Government has imposed Code Red measures without calling the situation Code Red

[jw5]

from msn.com:

New $2,000 payout for those hospitalised after Covid-19 vaccine shot

Singapore – Those who suffer from serious side effects after receiving their Covid-19 vaccine can apply for financial assistance from Wednesday (Mar 17) under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for Covid-19 vaccination (VIFAP).


According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), a serious side effect is potentially life-threatening or fatal and requires in-patient hospitalisation or causes persistent incapacity or disability.

Those who require in-patient hospitalisation and medical intervention will be eligible for a one-time payout of S$2,000, MOH announced on Tuesday (Mar 16).

This is in addition to the two other tiers of assistance previously announced, namely:

A one-time payout of S$10,000 for individuals who require admission to High Dependency or Intensive Care units

A one-time payout of S$225,000 for individuals who die or suffer permanent severe disability as a result of Covid-19 vaccination.

MOH said:

“The inclusion of the $2,000 pay-out, in addition to the other two tiers which were earlier announced, is meant to strengthen support provided to individuals who suffer from serious side effects due to Covid-19 vaccination. The VIFAP is not meant to reimburse medical costs. It provides an additional layer of financial support, on top of the existing government healthcare financing schemes for medical costs incurred, which include government subsidies, MediShield Life, MediSave and MediFund.”

MOH added:

“VIFAP will provide financial assistance to Singapore citizens, permanent esidents and Long-Term Pass holders vaccinated under the national vaccination programme, in the rare event that a person suffers from serious side effects that are assessed to be related to their Covid-19 vaccination. This is to give greater peace of mind for those deciding on taking up the vaccination.”

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Singapore residents under 'exceptional circumstances' can apply for early Covid-19 vaccination


SINGAPORE - Singaporeans and permanent residents under "exceptional circumstances" will now be allowed to appeal for early vaccination against Covid-19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release on Tuesday (March 16).

MOH will consider the appeals of those who have an urgent need to travel overseas for formal education or to move overseas for work, or to travel to visit or care for a critically ill immediate family member, or for their own medical treatment if it cannot be accessed in Singapore.

"We have received appeals from members of the public who wish to receive their vaccination early for a variety of personal reasons," said the ministry.


"While our focus has been to vaccinate identified priority groups on public health considerations, as more vaccine supplies arrive, we will consider allowing Singapore citizens and permanent residents with very exceptional circumstances to receive their vaccination earlier," it added.

Those who plan to appeal should make sure that they will be in Singapore for the time it takes to complete the course of vaccination - which means applying at least eight weeks before their planned departure date.

For the currently available vaccines, two doses are required three to four weeks apart. The vaccines take a further two weeks after the second dose to become fully effective, said MOH.


Priority will be given to those travelling to higher-risk areas due to limited vaccine supplies, it added.

MOH also said it is working with hospitals and clinics to provide earlier vaccination for patients with complex chronic medical conditions as these patients would be more vulnerable to complications if they were to contract Covid-19.

"For such patients, their doctors will discuss with them whether they are eligible for vaccination, based on their individual circumstances," it added.

The appeal form can be accessed at this website, and successful applicants will be notified via e-mail.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Enhanced CNY measures helped keep Covid-19 at bay but not yet time to ease restrictions: Experts


SINGAPORE - The enhanced restrictions put in place for Chinese New Year last month may have helped control the spread of Covid-19 here during the festive period, but experts stress that people must remain vigilant.

The multi-ministry task force had reason to be concerned ahead of the festivities, noting at a Jan 22 briefing that there had been a rise in community cases with complacency creeping in.

Around that time, about half of those with symptoms did not seek medical treatment, said the task force. Some even continued to go to work and mingle in the community.

So before the Chinese New Year holidays on Feb 12 and 13, the task force imposed a cap of eight distinct visitors a day per household, down from eight visitors per household at any time.

People were also told to limit their visits to two other households a day, and to avoid shouting or cheering while tossing yusheng.

On Feb 19, co-chair of the task force - Education Minister Lawrence Wong - said while the situation had improved, the measures introduced would remain in place.

The authorities would also continue to monitor things for "a few weeks" after festivities had ended, he added.

Community cases have remained low for the past month, with around two new cases per week since March 3.

Enhanced measures effective

Professor Josip Car, director of the Centre for Population Health Sciences at the Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, told The Straits Times on Wednesday (March 17) that the enhanced measures worked on two levels.

First, the overall case count was kept low. Most of the new cases seen in the past months were imported.

Second, the measures also sent a clear message that the danger of Covid-19 had not passed, but remained manageable to an extent.

Vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health Alex Cook pointed out that around the world, culturally important events with a lot of socialising - for instance, Christmas in Ireland and Independence Day in the United States - resulted in epidemic surges.

In contrast, there was a slight bump in cases here after Singapore moved into phase three on Dec 28, 2020.

During phase three, people were allowed to gather in groups of eight rather than five, and more people were allowed in malls and stores.

Religious services were also allowed to feature live performance elements and have 250 worshippers, up from 100 worshippers.


"While we cannot know for sure what would have happened in the absence of the tightening of measures... one imagines the tightening of measures (during Chinese New Year), and the community's forbearance of that, had a role to play in keeping transmission under control," added Associate Professor Cook, who is also domain leader for biostatistics and modelling at the school.

When asked if the low number of cases and increasing number of people getting vaccinated here means it is time to ease restrictions, Prof Car said: "We are still in no way out of the woods yet to be thinking of flipping a 'back to normal' switch."

He said that about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the population here should be vaccinated first before Singapore rethinks its current measures, adding that this may not happen for some time.

As at Monday, more than 549,000 people in Singapore have received the first dose of the vaccine. About 243,000 of them have also received their second dose.

This means about 4 per cent of the population have completed their vaccination regimen.

Prof Car said: "Singapore is globally connected, and its restrictions also have to take into consideration the global situation.

"We need to be patient for a little longer, to give time for vaccine efficacies to be studied and improved, for results to be seen across the world, and for the world to adjust in response to those results."

He added: "The battle here isn't just on the virus front, it's also against us letting our guards down - vigilance may not make a sexy headline, but it's still the right one at this stage."

Professor of medicine at NUS' Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Dale Fisher said that the restrictions had generally kept community cases from spreading beyond household and workplace contacts.

"Many countries around the world continue to go in and out of varying levels of lockdown. We should try to avoid that. Without the current restrictions, I believe we could see transmission take off again," added Prof Fisher.

Possible easing of smaller restrictions
However, Prof Cook has a different view. He noted that since last August, Singapore has recorded more than 2,000 imported cases but fewer than 200 in the community.

"That shows that we can more or less prevent transmission from overseas through quarantine."

He pointed out that in January this year, Singapore has been averaging slightly more than one community case a day, but this has now dropped to about half a case a day.

"These numbers show that even with non-zero number of cases, the measures we have can prevent the epidemic from growing. In my view, the number of cases we're seeing tells us we can relax some of the measures we have in place," he said.

He said there could be an easing of restrictions on religious gatherings and people in the workplace, stressing he was only speculating.

Singapore might also see slightly bigger group sizes and some resumption in the nightlife sector.

Currently, people can gather in groups of up to eight.

A pilot to reopen nightclubs and karaoke outlets, which would have seen up to 100 guests per club and five people per karaoke room, was put on hold in January in order to minimise risk of transmission.

But Prof Cook agreed that the vaccination level now is too low to justify large changes to the current safe management measures.

"Until we get to larger levels of vaccine-induced herd immunity, I don't think we should get our hopes on moving to a phase four. Instead we might see a gradual series of smaller liberalisations in control measures, checking all the time that the epidemic remains suppressed.

"I'd expect bigger changes to follow only once enough people have been immunised," he said.

He added that although Singapore managed to pass Chinese New Year safely, measures may need to remain in place to prevent transmission with Ramadan approaching in April.

Prof Fisher said: "We mustn't get over-confident. People with symptoms must have a test, so we can identify cases and stop transmission early.

"Avoiding groups, social distancing and mask wearing is as important as ever. This will still take a while. We have done well but shouldn't let things slip now."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Ease curbs for those vaccinated and set up more travel bubbles, say MPs

Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC)

Ease curbs for those vaccinated

To encourage more people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 when their turn comes, Mr Nair suggested easing restrictions for those who have received the jab.

This could include allowing people to meet in larger groups if all of them are vaccinated, offices where all staff are vaccinated to operate normally, and individuals to have fewer restrictions when travelling, he said.

Mr Nair added that while vaccinations are optional and can remain so, such "tangible, immediate" benefits are gentle ways to nudge people into getting vaccinated.

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC)

Set up more travel bubbles

Singapore should set up more travel bubbles with strategic partners as the global Covid-19 situation improves, given how its economy depends heavily on international trade, said Mr Zhulkarnain.

Such arrangements will promote more business travel and encourage more Singaporeans to take advantage of opportunities overseas.

"It would also allow the flow of people and reconnection of families who have been kept apart in this pandemic," he said.

Singapore's lone travel bubble, with Hong Kong, is still under suspension.

Ang Wei Neng (West Coast GRC)

Call to optimise bus routes

Reviewing bus routes could make public transport more efficient and sustainable, said Mr Ang, who noted that many services duplicate MRT routes.

"It is better for bus services to connect people to the train stations within a town, that is, for first and last-mile connections, while it is more efficient to travel between towns using the MRT," he said.

Citing the example of the Central Business District (CBD) where most buildings are within 400m of an MRT station, Mr Ang suggested having bus services stop at MRT station bus stops just outside the district, and that dedicated feeder bus services be set up within the CBD.

Such a relook could reduce the number of buses, which can help to reduce air pollution, he added.

Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang GRC)

Help developing nations fight climate change

As Singapore makes strides in mitigating the effects of climate change, it can also help developing countries to do the same, said Ms Mariam.

Developed countries have been able to mitigate their emissions partly because global manufacturing has migrated to emerging markets that have invested heavily in energy, she said, adding that developing nations bear the brunt of climate change's impact and exhibit the highest emissions intensities.

"Many emerging markets will need help - aid, debt assistance, technical assistance. Singapore can advocate for their voices to be heard... get them help from the advanced economies," she said.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore talking to AstraZeneca about vaccine


SINGAPORE, March 22 (Reuters) - Singapore's health authority said on Monday it was in talks with AstraZeneca about its coronavirus vaccine and had sought more information from Sinovac Biotech prior to using it vaccine for its immunisation drive.

Many Asian countries are now accelerating the rollout of AstraZeneca's vaccine despite a brief scare in Europe, where many countries temporarily halted its deployment over reports that it was linked to blood clotting.

"The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had been in communication with various companies including AstraZeneca on their submission plans for COVID-19 vaccines," the authority said in a statement, adding that all vaccines are rigorously evaluated.

Singapore, a regional travel and business hub of about 5.7 million people, has reported few cases in recent months due largely to its strict containment measures.

It has so far been using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, with 792,423 doses administered so far.

Singapore took delivery of unspecified number of doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac last month, but has yet to grant it emergency use authorisation

The health authority said it had requested more information from Sinovac "to assess if it can meet the required standards for quality, safety and efficacy", without elaborating.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singaporeans more lax in oral hygiene since pandemic: study


Singaporeans have not been taking care of their teeth since the pandemic started despite 89% believing good oral healthcare can benefit their overall health, according to a research by GSK Consumer Healthcare and IPSOS.

The research found that Singaporeans have been lax in their oral hygiene, with only 19% regularly visiting the dentist for checkups or cleaning. Since the pandemic, 36% have reduced their frequency or stopped visiting the dentist during the pandemic.

The top three oral health conditions currently experienced by Singaporeans are sensitive teeth, stained or yellow teeth, and plaque.

The pandemic also saw an increase of 26% in consumption of snacks, 23% increase in coffee or tea, and 15% in frozen treats. Increased consumption of these types of food and beverage has a pronounced effect on oral health, especially in the accelerated wear on tooth enamel that cannot be restored naturally by the body

Despite an uptick in the intake of these type of food, only 14% of Singaporeans claimed to have brushed their teeth more frequently.

"These survey findings hint at a lackadaisical attitude among Singapore's consumers in managing their overall oral health, even as many of them are already suffering from at least one oral health issue," said Keith Choy, region head of Asia Pacific at GSK Consumer Healthcare.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore talking to AstraZeneca about vaccine


SINGAPORE, March 22 (Reuters) - Singapore's health authority said on Monday it was in talks with AstraZeneca about its coronavirus vaccine and had sought more information from Sinovac Biotech prior to using it vaccine for its immunisation drive.

Many Asian countries are now accelerating the rollout of AstraZeneca's vaccine despite a brief scare in Europe, where many countries temporarily halted its deployment over reports that it was linked to blood clotting.

"The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had been in communication with various companies including AstraZeneca on their submission plans for COVID-19 vaccines," the authority said in a statement, adding that all vaccines are rigorously evaluated.

Singapore, a regional travel and business hub of about 5.7 million people, has reported few cases in recent months due largely to its strict containment measures.

It has so far been using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, with 792,423 doses administered so far.

Singapore took delivery of unspecified number of doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac last month, but has yet to grant it emergency use authorisation

The health authority said it had requested more information from Sinovac "to assess if it can meet the required standards for quality, safety and efficacy", without elaborating.

This should be monitored more closely.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

COVID-19: Singapore opens vaccination bookings to those aged 45 to 59


SINGAPORE — As of Wednesday (24 March), Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents aged 45 to 59 can begin registering online for their COVID-19 vaccinations.

The move was announced by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong during a multi-ministry taskforce press conference, the first in two months. Up till now, the Singaporean government's focus has been on vaccinating the country's seniors and certain frontline workers.

Personalised letters will no longer be sent to this group of potential vaccine registrants given that they are younger and more digitally savvy – instead, a two-step process will be adopted.

First, all those who are eligible for the vaccine can register directly at vaccine.gov.sg. Second, the registrants will receive a short message service (SMS) with a personalised web link that will enable them to book their vaccination appointments online.

These SMSes will be sent as soon as there are vaccination slots available for booking.

"A key factor in how fast we vaccinate our population is the supply of vaccines. We will continue to monitor our supplies. Expect global supplies to remain tight and supply chains may be disrupted from time to time, which will affect our pace of vaccination," said Gan, who is also the taskforce co-chair.

He encouraged everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated when their turn comes, "to protect ourselves and fellow Singaporeans from infection".

From 24 April, those who have completed their full vaccination regimen and have had two weeks since their last dose to develop sufficient protection will be allowed to skip pre-event COVID-19 testing at events that require it.

Education Minister and taskforce co-chair Lawrence Wong said that broader guidelines would be made for vaccinated persons, apart from exempting them from pre-event testing procedures.

"The evidence around the world shows that the vaccination can help not just to protect yourself, but also reduce transmission risk, so we will look at what the guidelines are for vaccinated persons with regard to social activities, interactions as well as for travel," said Wong.

"It's still work in progress, we are not able to share anything at this present time, but clearly the direction is towards more flexibilities for those who are vaccinated."

On the progress of Singapore's vaccination rollout, Gan said that as of Tuesday, around 1,109,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in the country. Over 799,000 people have received at least one dose, out of whom around 310,000 have received their second doses and completed their full vaccination regimen.

"As of 23rd March, more than 55 per cent of seniors 60 years and above, have received their vaccinations or made appointments to do so," said Gan.

On average, Singapore administers around 40,000 doses a day last week, including second doses, he added.

"If vaccine supplies continue to arrive on the schedule, we will have enough vaccines for all Singaporeans and long-term residents by the third quarter of this year, and we will be able to complete our vaccination programme by the end of this year," said Gan.

Singapore currently has 31 vaccination centres in operation, on top of the 20 polyclinics and 22 Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) private clinics. Authorities expect to have a total of 40 vaccination centres up and running by mid-April.

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Singapore Says Concerned About ‘Very Tight’ Vaccine Supplies


(Bloomberg) -- Singapore said it is closely watching the supply of vaccines, as the city-state remains committed to inoculating its adult population by year-end amid snags in rollouts around the world.

Health workers assist senior citizens being inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Senja-Cashew Community Centre Vaccination Centre, operated by Thomson Medical, in Singapore, on Monday, March 8, 2021. Singapore is introducing a program called Connect@Changi that will allow people to enter the island for business and official purposes without having to quarantine, provided they stay in a bubble-like facility near Changi Airport for the duration of their visit.
Even though there hasn’t been significant disruptions so far, “we remain concerned about the supplies, the continuity of supplies, and that is why we are encouraging Singaporeans to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Gan Kim Yong, the country’s health minister, said at a briefing on Wednesday. The government is monitoring developments in Europe and around the world, and is in close discussions with vaccine manufacturers and suppliers, he said.

“We do expect disruption from time to time, and today our supplies are very tight,” Gan said, citing additional potential factors like delays in shipments and hitches in logistics. He added the country keeps very little stock of vaccines as it wants to roll them out as soon as they arrive.

Sinovac Data
Singapore is one of the fastest countries for vaccinations per capita in Asia-Pacific, according to the Bloomberg global vaccine tracker, and has administered around 1.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses as of March 23. While it has approved the use of vaccines by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE as well as Moderna Inc., it hasn’t green-lighted Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s shots even though it got a shipment from the Chinese company last month.

The authorities have asked the manufacturer of the Sinovac vaccine for more information, as a complete package of all the data that was necessary to finish the evaluation process hadn’t been submitted, Kenneth Mak, the health ministry’s director of medical services, said at the same briefing.

“Until that approval from the regulatory authority is obtained, we will not be using the Sinovac vaccine, even though it’s arrived in our shores,” said Mak.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Singapore received 200,000 Sinovac doses; no 'coercion' or 'external influence' involved


SINGAPORE — The delivery of the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to Singapore prior to an assessment by the authorities for its use here was based on a bilateral commercial contract, and did not involve any "coercion" or "influence by other bodies", said a top health official on Wednesday (24 March).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) director of medical services Kenneth Mak was responding to media queries on whether Singapore was unable to turn down the delivery of Sinovac's CoronaVac because it wanted to avoid upsetting the Chinese government.

The deliveries of all vaccines to Singapore from the various drugmakers were based on timeframes that had been planned for and committed to under the advanced purchasing agreements, said Associate Professor Mak during a COVID-19 multi-ministry taskforce press conference, the first in two months.

Singapore had signed advanced purchasing agreements for three COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Sinovac late last year.

To date, only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been authorised for use in Singapore. Shipments of both vaccines arrived after they were approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in December and February, respectively.

The first shipment of Sinovac's CoronaVac arrived last month. Health Minister and taskforce co-chair Gan Kim Yong revealed during the press conference that some 200,000 doses manufactured by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company had been delivered to Singapore.

Prof Mak explained that the HSA had designed a pandemic-specific approval framework to allow for vaccine data to be submitted in tranches to the authority. This had shortened the approval process and allowed the vaccines to be administered to residents in Singapore, he added, stressing that there was no compromise in the evaluation procedures.

"It so happened for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the data had been submitted in a timely fashion and it allowed the HSA to then grant approval...just before these vaccines arrived on our shores," said Prof Mak.

"Therefore, there's a perception that the approval came and the vaccines then were delivered in short order but in fact, this was based on a timeframe that already had been planned for," he added.

Unfortunately, Sinovac had not submitted a complete set of data necessary for the evaluation process, Prof Mak said.

Gan noted that one reason for accepting the delivery for the first lot of CoronaVac doses was to allow authorities to roll them out quickly once approval is given.

Education Minister and taskforce co-chair Lawrence Wong said that authorities placed "some bets" with the advanced purchases as some vaccines "may not turn out to be effective", and that the agreements were to secure supplies early on for Singapore.

But Prof Mak stressed that authorities will not be using the Sinovac vaccine just yet because they want to assure Singaporeans that it has been thoroughly evaluated, and "deemed to be both effective and safe for use".


The HSA told Yahoo News Singapore on Tuesday that it is still evaluating CoronaVac and has requested more information from Beijing-based Sinovac to "assess if it can meet the required standards for quality, safety, and efficacy".

It also said that it is in talks with various companies including AstraZeneca on the submission plans for their COVID-19 vaccines.

When asked by a reporter if authorities were in consultation with the makers of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, Prof Mak said Singapore's expert panel in charge of vaccine evaluation continues to look at various vaccine candidates.

"I'm not aware whether they have actually engaged in further discussions concerning the Russian vaccines, but I would not be surprised if they have had this on the radar as well," said Prof Mak. For now, there is no update about other vaccines that Singapore is considering procuring, he added.

When asked to comment on Hong Kong's decision to suspend the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to a batch with defective packaging, Prof Mak said the local authorities stringently check every shipment of vaccine that arrives in Singapore.

In cases where there might have been some minor variation in temperature settings "just towards the extremes of the acceptable range", the specific shipment would be quarantined, pending further investigations jointly conducted with the relevant manufacturer, he added.

"And each setting when we have seen that, we have actually been assured that the vaccines still remain of high quality and good for use, and we have not, therefore, had any problems with the vaccine shipments to Singapore to date," said Prof Mak.

As of Tuesday, around 1,109,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Singapore.

Over 799,000 people have received at least one dose, out of whom around 310,000 have received their second doses and completed their full vaccination regimen.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

From 5 April, work-from-home no longer default; more allowed back at workplaces

SINGAPORE — From 5 April, Singapore-based companies will be allowed to have up to 75 per cent – up from the current 50 per cent – of their employees back at their workplaces at any one time.

These were among the updated COVID-19 regulations for workers unveiled at a multi-ministry taskforce press conference on Wednesday (24 March), the first such event in two months.

"We will shift to a more flexible and hybrid way of working. And that means we will allow more employees who are presently working from home, to be able to go back to the workplace," said Education Minister and taskforce co-chair Lawrence Wong.

Among the new measures are a lifting of the cap on the number of hours an employee can spend at his or her workplace, and making split team arrangements no longer mandatory. Restrictions against the cross-deployment of staff across workplaces will remain, however.

Social and recreational gatherings for employees, such as team bonding events, will also be allowed but must be limited to groups of no more than eight people. In a separate press release, the Ministry of Health (MOH) cautioned that meals should not be the main feature of work-related events, and companies should refrain from holding events over mealtimes as far as possible.

Wong, however, stressed that employers should continue to stagger start times and implement flexible working hours.

He also reminded employers to implement all prevailing safe management measures. These include regular cleaning of common spaces, demarcating safe physical distancing, and mask-wearing at all times at workplaces.

The MOH said, "Employers also have to be prepared that the situation is a dynamic one. If there is increased risk of COVID-19 resurgence, we will have to adjust our posture and more stringent measures at workplaces will have to be re-introduced."

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

No need for COVID antibodies tests for Singapore residents after vaccination: MOH official


SINGAPORE — There is no need for residents in Singapore to get themselves tested after receiving their COVID-19 vaccination to determine that they have the relevant antibodies, said a top Ministry of Health (MOH) official on Wednesday (24 March).

Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, Deputy Director of Medical Services at MOH, was responding to a question on the level of immunity in the population while the vaccination programme is ongoing during a multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 media conference.

But Prof Mak said there would be instances where serological investigations might be carried out for individuals who have been vaccinated to test for antibodies, such as if they are showing symptoms of respiratory infection.

“And in the course of doing this, we might assess the degree of immune protection after vaccination, but no routine requirement for tests to be done otherwise,” he added.

Gan Kim Yong, Health Minister and co-chair of the MTF, also responded to the question, saying that as more people get vaccinated, the overall immunity in the population will increase.

“But we also have to bear in mind that even if you are vaccinated, it is not 100 per cent guarantee (against COVID-19 infection),” Gan added.

Prof Mak said there is “very strong” evidence that COVID-19 vaccination works and accords immunity to recipients, and that the number of infections has consequently fallen, as attested in the mass vaccination campaigns such as in Israel and the UK.

Also at the MTF was Lawrence Wong, Education Minister and co-chair of the MTF, who said that the authorities would be looking at some form of testing for individuals travelling to Singapore after their vaccination.

These might include tests to ascertain that the individuals have been vaccinated, and whether they have the antibody response arising from whatever vaccines they have received, Wong said.

During the MTF, Gan announced that Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents aged 45 to 59 can begin registering online for their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Up till now, the Singaporean government's focus has been on vaccinating the country's seniors and certain frontline workers.

The MTF also announced that more employees can turn up at their workplaces, and more people can attend marriage solemnisations and receptions, and live performances, subject to safe-distancing measures being observed.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Attendees allowed at marriage solemnisations, receptions to be raised to 250 with COVID-19 testing

SINGAPORE — The number of attendees at marriage solemnisations and receptions will be raised from 100 to 250 attendees from 24 April if pre-event COVID-19 testing is implemented for more than 100 attendees, said Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19, on Wednesday (24 March).

Wong, who is Education Minister, made the announcement at the MTF conference, the first to be held in two months.

The attendees for marriage solemnisations will include the wedding couple, excluding the Licensed Solemniser and vendors for the entire event, in zones of up to 50 attendees each.

For solemnisation-only events involving more than 100 attendees, pre-event testing will be required for the wedding couple. If there are 100 or fewer attendees, pre-event testing will not be required.

Similarly, pre-event testing for all attendees including the wedding couple will be required for wedding receptions involving more than 100 attendees. This is due to the higher risk of receptions where people are unmasked while enjoying their meals and come into close and prolonged contact with one another in celebration.

The limit for wedding receptions at 250 attendees in total includes the wedding couple and excludes vendors, in zones or timeslots of up to 50 attendees each.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Up to 750 attendees allowed at live performances with COVID-19 testing from 24 April


SINGAPORE — Up to 750 attendees are allowed at live performances at designated venues from 24 April, provided pre-event testing is implemented, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (24 March).

Wong made the announcement at a COVID-19 multi-ministry taskforce conference, the first to be held in two months.

Live performances with no pre-event testing implemented will be capped at 250 attendees. Updated guidelines on audience management at live performance will be released by The National Arts Council.

In addition, business-to-business events being piloted and approved by the Singapore Tourism Board are allowed to have up to 750 attendees from 24 April, in zones of no more than 50 attendees each if pre-event testing is implemented. Currently, such events may have up to 250 attendees, in zones of no more than 50 attendees each.

Sporting events, currently being piloted and approved by SportSG, will be allowed to have up to 750 spectators if they implement pre-event testing, or to have up to 250 spectators without testing. Further details will be released by SportSG.

Individuals who have completed a full vaccination regimen, at least two weeks prior to the event can participate in such events, without the need for pre-event testing.

Wong, who is also the taskforce co-chair, said that broader guidelines would be made for vaccinated persons, apart from exempting them from pre-event testing procedures.

"The evidence around the world shows that the vaccination can help not just to protect yourself, but also reduce transmission risk, so we will look at what the guidelines are for vaccinated persons with regard to social activities, interactions as well as for travel," said Wong.

"It's still work in progress, we are not able to share anything at this present time, but clearly the direction is towards more flexibilities for those who are vaccinated."

Separately, from 24 April, the number of people who are allowed to bid farewell to loved ones at wakes and funerals on the day of the burial or cremation will be increased from 30 to 50 persons at any one time. The cap for other days of the wake remains at 30 attendees at any one time.

As pre-event testing is not required and there could be a large number of persons visiting over the course of the wake and funeral to pay their last respects, attendees should maintain safe distancing and keep masks on at all times to reduce the risk of spread.

"Don't get too excited that things are under control and then we can quickly open up everything. I think that will be rash and that can easily undo all the good things that we have achieved so far," said Wong.

On retaining the cap of eight persons for social gatherings, Health Minister and co-chair Gan Kim Yong said any adjustment to the number would have "a very broad base impact on the whole" and will cause the risk of transmission to go up "significantly".

"But I assure you that we are looking at this constantly...when we are confident that it will not create problems with transmissions, we will do the necessary adjustments, and we will make the appropriate announcement at the right time," he added.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore eases Covid-19 rules: Experts urge caution even as more can return to workplace

SINGAPORE - Employers in Singapore will shift to a "more flexible and hybrid way of working" from next month, as the country takes further steps to ease some Covid-19 measures, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong at a press conference on Wednesday (March 24).

From April 5, more employees who are presently working from home can go back to the workplace. Up to 75 per cent of those who can work from home will be allowed to return to their workplace at any one time, up from the current 50 per cent.

Split teams will no longer be mandated, but employers will still be strongly encouraged to stagger their start times and implement flexible working hours, he added.

The updated guidelines come after a review of safe management measures at workplaces by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). The review was meant to allow greater flexibility for businesses and employees while limiting the risks of Covid-19 transmission.

NTUC deputy secretary-general Cham Hui Fong said on Wednesday that NTUC will work with companies to ensure the transition to the new working arrangements is properly planned and communicated to employees.

"There must be reasonable time for adjustment to resume operations smoothly and safely," she added in a statement.

Mr Sim Gim Guan, executive director of SNEF, said the health and safety of employees should remain a priority for employers even though work from home was no longer the default.

"At the same time, employers would be able to introduce innovative work arrangements that aligned business requirements with employees' needs.

"This would enable employers to remain competitive and sustain the implementation of flexible work arrangements in the post-Covid-19 economy," he said.

Under the guidelines updated on Wednesday, employers must, among other things, ensure that no more than 75 per cent of employees who are able to work from home are at the workplace at any point in time. This is because the risk of transmission is still present.

There will be no limit on the proportion of an individual employee's working hours that can be spent at the workplace. Employers are encouraged to support as many employees in working from home as possible.

All social and recreational gatherings, such as farewell lunches and team bonding activities within or outside the workplace must adhere to the prevailing gathering size limit of eight persons, said the MOM advisory.

With more employees back in the office, employers are encouraged to stagger the start times for all employees such that at least half of them arrive at the workplace at or after 10am, as far as possible.

Companies should also continue to conduct virtual meetings as far as possible, but if physical meetings are needed, they can be scheduled after 10am.

"These measures would enable more employees to avoid peak-hour travel, especially if employees require the use of public transport," said the advisory.

A Ministry of Health (MOH) statement on Wednesday said the tripartite partners urged companies to adhere to necessary safe distancing and capacity limits in organising work-related events.

"Due to the higher risk of transmission when people are unmasked, meals should not be the main feature of the event and companies should avoid holding events over mealtimes as far as possible," said MOH.

Enforcement actions will be taken against employers who fail to comply with the safe management measures and that will include the possibility of workplace closures.

"Employers also have to be prepared that the situation is a dynamic one. If there is increased risk of Covid-19 resurgence, we will have to adjust our posture and more stringent measures at workplaces will have to be re-introduced," added MOH.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Encourage staff to take Covid-19 vaccine when it is offered, S'pore's chief health scientist tells bosses

SINGAPORE - Employers should take the Covid-19 vaccine when it is offered, and strongly encourage their employees and colleagues to do so as well, Singapore's chief health scientist, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, said on Thursday (March 18).

He was delivering the keynote address at a webinar organised by the Singapore Business Federation.

The webinar, which was targeted at C-level executives, senior management and human resources directors and managers, aimed to address questions on the implications of Covid-19 vaccination for businesses, as well as how companies can continue to manage and maintain their operations during the pandemic.

Prof Tan noted that the two vaccines currently approved for use here - Pfizer and Moderna - "are highly effective, and both have a very good safety profile", citing clinical trials and real world data as evidence.

He also explained concepts such as herd immunity - how people who cannot take the vaccine are indirectly protected if a significant number of the population are vaccinated.

But there are factors, such as viral variants, that can affect public health control and the effectiveness of vaccines, which means more people would need to be vaccinated.

"Vaccination is a game changer in that it allows us to progressively reach the goal that we want, which is a greater normalisation of the way we live and work," said Prof Tan.

"But we should not expect it to be a smooth straight line. Towards the end, there will be some twists and turns, and we have to be agile and adaptable in the process."

A panel discussion followed, involving business leaders such as Mr Alex Hungate, president and chief executive of ground-handler and in-flight caterer Sats, and Ms Kwee Wei-Lin, president of the Singapore Hotel Association.

The topics discussed included whether businesses should differentiate between employees based on vaccination status, and how employers could encourage their employees to go for vaccinations.

Ms Kwee said there are incentives to vaccination in the hospitality industry, such as a reduction in the number of routine tests required for individuals who are vaccinated.

"But we have developed multiple protocols. the Ministry of Health has also given us different protocols of dealing with foreign travellers," she said.

"We see vaccination as an additional tool in our fight against Covid-19."

Mr Hungate spoke about his experience getting Sats employees to volunteer for vaccination.

The volunteer rate was not sufficient at the beginning, he said. What helped was a process to roster people to go to a vaccination centre during working hours to facilitate one-on-one discussions with a medical professional, where they could raise any concerns they had.

"You have to make it easy for people to have that conversation with a healthcare professional... and not make it something they have to do in their free time. I think it's the company's obligation to make that time for them," Mr Hungate said.

About 90 per cent of employees at Sats have been vaccinated.

"The key thing is that at no time did we force anybody to take the vaccine. We just made it very convenient and clear to them what the risks were, and that it was their individual choice," he said.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Further easing of Covid-19 measures in Singapore: What you need to know

SINGAPORE - More employees can return to workplaces and larger-scale activities can take place from April as part of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions with the improved situation in Singapore.

Here is a look at what restrictions will be eased:

1. More employees can return to workplace (from April 5)

Up to 75 per cent of employees can be at the workplace at any one time, up from 50 per cent. The restriction on how long a worker spends at the workplace will be lifted.

Split-team arrangements are also no longer required. Social and recreational gatherings, such as team bonding events, will be allowed but must be limited to no more than eight people.

2. More attendees for activities with pre-event Covid-19 testing (from April 24)
Marriage solemnisations

The limit will be increased from 100 to 250 attendees for the entire event, in zones of up to 50 attendees each. This number includes the wedding couple, but excludes the licensed solemniser and vendors.

Pre-event testing is not required if there are 100 or fewer attendees. If there are more than 100 attendees, only the bride and groom (if unvaccinated) will have to take pre-event tests.

Wedding receptions

Similarly, the limit for wedding receptions will be increased from 100 to 250 attendees in total (including the wedding couple, excluding vendors), in zones or time slots of up to 50 attendees each.

Due to the higher risk of infection with people unmasked while eating and in close and prolonged contact with one another, pre-event testing for all unvaccinated attendees will be required for receptions with more than 100 attendees, including the wedding couple.

Live performances

Live performances at designated venues can have up to 750 attendees if they implement pre-event testing, or up to 250 attendees without testing.

The National Arts Council will release updated guidelines on live performances later.

Pilot business-to-business events

Currently, business-to-business events being piloted can have up to 250 attendees, in zones of up to 50 attendees each.

With pre-event testing, these events will be allowed to have up to 750 attendees, in zones of up to 50 attendees each.

The Singapore Tourism Board will release an updated safe events framework and application details later.

Pilot spectator sports events

Sports events will be allowed to have up to 750 seated spectators with pre-event testing, or up to 250 spectators without testing.

SportSG will release further details on the pilot.

Full story: More can attend weddings, live performances and pilot events with pre-event Covid-19 testing

3. Vaccinated individuals to get exemption from pre-event testing (from April 24)

People who have been fully vaccinated and have had time to develop sufficient protection will be exempted from pre-event testing.

This would be two weeks after an individual receives the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

4. More people allowed to attend wakes and funerals (from April 24)
The number of people allowed to attend wakes and funerals at any one time will be raised from 30 to 50 on the day of the burial or cremation.

The limit for other days of the wake remains at 30. No pre-event testing is required for wakes and funerals, but attendees should maintain safe distancing and keep masks on at all times.

5. Social gatherings remain capped at groups of 8
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the task force to combat the Covid-19 outbreak, said any adjustment to this number has a very broad-based impact on social interactions, and would therefore result in the risk of transmission going up significantly.

He assured Singaporeans that the Government is reviewing the limit on social gatherings on a regular basis.

"When we are confident that it will not create problems with transmission, we will do the necessary adjustments and we will make the appropriate announcement at the right time," said Mr Gan.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

More employees may work from office: How the new Covid-19 rules in Singapore affect you

SINGAPORE - With Covid-19 infection numbers low, more can return to the workplace from April 5.

Lim Min Zhang looks at how this can be done safely.

Capacity limits
• No more than 75 per cent of employees who are able to work from home should be at the workplace at any point, up from 50 per cent now.

• Employers to support as many employees to work from home as possible.

• No limit on the proportion of an employee’s working time that can be spent at the workplace.

Meetings
• Meetings to be conducted virtually as far as possible.

• Schedule physical meetings after 10am to avoid peak-hour travel.

• Stagger start work times such that at least half of the employees arrive at or after 10am.

No cross-deployment
• No employee should work at more than one worksite, except for firms or industries where this is critical for operations.

• If cross-deployment cannot be avoided, additional safeguards must be taken to minimise the risk of cross-infection.

Social gatherings
• All social and recreational gatherings like lunches and team-bonding activities within or outside the workplace must adhere to the limit of eight people.

• All work-related events should not have meals as their main feature.

• Employers should avoid holding events over meal times.

Other recommendations
• Split-team arrangements will no longer be mandatory.

• Employees encouraged to download and activate the TraceTogether app.

• Appoint safe management officers to help in the implementation, coordination and monitoring of safe management measures.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

ST-MCCY roundtable: Banding together to find solutions, help groups affected by Covid-19 pandemic

SINGAPORE - When the number of Covid-19 infections in migrant worker dormitories rose to alarming levels, the situation acted as a catalyst for different societal groups to bury the hatchet and find a common solution, recounted National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre chief executive Melissa Kwee.

These included businesses, non-profit organisations, government representatives and the wider community.

"Until last year, so many of those different groups had been at loggerheads," Ms Kwee said at a roundtable discussion on Singapore Together Through Alliances at The Straits Times on Monday.

"They couldn't see... what our common purpose was with this, and therefore there was a lack of unity and alignment."

The spirit of collaboration that has since emerged - with trade associations and community groups pitching in - is something Ms Kwee hopes to keep going in the Alliances for Action (AfAs) that seek to drive change.

These industry-led collaborations have been set up to devise ideas and generate jobs for Singapore's next lap of growth, and are designed to be nimble.

Ms Kwee is now working on an AfA that seeks to define corporate purpose in a more structured way.

The end goal is to develop a blueprint to guide Singapore companies in this space, she said.

"Right now, there are too many different ideas of what it means, (and) so many different ways to measure it," Ms Kwee said.

"It's just confusing, and implementing them in this confused state is terribly costly.


Another topic that came up during the discussion was how the pandemic has flipped the script in the sphere of social work. One cardinal rule among social workers was that counselling should never be done online, Ms Kwee recounted.

But the pandemic proved this mindset wrong, and even resulted in new opportunities presenting themselves as counsellors took to the digital space.

"The counsellors all said, 'We cannot do it.' But not only did they do it... they felt that it worked," she added. "They were actually able to tap a new group of people that wouldn't walk into any of these places, but would schedule an online appointment."


Online counselling was not the only way Singapore innovated and improved after the pandemic - in particular, the two-month circuit breaker last April and May - made the old ways impossible, Ms Kwee said.

For instance, people were finding new ways to get food to where it was needed or distribute personal protective equipment, reducing inefficiencies in the process, she noted.

And Singaporeans found out that their hearts were in the right place.

"We realised that people really did stick up for one another; reach out to one another," Ms Kwee said.

These themes also surfaced from the ongoing Emerging Stronger Conversations series, in which ordinary Singaporeans share their views on topics such as social support and the national identity, noted Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah.

"We're obviously a caring people; we have a lot to say about everything; we don't shy away from highlighting the gaps," said the minister, who co-leads the conversation series.

"But the overall sense was... of wanting to help out, wanting to build a better place," she said.

Added Ms Kwee: "What do we want society to look like going forward? How can we not waste this crisis? Nobody asked for it but it's here... it's with us - what do we do now?"

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

'Minimal wastage' of Covid-19 vaccine doses in Singapore: MOH

SINGAPORE - There is "minimal wastage" of Covid-19 vaccine doses in Singapore as the vaccination programme is ramped up, with take-up rates carefully monitored through appointment bookings.

The monitoring enables advance planning of vaccine needs to facilitate shipment and delivery of an appropriate number of doses to vaccination sites, the Health Ministry was quoted as saying in a CNA report on Friday (March 26).

"Vaccination site providers also dilute and start a new vial only when they have checked that there are individuals awaiting vaccination, to avoid vaccine wastage," said MOH.

"Should there be additional doses of vaccine left, there are pre-planned lists of individuals who will be invited to be vaccinated.

"These could be staff who are working at the vaccination sites or front-line volunteers who have an active role in engaging seniors on vaccinations," MOH told CNA.

Demand for vaccines globally has been high, and Singapore has been running on a very tight vaccine supply situation, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has said.

Currently, the Republic has two approved vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Both require two doses to complete the vaccination regimen.

Each vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine contains up to six doses, while each Moderna vial contains up to 10 doses.

For both vaccines, vials must be kept chilled and used within six hours after dilution. After six hours, any remaining vaccine should be discarded, said the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam said: "Since each vial contains more than one dose and you cannot keep it beyond a day, vaccines will have to be thrown away once it has exceeded its shelf life as there is a risk of lost efficacy and contamination."

"Vaccine wastage can be a result of poor planning, people not turning up for their appointment slots or forgetting that they have appointments. With worldwide supply of vaccines being so tight, each drop of the vaccine is very precious," Dr Leong added.

In some countries such as India, about 6.5 per cent of doses are wasted, according to its Health Ministry, making it vital for health workers to coordinate the flow of recipients.

Early this month, Japan said that an investigation would be launched after more than 1,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses had to be discarded when a freezer storing them malfunctioned.