The General Insurance Association (GIA) of Singapore has confirmed that its member insurers will continue providing services amid the coronavirus outbreak.

This, the association said in a statement, is in support of the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has raised a DORSCON alert level ‘orange’ across Singapore.

The Singapore government has reported 569 active cases of COVID-19, 25 of which are in critical condition. Six fatalities have been recorded, while 320 individuals have fully recovered from the infection.

According to the GIA, insurers will continue providing a full range of services, including insurance policy issuance, premium payment, and claims processing services, to customers and members of the public through their contact centres and digital means. It advised customers to avoid non-urgent visits to the insurer’s premises to comply with the government’s distancing measures.

Instead, customers should contact their respective insurers by telephone or digital means if they require any assistance.

Policyholders facing financial difficulties during this period were advised to contact their respective insurers to review and discuss flexible premium instalment payment plans while maintaining their insurance protection for the paid-up period.

The GIA also noted that general insurance agents are having difficulty in fulfilling their CPD requirements due to the cancellation of many training events such as workshops and seminars. As a result, the Agents Registration Board (ARB) advised agents to participate in self-study and e-learning options to fulfil their CPD training requirements. The ARB said that it’s monitoring the situation closely and will review its position as necessary.