seniors find it hard to stay at home

there are others, like Yishun resident Wong Ya Long, who lost their one and only social network with the closure of the seating areas at coffee shops.

The 77-year-old who lives alone was almost in tears when this reporter asked how the circuit breaker had been for him, as he was walking back to his flat with a takeaway packet of pig organ soup he got from Chong Pang Market and Food Centre.

“I have nobody to talk to,” he said. He used to pass the time by hanging out with four to five other friends at a coffee shop. They did not have the foresight to exchange phone numbers before the circuit breaker, he lamented.

Since the circuit breaker measures took effect, there have been viral video clips showing seniors not adhering to the rules, attracting criticism of this group as “stubborn”, “ignorant” and “socially irresponsible”

he days used to pass quickly when she was working as a food court cleaner from 7am to 3pm.

But ever since she was told to stop work after patrons were not allowed to dine in anymore, the 67-year-old who is living alone and wanted to be known only as Madam Chia has had to face four walls in her Bedok flat — until she could not take it anymore.

Despite contravening circuit breaker rules, Mdm Chia regularly hangs out with a few neighbours on public benches near her flat even though they had been cordoned off with red-and-white tape.

You need to be psychologically prepared: a year

With the new coronavirus now spreading globally, countries around the world must be prepared for the economic aftermath of the outbreak to last at least a year, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Wednesday.

“The genie’s out of the bottle,” Balakrishnan told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia,” adding that the disease had “exploded” after it spread beyond Asia to countries such as Iran, Italy and the U.S.

He said that containment would have been possible if the new disease, named COVID-19, had been like SARS.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak 17 years ago was largely contained within East Asian countries including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. It infected more than 8,000 people in total, of which 774 died, according to data from the World Health Organization.In comparison, the new coronavirus has infected more than 110,000 people across at least 110 countries and territories, with over 4,000 deaths worldwide, WHO said.

Balakrishnan pointed out that the SARS outbreak lasted about four months and its economic impact took around six months to wear off. Meanwhile, the spread of the new coronavirus could last longer and its impact may also be bigger due to the scale of the outbreak, the minister said.

“I think you have to be concerned about a major impact because it’s a global phenomenon and it’s going to last quite some time,” he said. “You need to be psychologically prepared.”

Balakrishnan said Singapore took many years to build up its capabilities to manage a situation like the ongoing outbreak. He added that the outbreak puts such capabilities to the test.

“This is a new virus, it is very dangerous and wishful to believe that it will behave according to previous viruses. So, we do not make the assumption that this will disappear in the summer months,” he said.

“In fact, this is an acid test of every single country’s quality of healthcare, standard of governance and social capital. And if any one of this tripod is weak, it will be exposed and exposed quite unmercifully by this epidemic.

not man-made or genetically modified': accidental

 The top US spy agency said for the first time on Thursday (Apr 30) that the American intelligence community believes the COVID-19 virus that originated in China was not man-made or genetically modified.

"The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified," the Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a statement.

"The (Intelligence Community) will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan," it added.

The ODNI statement appeared to sharply contradict conspiracy theories floated by anti-China activists and some supporters of US President Donald Trump suggesting that the coronavirus had been developed by Chinese scientists in a government biological weapons laboratory from which it then escaped

New studies carried out by researchers have found that there has been no widespread community transmission of Covid-19 here up until the end of March.

Professor Leo Yee Sin, who chairs the Covid-19 research workgroup that commissioned the studies, said this suggests that contact tracing efforts have been successful in identifying most of the cases of infection in Singapore, and few have fallen through the cracks.

The preliminary findings of the study were released on Wednesday (April 29) during a press conference held to give more information on the three studies.

The research workgroup was set up in January to study and come to a greater understanding of Covid-19 transmission in Singapore.

Its members are health experts from across the public healthcare institutions, the Ministry of Health, the DSO National Laboratories and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).

Dr Mark Chen, head of research at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), stressed that these initial results were obtained in the tail-end of March and early April, before the rapid rise in cases from the foreign worker dormitory clusters.

new normal :cheap travel is over.

Imagine travelling to your holiday destination on a plane that is only half filled with passengers, served by cabin crew wearing masks.

That could be the “new normal” for airlines which are likely to continue with safe distancing measures even after the COVID-19 outbreak dies down, said aviation analysts.

Already, budget carrier Jetstar Asia, which resumed partial operations last Tuesday (Apr 21), said no more than 112 seats will be available on each passenger flight. That’s about 60 per cent of capacity, as part of efforts to ensure safe distancing on board.

Passengers and crew members will be required to wear masks.

Onboard services such as meals will also be cut back, with only water served on flights. 

Several other airlines, such as Air New Zealand, KLM and United Airlines, are also taking steps to ensure safe distancing, for example, by blocking off certain seats from being purchased.

“It's all very early days as airlines try to figure out the new norm,” said independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie, noting that blocking seats is a common measure at the moment.

However, seat blocking has had little direct impact on airline revenue right now, as most flights are operating at “well below 50 per cent” of passenger capacity anyway, Mr Sobie pointed out. Cargo is currently the main revenue source for airlines, he added.

END OF CHEAP TRAVEL?

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) director-general Alexandre de Juniac, the enforcement of safe distancing on aircraft would require at least one-third of plane seats to remain empty.

Airlines would have to raise ticket prices by at least 50 per cent in order to turn a minimum profit, he suggested at a briefing on Apr 21.

“It means two things - either you fly at the same price, selling the ticket at the same average price as before and then you lose an enormous amount of money, so it’s impossible to fly for any airline. Or you increase the ticket price for a similar product by at least 50 per cent and then you are able to fly with a minimum profit,” he said.

“And so it means that if social distancing is imposed, cheap travel is over.”

“Will 180 people feel comfortable being together for two to three hours in an aircraft?” he said.

“Until and unless a vaccine is found - and that's at least a year away - low-cost airlines will struggle to fill the planes and therefore, won't make money flying passengers that can't allow carriers to break even,” he added. 

“If they don't make money, they can't sustain the business.”

NUS student with 'good grades' jailed 2 weeks for molest after Chief Justice overturns probation

For each count of outrage of modesty, Siow could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or any combination of the three.

every one has their own breaking point. our fellow colleague had one and he quit on the same day. it was too much for him and he rang the bell, calling it a day

The Multiple Faces of The Homeless in Singapore

​Derelict – a person without a home, job, or property.

Destitute – extremely poor, without the means to provide for oneself.

These two words come to mind when one thinks about the homeless sleeping on the streets. A few weeks ago, TODAY ran a news report about the homeless in Singapore and the revelations defied conventional perceptions about them. For example, a large fraction of the 180 interviewed were gainfully employed. More than a quarter owned flats. That is far from the definition of a derelict or a destitute.
Before one breaks out the champagne, and conclude that the homeless situation is not as big a problem as it seems; one needs to understand that although some made conscious choices to be homeless, the circumstances that led them to such choices are often unhappy ones.

The most common reason for people to have no roof over their heads is income level. A cleaner with a monthly salary of $1,200 can hardly make ends meet even without having to pay for room rental, which on average can be $600 to $700 a month. In this regard, the government has done its part by coming up with the Public Rental Scheme where small flats can be rented from as low as $26 a month, depending on household income. The condition of having to apply with another family member or single Singaporean citizen made many homeless who are used to a reclusive lifestyle, or already abandoned by friends and family; difficult to partake in the scheme.

Alternative solutions might include halfway houses or three-quarter houses, but these might only appeal to the religiously inclined.

TCM retailers shut?

During the circuit breaker to slow the spread of Covid-19, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinics may stay open only for the delivery of essential services.

Yet it seems rather inequitable that while pharmacies that sell Western medicine are allowed to continue operating during the circuit breaker, TCM shops are barred from doing so.

TCM herbal pills, plasters, ointments and lotions, which are generally not available in pharmacies, are effective remedies for a range of ailments, especially minor injuries due to sprains, strains and sports.

Many of these TCM products are made locally and are certified under the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) scheme, which ensures that products are consistently produced and controlled in line with quality standards. Furthermore, they are allowed for sale as Chinese proprietary medicines by Singapore’s authorities.

I don't know where they will send me to. I was told to go home.

Fearing that the conditions of his living quarters could increase his risk of coronavirus infection, Mr Mohan, 34, volunteered to help clean up the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol which was suddenly locked down on April 5.

At that time, S11 had 63 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and was designated as an isolation area by the Ministry of Health. As at yesterday, the dormitory located at Seletar North Link had 2,211 cases, making it Singapore's biggest cluster.

Back then, workers had described the dorm with 13,000 residents as crowded, unsanitary, infested with cockroaches and with overflowing toilets.

On the second and third day of S11's lockdown, Mr Mohan said he had helped to wash the toilets on the floor where he stays.

As there were not enough cleaners, he had also helped to clear the trash, and volunteered to collect food packs dropped off by caterers at the gate of the dorm for his roommates.

On the fourth day, he started to feel unwell.

"I felt feverish, but when I checked my temperature, it was 37.4 deg C. I also had a headache," said the Indian national, who wanted to give only his first name.

Mr Mohan, who was sharing a room with nine others, did not leave his room for the next two days, except to go to the toilet.

On April 11, his temperature rose to 38.6 deg C. He went to see a doctor stationed at the dorm that same day. "After that I was not allowed to return to my room," said Mr Mohan.

Together with about 10 other people, he was taken in a bus to Cherryloft Resorts at Jalan Loyang Besar, now a quarantine facility. There, he went through more tests.

In the following days, more symptoms started to appear.

My temperature was fluctuating every day and I started to cough. I also had chest pain and felt breathless," said Mr Mohan.

"A few days later, a doctor told me I tested positive (for Covid-19). I was very scared. I froze when I heard the news. The doctor said I would be taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in an ambulance."

Mr Mohan, who has a two-year-old daughter, decided he would not tell his wife, who is seven months pregnant, about the test result.

"I didn't tell my wife I have Covid-19. When I told her I had fever, she was already crying non-stop. I didn't want her to worry, but I was very scared and I wonder when will I recover," said Mr Mohan.

Speaking to The Straits Times over the phone from his hospital bed yesterday, Mr Mohan who worked at a construction site in Woodlands, said he was so fearful of getting the virus that he stopped hanging out with his friends on his day offs even before the lockdown kicked in.

"I stopped going out in March. I worked on Saturdays and I spent Sundays sleeping in the dormitory. Only on March 8, I went to Little India to buy some vegetables. It was a short trip and I avoided having any physical contact with anyone."

Mr Mohan said he still does not know who had passed the virus to him.

"I stay in the blue zone in the dormitory. At first, only people in the red zone got it. Now, four of my roommates have tested positive," he said.

He added that he is now feeling better, and no longer has pains and aches. He had a swab test done yesterday, and was told that he can be discharged if the result is negative.

Patients can be discharged when they attain negative Covid-19 swab test results on two consecutive days.

"I don't know where they will send me to. I was told to go home. My home is S11," said Mr Mohan, who came to Singapore to work as a construction worker in 2011.

"I know there are a few thousand cases there already. But I am not afraid to go back there. I think my room is already empty. Everyone has already been sent to other places."

take good care my dear friend

crisis

Covid-19 is the single biggest crisis to affect Grab in the eight years of our existence.

With its revenues taking a severe hit from the Covid-19 outbreak, Grab is encouraging its employees to go on voluntary no-pay leave.

The ride-hailing firm also warned on Wednesday (April 29) that it might no longer be able to provide its drivers with extra financial support if Singapore’s circuit breaker restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus extend beyond June 1.

In a letter to drivers — a copy of which was sent to the media — Grab Singapore head of transport Andrew Chan said the company’s business has been badly hit by the pandemic.

“No one can be sure how long the situation will last, but we are preparing for a long and difficult path ahead,” he wrote.

“As our revenues continue to fall, senior Grab leaders have taken a pay cut of up to 20 per cent, and Grab staff have also been encouraged to take no-pay leave voluntarily.”

When contacted, Grab declined to reveal the number of people it employs in Singapore and how many among them have volunteered to take no-pay leave.

Read also: Grab refutes claims it ‘quietly’ stopped popular food delivery subscription plan

In March last year, it said it had 1,500 staff members here and planned to double its headcount to 3,000 by the end of this year. They will be housed in its new one-north headquarters that was due to be ready by the fourth quarter of this year.

it affects all walks of lives, whether you are rich or poor.

As a result, transport rides have continued to plunge by “double-digit percentages”, Mr Chan said. This has decimated the earnings of Grab’s drivers.

Grab declined to disclose the actual decline in ridership.

The troubles facing Singaporean oil trading firm Hin Leong deepened as the city-state’s police have started investigating the company.

The probe, which the Singapore Police Force confirmed by email, is the latest twist in the downfall of the company, which owes $3.85 billion to more than 20 banks and revealed in court filings that it hid about $800 million in losses. Hin Leong didn’t immediately respond to emails and a phone call seeking comment Tuesday morning in Singapore.

The implosion of Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd., one of the biggest and most secretive players in the world of physical oil trading, is among the most spectacular impacts wrought by this year’s collapse in oil prices, which squeezed the firm’s revenues and triggered banks to call in debts

PUBLISHED

MAR 23, 2020, 5:00 Am

With Covid-19 now expected to be a danger for many more months, preparedness for various scenarios is key.

One possibility is that a cluster breaks out at a foreign worker dormitory.

The recent scramble to find accommodation for Malaysian workers stuck here when Malaysia closed its border suggests that we do not have enough spare capacity in dorms, without which, moving people around to ensure self-isolation may prove difficult.

Currently, foreign workers are housed 12 to 20 men per room in double-decker beds. They are transported to work on the back of lorries sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Neither of these conditions conforms with social distancing.

The risk of a new cluster among this group remains undeniable.

While it may be unrealistic to build additional dormitories in mere weeks or months, we call on the Government to announce in advance what plans they have to rehouse workers should clusters break out in dorms. This would give reassurance to the resident and non-resident community.

Going forward, any new dormitory should require more space per head and no more than four persons to a room. New rules can also be put in place immediately regarding the maximum number of persons per lorry.

There is another vulnerability, not often known to the public. Some employers of foreign workers have a company policy that imposes fines that are several times a worker's daily salary for failing to show up at work. We have also heard of employers who refuse to recognise medical leave of more than one or two days' duration.

Such measures discourage workers from seeing a doctor when ill; they also require sick workers to remain at work despite symptoms.

Foreign workers are housed 12 to 20 men per room in double-decker beds. They are transported to work on the back of lorries sitting shoulder to shoulder. Neither of these conditions conforms with social distancing.

We know the law requires employers to recognise medical leave, but, in our view, enforcement is insufficient and post-facto. On the question of docking wages and imposing fines, we believe the law is silent.

We call on the Ministry of Manpower to provide suitable accommodation for workers and to put a stop to such practices.

Covid-19 will not be the last infectious disease to be of concern.

Deborah D. Fordyce

President

Transient Workers Count Too


A week later, the first cluster at S11 was reported.