But where the Singaporean response – which has been hailed as the “gold standard” in tackling the epidemic by no less an authority than Harvard University – has proved most effective is through the introduction of the basic, common sense measures that safeguard the well-being of ordinary citizens.

It is virtually impossible to enter any building in Singapore without being offered a sanitising hand wash, a simple expedient for limiting the spread of the virus. Similarly citizens are encouraged to conduct regular checks of their temperature, thereby making early detection of potential new cases more likely.

And when new cases are confirmed, rather than indulging in the type of knee-jerk behaviour that has characterised the reaction of the Chinese authorities to the crisis, the Singaporean authorities simply get in touch with anyone who might have come into contact with the carrier and place them in quarantine.