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

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Health Ministry reviewing COVID-19 protocols for people with special needs after online complaints​

The Ministry of Health will review its COVID-19 protocols for individuals with special needs after several complaints from caregivers surfaced online.

Trained professionals and volunteers from the National Council of Social Services may soon be employed to test persons with special needs for the coronavirus, Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam said this morning, while Certis Cisco auxiliary police officers have been advised to be more “mindful” when dealing with such individuals. The ministry will also consider alternative testing methods and improve communication between agencies overseeing the quarantine process.

“We recognize that the [swabbing] process and the quarantine can be more challenging for persons with special needs as they may not be comfortable with unfamiliar people or environment. My colleagues at MOH will work to improve our processes,” her statement said, adding that none of the COVID-19 testers was “specially trained to deal with persons with special needs.”

The complaints posted to social media were mostly linked to testings for people who may have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak at the MINDSville@Napiri centre for persons with intellectual disability. More than 30 cases have been reported there since June 2.


Cindy Chee, a mother of an 18-year-old son with autism, said she was concerned about her son not being exempted from the swab test. This resulted in her son acting in distress. Chee said her son was hitting the wall and trying to escape from the swabbing tent. Her online post is no longer publicly available.

Special education teacher Amylia Koh said on Monday that she was “frustrated” at how the authorities had handled her brother, a resident of MINDSville@Napiri. The brother was ordered on June 3 to go into quarantine at a separate facility instead of his own home, Koh said. Officers also failed to list Koh as a caregiver and initially forbade her from accompanying her brother during quarantine.

“Not only was the team unprepared to manage [quarantine order] cases of persons with special needs, but also demonstrated a severe lack of compassion and understanding when caregivers tried to enlighten them on the disability and their needs,” she wrote.

During the swab test, officers on the ground declined her offer to help swab her brother and only allowed Koh to assist after they struggled for 30 minutes, she said.

“All the swabbers took turns trying to swab my brother, who became increasingly frustrated and was on the brink of an aggressive meltdown,” Koh said. “His agitation, discomfort, and frustration were apparent, brought about by his inability to comprehend the situation, and his being surrounded by unfamiliar masked faces, away from his caregiver.”

Koh previously suggested to the Ministry of Health to use less invasive testing methods like the breathalyzer for people with intellectual disabilities, but this “fell on deaf ears,” she said.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

33 caught in illegal KTV outlet being investigated for Covid-19 breaches​

SINGAPORE - A total of 33 people are being investigated for flouting Covid-19 rules after they were caught by the police in an unlicensed karaoke outlet.

The police said in a statement on Monday night (June 7) that the group comprises 26 men and seven women, aged between 20 and 68.

They were caught after the police were alerted on May 26 that an unlicensed KTV outlet was operating in Enggor Street in Tanjong Pagar.

When the police arrived at the scene, they found two men, both 37, trying to leave the unit through the back door.

"The officers then entered the unit and found another 31 people, allegedly consuming alcohol and socialising. Public entertainment and liquor were believed to have been provided in the unit without a valid licence," said the police.

They added that karaoke equipment, liquor bottles and cans of beer found in the unit were seized as part of the investigations.

A 39-year-old man, who was in the unit, is believed to be the operator.

He was arrested for allegedly supplying liquor without a valid licence and will also be investigated for purportedly providing public entertainment without a licence under the Public Entertainments Act.

The penalty for providing public entertainment and supplying liquor without a valid licence is a fine of up to $20,000 for each offence.

Those found guilty of flouting Covid-19 rules can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

33 caught in illegal KTV outlet being investigated for Covid-19 breaches​

View attachment 113394

SINGAPORE - A total of 33 people are being investigated for flouting Covid-19 rules after they were caught by the police in an unlicensed karaoke outlet.

The police said in a statement on Monday night (June 7) that the group comprises 26 men and seven women, aged between 20 and 68.

They were caught after the police were alerted on May 26 that an unlicensed KTV outlet was operating in Enggor Street in Tanjong Pagar.

When the police arrived at the scene, they found two men, both 37, trying to leave the unit through the back door.

"The officers then entered the unit and found another 31 people, allegedly consuming alcohol and socialising. Public entertainment and liquor were believed to have been provided in the unit without a valid licence," said the police.

They added that karaoke equipment, liquor bottles and cans of beer found in the unit were seized as part of the investigations.

A 39-year-old man, who was in the unit, is believed to be the operator.

He was arrested for allegedly supplying liquor without a valid licence and will also be investigated for purportedly providing public entertainment without a licence under the Public Entertainments Act.

The penalty for providing public entertainment and supplying liquor without a valid licence is a fine of up to $20,000 for each offence.

Those found guilty of flouting Covid-19 rules can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

Hopefully they already had their "specials" before they were caught.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Phase 3 (Heightened Alert): Encouraging news for gym owners in Singapore​

SINGAPORE – Indoor fitness activities will be allowed to resume from 21 June if the COVID-19 situation in Singapore remains under control in the next few weeks, the multi-ministry taskforce shared in a press conference on Thursday (10 June).

Gyms and fitness studios may resume indoor mask-off sports activities, with safe distancing of at least two metres between persons and at least three metres between groups of up to five persons.

Sports classes (both indoors and outdoors) will be capped at 30 persons (including the instructor), comprised of groups of no more than five persons. Class participants may unmask if they are engaging in strenuous activities, although they are strongly encouraged to remain masked where possible to reduce the risk of transmission.

Encouraging news​

Ken Mok, the CEO of True Group, shared with Yahoo Lifestyle SEA that he was happy to hear the news: "We are happy and grateful that we can soon welcome our members back to our clubs with appropriate safe distancing measures in place. While we have been conducting online and outdoor classes that have been very well received, our members have been raring to return to their regular fitness sessions."

Mok added that in line with safe management measures, their clubs are cleaned and sanitised every two hours: "We are committed to doing our part in keeping Singapore safe, and we are waiting to hear from the authorities on the required testing regime. Prior to the recent closures, we clean and sanitise our clubs every two hours, which is above and beyond requirements. We will continue to do so, and take other active steps to ensure the safety of our team and members."


As for Sarah Stuart, owner of the F45 Training Jurong CBD studio, she remains hopeful about the news.

“We welcome the government’s decision to allow indoor activities to resume and are prepared to comply with safe-distancing guidelines to ensure our wider community, including staff and members, remain safe. As we await further details, we will continue to ensure contactless check-in at studios via our app, and ask all members to use our disinfection station upon entering the studio. Our format also allows for members to work at their own station with all the disinfected equipment they need to avoid sharing with any others," said Stuart.


Brad Robinson, CEO of boutique gym chain Ritual Gym Singapore, said that his members are itching to get back to a regular fitness routine, which also means "being able to use fitness equipment and not wearing a mask during exercise."

“We are thrilled that restrictions are starting to ease, and that the national measures put in place proved to be effective. The national vaccination drive along with easier testing options should allow us to get back to business as usual in short to medium term, which is very exciting,” Robinson said upon hearing the positive news.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

ION Orchard to close from Saturday for 4 days due to COVID cases​

SINGAPORE — ION Orchard will be closed to the public from Saturday (12 June) for four days and reopen on 16 June after three cases working at the mall were found to have COVID-19 infection.

The move is to break any potential chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, the Ministry of Health said on Friday night.

“In order to disrupt any wider, undetected community transmission, we will conduct special testing operations for staff who have been working in ION Orchard shopping mall from 28 May,” MOH said.

MOH will also extend free COVID-19 testing to members of the public who had visited the retail shops or used the facilities at ION Orchard between 3 June and Friday. All visitors to the mall over the period are advised to monitor their health closely, and minimise social interactions, for 14 days from their date of visit.

Individuals who had walked through the mall to connect to neighbouring buildings or Orchard MRT station need not be tested.

MOH on Friday confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing the country's total case count to 62,245.

Of them, three are local cases in the community, all of whom are currently unlinked, while the remaining six cases are imported.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

More than 600 fines issued for Covid-19 safety breaches in first quarter​

SINGAPORE - A bespectacled elderly man sat below a block of flats in Tiong Bahru, poring over a newspaper - without a mask on.

He was alone, and did not seem to be bothered that he was unmasked even though there were a few other people around on a recent weekday morning.

When approached by The Straits Times, he explained that he had a mask and had taken it off only for a while.

Said the 70-year-old retiree, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chee: "For old folk like me, wearing the mask can be suffocating. I find it so hard to breathe. Younger people would find it much easier."

Mr Chee told ST he was not afraid of catching the virus - he thought he was safe as long as he stayed away from crowded places.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said that more than 600 fines were issued to individuals who breached safe distancing and safe management measures from January to March this year. Of these, more than 350 were issued to those not wearing masks.

A Land Transport Authority spokesman said that its public transport workers encountered an average of 10 cases of commuters not wearing masks every month this year.

Besides not wearing masks, common breaches from January to March also include gathering in a larger number than the permitted group size and intermingling between groups at food and beverage outlets, said MSE.

From May 16 to June 13, social gatherings are limited to two people, and dining out is not allowed.

MSE said that while the public has generally continued to comply with the measures since they were announced, there is a minority who has been non-compliant.

Over two days, in Toa Payoh, Tiong Bahru and Chinatown, ST found at least 15 people who were not wearing masks and 18 groups of people that had exceeded the two-person limit.

These groups had between three and six people. Most were in void decks or at common areas around the various neighbourhoods.

Dr Cherie Chan, president of the Singapore Psychological Society, said people might choose to flout rules for social connection, to escape from an unsafe environment, or because of optimism bias, where an individual believes that a negative event - in this case, getting infected with Covid-19 - would not befall them.

Dr Annabelle Chow, clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology, said many people have grown accustomed to and enjoyed the gradual relaxation of restrictions over the past few months.

As the current measures are not as drastic as those implemented during the circuit breaker, it may lead to a perception that the threat levels have decreased significantly and people do not see the need to follow the recommendations and restrictions.

People might also flout rules because of Covid-19 fatigue.

Dr Chow said repeated exposure to pandemic-related news will eventually diminish the initial feelings of anxiety and caution about the virus.

She added that having heightened restrictions after progressing from previous lockdown measures could lead to more pandemic fatigue.

Dr Chan, who also mentioned fatigue, said: "There's no sense of this pandemic ending... It feels like every time we hit a milestone of change, or a new low (in the number of cases), something bad is going to happen again."

That is why Dr Chan encourages more compassion towards these rule-breakers. "It's very easy to judge and make comments about these people," she said.

"But everybody's in this unfortunate situation together, and showing kindness, even though it may feel counter-intuitive, might be more helpful in encouraging people to be more socially compliant."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

25 S'pore massage establishments and 23 people caught flouting Covid-19 mask-on rules​

SINGAPORE - The police will take action against 25 massage establishments for not ensuring that staff and customers wear masks at all times.

And 23 individuals will also be taken to task for not wearing a mask during their massage.

This comes as checks at such establishments are stepped up to ensure that safe management measures are followed, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 26). Checks have been carried out at around 850 such establishments in the past two weeks.

"Over the past few weeks, several clusters of infection have emerged alongside many unlinked community cases," it said. "These developments have demonstrated the need for continued vigilance in the practice of safe management measures by permitted enterprises like massage establishments, which are allowed to operate during the current Covid-19 pandemic."

Depending on the severity of breaches found, massage establishments may be fined between $1,000 and $2,000, while individuals may be fined up to $1,000.

Massage establishment operators may also be liable for prosecution under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, and first-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Subsequent offences may incur higher penalties of a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

Individuals who do not comply with safe distancing measures under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations may also be jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

4 COVID ART test kits on sale at 3 Singapore pharmacies from 16 June: MTF​

SINGAPORE — Four Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-test kits will be available from 16 June at Guardian, Unity, and Watsons retail pharmacies, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 said on Thursday (10 June).

The measure was unveiled by the MTF at a virtual media conference as it announced that Singapore will gradually move back to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) in two steps, with one set of measures taking effect from 14 June and another from 21 June.

More of the self-test kits will be made available at more retail locations progressively.

The self-test kits can produce results in less than 20 minutes, are simple to use and can be self-administered, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said separately in a statement. To ensure that there are adequate supplies, sales will be initially limited to 10 ART kits per person, MOH added.

The four kits that have been granted interim authorisation for public sale by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are ‘Abbott PanBioTM COVID-19 Antigen Self-test’, ‘QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test’, ‘SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal’, and ‘SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test’.

Director of medical services Kenneth Mak told reporters that the ART self-test kits complement Singapore's overall surveillance strategy. "These fast and easy-to-use tests allow us to detect infected cases more quickly, in particular among individuals those who do not have acute respiratory infection symptoms, but are concerned that they may have been exposed to COVID-19."

Individuals who have a positive result for their ART self-test should immediately approach a Swab and Send Home Public Health Preparedness Clinic (SASH PHPC) for a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. They are then required to self-isolate until they get a negative PCR test result.

Those who test negative on their self-test ART should continue to stay vigilant and adhere to prevailing safe management measures. Individuals who have ARI symptoms should continue to visit a doctor for a full diagnosis and PCR test instead of relying on an ART self-test kit.

HSA said in a separate statement that ARTs have lower sensitivity than PCR tests and have a higher chance of false negative results.

"Incorrect sample preparation or testing process when using the test, or a low viral protein level in the user’s nasal sample (e.g. 1-2 days from potential exposure), could also result in a false negative result. Anyone with acute respiratory infection symptoms should consult a doctor," HSA said.

Singapore is currently in Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) reopening, which started on 16 May and will end on 13 June.

 

[jw5]

It would be great if she could take off her mask for a while.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

25 S'pore massage establishments and 23 people caught flouting Covid-19 mask-on rules​

SINGAPORE - The police will take action against 25 massage establishments for not ensuring that staff and customers wear masks at all times.

And 23 individuals will also be taken to task for not wearing a mask during their massage.

This comes as checks at such establishments are stepped up to ensure that safe management measures are followed, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 26). Checks have been carried out at around 850 such establishments in the past two weeks.

"Over the past few weeks, several clusters of infection have emerged alongside many unlinked community cases," it said. "These developments have demonstrated the need for continued vigilance in the practice of safe management measures by permitted enterprises like massage establishments, which are allowed to operate during the current Covid-19 pandemic."

Depending on the severity of breaches found, massage establishments may be fined between $1,000 and $2,000, while individuals may be fined up to $1,000.

Massage establishment operators may also be liable for prosecution under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, and first-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Subsequent offences may incur higher penalties of a fine of up to $20,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

Individuals who do not comply with safe distancing measures under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations may also be jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

How to wear masks when they want to do specials?

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

4 COVID ART test kits on sale at 3 Singapore pharmacies from 16 June: MTF​

View attachment 113466

SINGAPORE — Four Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-test kits will be available from 16 June at Guardian, Unity, and Watsons retail pharmacies, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 said on Thursday (10 June).

The measure was unveiled by the MTF at a virtual media conference as it announced that Singapore will gradually move back to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) in two steps, with one set of measures taking effect from 14 June and another from 21 June.

More of the self-test kits will be made available at more retail locations progressively.

The self-test kits can produce results in less than 20 minutes, are simple to use and can be self-administered, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said separately in a statement. To ensure that there are adequate supplies, sales will be initially limited to 10 ART kits per person, MOH added.

The four kits that have been granted interim authorisation for public sale by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are ‘Abbott PanBioTM COVID-19 Antigen Self-test’, ‘QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test’, ‘SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal’, and ‘SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test’.

Director of medical services Kenneth Mak told reporters that the ART self-test kits complement Singapore's overall surveillance strategy. "These fast and easy-to-use tests allow us to detect infected cases more quickly, in particular among individuals those who do not have acute respiratory infection symptoms, but are concerned that they may have been exposed to COVID-19."

Individuals who have a positive result for their ART self-test should immediately approach a Swab and Send Home Public Health Preparedness Clinic (SASH PHPC) for a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. They are then required to self-isolate until they get a negative PCR test result.

Those who test negative on their self-test ART should continue to stay vigilant and adhere to prevailing safe management measures. Individuals who have ARI symptoms should continue to visit a doctor for a full diagnosis and PCR test instead of relying on an ART self-test kit.

HSA said in a separate statement that ARTs have lower sensitivity than PCR tests and have a higher chance of false negative results.

"Incorrect sample preparation or testing process when using the test, or a low viral protein level in the user’s nasal sample (e.g. 1-2 days from potential exposure), could also result in a false negative result. Anyone with acute respiratory infection symptoms should consult a doctor," HSA said.

Singapore is currently in Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) reopening, which started on 16 May and will end on 13 June.

Now Singaporeans can do their own testing at home.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

ION Orchard to close from Saturday for 4 days due to COVID cases​

SINGAPORE — ION Orchard will be closed to the public from Saturday (12 June) for four days and reopen on 16 June after three cases working at the mall were found to have COVID-19 infection.

The move is to break any potential chain of transmission and enable deep cleaning of the premises, the Ministry of Health said on Friday night.

“In order to disrupt any wider, undetected community transmission, we will conduct special testing operations for staff who have been working in ION Orchard shopping mall from 28 May,” MOH said.

MOH will also extend free COVID-19 testing to members of the public who had visited the retail shops or used the facilities at ION Orchard between 3 June and Friday. All visitors to the mall over the period are advised to monitor their health closely, and minimise social interactions, for 14 days from their date of visit.

Individuals who had walked through the mall to connect to neighbouring buildings or Orchard MRT station need not be tested.

MOH on Friday confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing the country's total case count to 62,245.

Of them, three are local cases in the community, all of whom are currently unlinked, while the remaining six cases are imported.

Good decision to close, there are more cases today.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

More than 600 fines issued for Covid-19 safety breaches in first quarter​

SINGAPORE - A bespectacled elderly man sat below a block of flats in Tiong Bahru, poring over a newspaper - without a mask on.

He was alone, and did not seem to be bothered that he was unmasked even though there were a few other people around on a recent weekday morning.

When approached by The Straits Times, he explained that he had a mask and had taken it off only for a while.

Said the 70-year-old retiree, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chee: "For old folk like me, wearing the mask can be suffocating. I find it so hard to breathe. Younger people would find it much easier."

Mr Chee told ST he was not afraid of catching the virus - he thought he was safe as long as he stayed away from crowded places.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said that more than 600 fines were issued to individuals who breached safe distancing and safe management measures from January to March this year. Of these, more than 350 were issued to those not wearing masks.

A Land Transport Authority spokesman said that its public transport workers encountered an average of 10 cases of commuters not wearing masks every month this year.

Besides not wearing masks, common breaches from January to March also include gathering in a larger number than the permitted group size and intermingling between groups at food and beverage outlets, said MSE.

From May 16 to June 13, social gatherings are limited to two people, and dining out is not allowed.

MSE said that while the public has generally continued to comply with the measures since they were announced, there is a minority who has been non-compliant.

Over two days, in Toa Payoh, Tiong Bahru and Chinatown, ST found at least 15 people who were not wearing masks and 18 groups of people that had exceeded the two-person limit.

View attachment 113417

These groups had between three and six people. Most were in void decks or at common areas around the various neighbourhoods.

Dr Cherie Chan, president of the Singapore Psychological Society, said people might choose to flout rules for social connection, to escape from an unsafe environment, or because of optimism bias, where an individual believes that a negative event - in this case, getting infected with Covid-19 - would not befall them.

Dr Annabelle Chow, clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology, said many people have grown accustomed to and enjoyed the gradual relaxation of restrictions over the past few months.

As the current measures are not as drastic as those implemented during the circuit breaker, it may lead to a perception that the threat levels have decreased significantly and people do not see the need to follow the recommendations and restrictions.

People might also flout rules because of Covid-19 fatigue.

Dr Chow said repeated exposure to pandemic-related news will eventually diminish the initial feelings of anxiety and caution about the virus.

She added that having heightened restrictions after progressing from previous lockdown measures could lead to more pandemic fatigue.

Dr Chan, who also mentioned fatigue, said: "There's no sense of this pandemic ending... It feels like every time we hit a milestone of change, or a new low (in the number of cases), something bad is going to happen again."

That is why Dr Chan encourages more compassion towards these rule-breakers. "It's very easy to judge and make comments about these people," she said.

"But everybody's in this unfortunate situation together, and showing kindness, even though it may feel counter-intuitive, might be more helpful in encouraging people to be more socially compliant."

Those who break the law deserve to be fined.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

4 COVID ART test kits on sale at 3 Singapore pharmacies from 16 June: MTF​

View attachment 113466

SINGAPORE — Four Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-test kits will be available from 16 June at Guardian, Unity, and Watsons retail pharmacies, the multi-ministry taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19 said on Thursday (10 June).

The measure was unveiled by the MTF at a virtual media conference as it announced that Singapore will gradually move back to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) in two steps, with one set of measures taking effect from 14 June and another from 21 June.

More of the self-test kits will be made available at more retail locations progressively.

The self-test kits can produce results in less than 20 minutes, are simple to use and can be self-administered, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said separately in a statement. To ensure that there are adequate supplies, sales will be initially limited to 10 ART kits per person, MOH added.

The four kits that have been granted interim authorisation for public sale by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are ‘Abbott PanBioTM COVID-19 Antigen Self-test’, ‘QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test’, ‘SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal’, and ‘SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test’.

Director of medical services Kenneth Mak told reporters that the ART self-test kits complement Singapore's overall surveillance strategy. "These fast and easy-to-use tests allow us to detect infected cases more quickly, in particular among individuals those who do not have acute respiratory infection symptoms, but are concerned that they may have been exposed to COVID-19."

Individuals who have a positive result for their ART self-test should immediately approach a Swab and Send Home Public Health Preparedness Clinic (SASH PHPC) for a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. They are then required to self-isolate until they get a negative PCR test result.

Those who test negative on their self-test ART should continue to stay vigilant and adhere to prevailing safe management measures. Individuals who have ARI symptoms should continue to visit a doctor for a full diagnosis and PCR test instead of relying on an ART self-test kit.

HSA said in a separate statement that ARTs have lower sensitivity than PCR tests and have a higher chance of false negative results.

"Incorrect sample preparation or testing process when using the test, or a low viral protein level in the user’s nasal sample (e.g. 1-2 days from potential exposure), could also result in a false negative result. Anyone with acute respiratory infection symptoms should consult a doctor," HSA said.

Singapore is currently in Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) reopening, which started on 16 May and will end on 13 June.

How much is the price of a test kit? How accurate is it?

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Phase 3 (Heightened Alert): Encouraging news for gym owners in Singapore​

View attachment 113408

SINGAPORE – Indoor fitness activities will be allowed to resume from 21 June if the COVID-19 situation in Singapore remains under control in the next few weeks, the multi-ministry taskforce shared in a press conference on Thursday (10 June).

Gyms and fitness studios may resume indoor mask-off sports activities, with safe distancing of at least two metres between persons and at least three metres between groups of up to five persons.

Sports classes (both indoors and outdoors) will be capped at 30 persons (including the instructor), comprised of groups of no more than five persons. Class participants may unmask if they are engaging in strenuous activities, although they are strongly encouraged to remain masked where possible to reduce the risk of transmission.

Encouraging news​

Ken Mok, the CEO of True Group, shared with Yahoo Lifestyle SEA that he was happy to hear the news: "We are happy and grateful that we can soon welcome our members back to our clubs with appropriate safe distancing measures in place. While we have been conducting online and outdoor classes that have been very well received, our members have been raring to return to their regular fitness sessions."

Mok added that in line with safe management measures, their clubs are cleaned and sanitised every two hours: "We are committed to doing our part in keeping Singapore safe, and we are waiting to hear from the authorities on the required testing regime. Prior to the recent closures, we clean and sanitise our clubs every two hours, which is above and beyond requirements. We will continue to do so, and take other active steps to ensure the safety of our team and members."


As for Sarah Stuart, owner of the F45 Training Jurong CBD studio, she remains hopeful about the news.

“We welcome the government’s decision to allow indoor activities to resume and are prepared to comply with safe-distancing guidelines to ensure our wider community, including staff and members, remain safe. As we await further details, we will continue to ensure contactless check-in at studios via our app, and ask all members to use our disinfection station upon entering the studio. Our format also allows for members to work at their own station with all the disinfected equipment they need to avoid sharing with any others," said Stuart.


Brad Robinson, CEO of boutique gym chain Ritual Gym Singapore, said that his members are itching to get back to a regular fitness routine, which also means "being able to use fitness equipment and not wearing a mask during exercise."

“We are thrilled that restrictions are starting to ease, and that the national measures put in place proved to be effective. The national vaccination drive along with easier testing options should allow us to get back to business as usual in short to medium term, which is very exciting,” Robinson said upon hearing the positive news.

It may be better if some of these gym owners shut down, there are too many of them.

 

[jw5]

So what colour is it now? Did not even realise there was such a thing.

It has been Dorscon Orange for some time.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Unlinked Covid-19 cases' connection to clusters found within days in Singapore​

SINGAPORE - It has so far taken just over four days for contact tracing efforts to establish links between seemingly unrelated cases and existing clusters, with experts saying it suggests the work put in to contain the spread of community cases may be working.

They note that with ring-fencing strategies and phase two (heightened alert) measures, clusters have been kept small.

There are currently 47 active clusters, with almost half (46.8 per cent) of them having five cases or fewer. Three in 10 clusters (29.8 per cent) consist of three cases, the minimum for it to be defined as a cluster in Singapore.

The largest active cluster is the Changi Airport one with 108 cases.

Checks by The Straits Times showed that from the time a case is first reported as unlinked, it has taken an average of 3.2 days to establish a link to at least one other case. For cases linked to clusters, it has taken an average of 4.5 days to find the link.

However, some have taken a longer time.

The White Sands mall cluster's index case - the earliest known case in a cluster - was first reported as an unlinked case on May 13. It took 23 days before the case was linked to three others to form the cluster on June 5.

Singapore provides daily updates on the number of Covid-19 infections, but they are reported as at noon each day, which means any links found after that time are not reflected until the following day.

Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said: "By the cut-off time each day, if no links can be established for the new cases, they will be tentatively classified as unlinked cases, but many of them subsequently become linked to known cases and clusters.

"It is simply a matter of the amount of time and effort required for the contact tracing efforts to be concluded."

In tracing individual cases to known infections, some may initially be linked to smaller clusters before their connections to larger clusters are uncovered.

For instance, the 63 confirmed cases in the Jem and Westgate cluster include 14 who were initially reported as unlinked.

Some of them were later linked to small clusters involving their family members or household contacts. But it was later established that these small clusters were in fact related to the Jem and Westgate cluster.

Experts say it is important to identify connections to other cases, as unlinked cases could suggest hidden reservoirs of infections and trigger large-scale community outbreaks.

"This is why there are all these efforts to perform community surveillance, where entire blocks of residents or patrons to affected malls are invited down for testing," said Prof Teo.

He added that many of the new clusters emerging recently, including those in the north-east region of Singapore such as the Hougang cluster, may actually be linked to one another.

"We have just not discovered the infected individuals between these links," he said.

Prof Teo noted that surveillance efforts are even more important now compared with last year, since there is now a more infectious B16172, or Delta, variant.

"Just a handful of undetected cases can easily trigger a cascading effect to produce many more cases in the community and within a much shorter time span too," he added.

But Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said there is a lower risk now of infections remaining hidden compared with last year.

"If we look at the number of cases in the intensive care unit, they are much lower than they were in the run-up to the circuit breaker last year, even though the number of community cases being found was similar. This points to improved detection of community cases now."

The current outbreak in Singapore started in late April.

Since then, there have been 658 new Covid-19 cases reported in the community. Of those, 147 cases, or 22.3 per cent, were initially reported as unlinked.

More than half - 81 cases - have since been linked to clusters. Another 15 cases were linked to one other case each.

Five cases had positive serology test results, indicating that they had old infections at the time they were tested and were no longer infectious.

Three others were later reclassified as imported cases by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

A further 43 cases, or 29.3 per cent of the 147 cases initially reported as unlinked, still have no known links to date.

The seven-day moving average for new daily community cases has climbed from 5.3 on April 28 to a peak of 28.4 on May 19, before falling to 15 on June 4.

The number of new unlinked cases has also come down, from a peak of 9.1 on May 19 to 2.1 on June 4.

MOH calculates the seven-day moving average as the average of the number of cases on a given day, the three days before and the three days after.

Prof Teo said the fall in unlinked cases could be attributed to heightened alert measures that have been in place since May 16.

The measures, which include making working from home the default and banning dining in, have greatly reduced movements and interactions, thereby minimising opportunities for people to get infected in the community, he said.

Another factor could be that large clusters at TTSH and Changi Airport have been brought under control, Prof Cook said.

On Sunday, the TTSH cluster was closed after no new cases were linked to it for 28 days. It had a total of 48 confirmed cases.

"If the (new) clusters are smaller, that could indicate that contact tracing is identifying the cases quicker before they can spread further, or the impact of phase two (heightened alert) measures on reducing contacts between people," Prof Cook said. "Either way, it's a good sign, but most important is the reduction in the number of unlinked cases."

The cases who remain unlinked after some time may have become infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or poorly ventilated environments rather than direct contact with an infected person.

"The Delta variant that is responsible for the community outbreak now is so transmissible, I suspect contaminated surfaces and poorly ventilated environments may be responsible for more transmissions than previously in 2020," Prof Teo said.

"This makes the process of contact tracing a lot more difficult, even with TraceTogether and SafeEntry. That is why there is a stepped-up regime of large-scale optional testing when specific locations have been frequented by a number of infected cases, instead of simply notifying the public of these locations."

 

[zhihau]

looks like the parameters for the token need to be tweaked again.

 

[jw5]

looks like the parameters for the token need to be tweaked again.

The MOH are still doing contract tracing manually, based on asking questions and isolating close contacts etc. If they were properly using the trace together data, they would have discovered the links to the unlinked cases already.

 

[jw5]

its 1 asshole that posts to himself look that this piece of shit $2 forum

Not happy please fuck off.