References
- Web site: DORSCON: What you need to know about the framework that guides Singapore's pandemic response. 6 September 2021. CNA. en.
- Web site: Being Prepared for a Pandemic . MOH . 8 September 2021.
- Web site: Pandemic Preparedness in Singapore: Lessons Drawn From SARS (2003) and H1N1 (2009). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210906030116/https://sph.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PHTT-Interns-2020-Pandemic-Preparedness-in-Singapore.pdf . 6 September 2021 .
- Web site: Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the 9th National Security Conference 2013, on 25th Oct 2013 . MOH . 25 June 2021 . 25 October 2013.
- Web site: Kok . Xing Hui . Singapore revises outbreak response system . Today . 25 October 2013 . 8 February 2020.
- News: Singapore to replace DORSCON colour coding with 4-tiered situational framework . 25 March 2023 . CNA . 21 March 2023.
- Web site: Coronavirus outbreak: Singapore raises DORSCON level to Orange; schools to suspend inter-school, external activities . 6 September 2021 . CNA . en.
- Tay. Joanne. Ng. Yeuk Fan. Cutter. Jeffery L.. James. Lyn. April 2010. Influenza A (H1N1-2009) pandemic in Singapore--public health control measures implemented and lessons learnt. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 39. 4. 313–312. 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V39N4p313 . 0304-4602. 20473458. 30804044 . free.
- Web site: 12 February 2010. Reverting to Green Alert Status for Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. 17 February 2020. Ministry of Health (Singapore).
- Web site: Opening Remarks by Senior Minister of State Dr Lam Pin Min at The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Aviation Resilience and Health Workshop . MOT . 8 September 2021 . 5 March 2020.
- Web site: COVID: No more group-size limits, safe distancing in Singapore, as DORSCON level lowered to yellow . 22 April 2022 . sg.news.yahoo.com . en-SG.
- Web site: cue . 9 February 2023 . Masks no longer required on public transport from Feb 13 as Singapore moves to Dorscon green The Straits Times . 9 February 2023 . www.straitstimes.com . en.
