Remember all these the next time you vote

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#16
Five patients in TTSH Covid-19 cluster found to have Indian virus variant

The growing Covid-19 cluster at Tan Tock Seng Hospital has been fuelled by new, more transmissible variants of the virus.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Joyce Teo

May 4, 2021

SINGAPORE - The growing Covid-19 cluster at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has been fuelled by new, more transmissible variants of the virus, but vaccinations have protected those who got their shots, said the authorities.
More cases of the variants of concern that are circulating around the world have been detected here, said Ministry of Health (MOH) director of medical services Kenneth Mak at a press conference on Wednesday (May 4).
These include the B.1351 variant that originated in South Africa, the P.1 variant that originated in Brazil and the new Indian variants believed to be behind the devastating second wave in India currently.
Among them, seven cases in three local clusters were found with the Indian variant, including five who are part of the Tan Tock Seng cluster - the country's first hospital cluster now numbering 40 TTSH staff, patients and their relatives.
"The new variant strains have higher attack rates. They are more infectious and causing larger clusters than before. We must assume that there are still hidden cases out there in the community," said Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the ministerial task force combating the virus.
The situation would have been worse if not for people getting their Covid-19 vaccinations, which have done "relatively well against the disease" in those who had received the full two doses, Associate Professor Mak pointed out.

Of the 40 cases in the TTSH cluster, nine people, mostly staff, had been fully vaccinated, and most had no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
Those who were not vaccinated, however, were harder hit, with some needing oxygen therapy, he said.
Vaccination may not prevent a person from getting the disease but in the vast majority of cases, it will safeguard him from getting a severe infection.
Task force co-chair and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong made a call for people, particularly the elderly, who are more vulnerable to developing severe Covid-19 disease if infected, to get vaccinated.

"The next few weeks will be critical for us," said Mr Gan.
"The silver lining is that we have successfully brought our cases down before and we can do it again."

List of Covid-19 variants
A total of 29 local cases with the Covid-19 variants were detected, along with 475 imported cases.
Here is the breakdown of the cases with the respective variants:
UK strain (B.117): detected in seven local cases and 181 imported cases, 11 of which tested preliminarily positive
South African strain (B.1351): detected in eight local cases and 158 imported cases
Three Brazilian strains:
P1 (B.11281): detected in three local cases and four imported cases
P2 (B.11282): detected in one imported case
P3 (B.11283): detected in one imported case
Four Indian strains:
B.1617: detected in 57 imported cases
B.16171: detected in three local cases and 11 imported cases
B.16172: detected in seven local cases and 52 imported cases
B.16173: detected in one imported case
B.1525: detected in one local case, and nine imported cases. It is unclear where this variant originated from.

 

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#17
PAP government imposing second circuit breaker but without calling it a circuit breaker.

No dining in, social gatherings capped at 2 people from May 16 as S'pore tightens Covid-19 rules​

People will be allowed out in groups of only two from May 16 to June 13, with dining-in prohibited.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Linette Lai
Political Correspondent

May 14, 2021

SINGAPORE - People will be allowed out in groups of only two from this Sunday (May 16) until June 13, with dining in prohibited as Singapore tightens its Covid-19 restrictions to stamp out the spread of cases in the community.
Households will also not be allowed to receive more than two distinct visitors per day. Individuals should continue to cap their social gatherings at two a day as well.
Eateries and hawker centres will offer only takeaway and delivery during this period to reduce the risk of transmission, due to the higher risk posed by customers in close proximity and dining in for prolonged period with their masks off, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday.
Working from home will once again be the default for workplaces, and employers have to ensure that staff who can work from home do so.
Speaking at a virtual press conference, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said the stricter measures are needed because many members of the public would have visited Changi Airport in the last few weeks, with some subsequently becoming infected.
The concern is that there may be hidden cases that have leaked out into the community, added the multi-ministry task force co-chair, noting that unlinked cases have also gone up.


There are currently 46 cases in the Changi Airport cluster, making it the largest of Singapore's 11 active clusters.
MOH said it will allow families' current childcare arrangements to continue, grandchildren being cared for by their grandparents on a daily basis will not be counted towards the two-visitor cap. However, grandparents are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against Covid-19, and minimise mingling among grandchildren from different households.
Apart from the prohibition on dining in, other activities that will no longer be allowed include strenuous indoor exercise classes and sports, as well as personalised services such as facials that require masks to be removed.
Singing and the playing of instruments such as wind or brass instruments will also not be allowed.

Minister Lawrence Wong on Singapore's new Covid-19 measures from May 16

Other tighter restrictions include:
- Weddings receptions will not be allowed, although solemnisations may continue for up to 100 people with pre-event testing in place, or 50 people with no testing.
- Congregational and other worship services can continue with a lower cap of 50 people at any one time. The limit goes up to 100 attendees if pre-event testing is implemented.
- Occupancy limits for malls and showrooms will be further reduced from the current limit of 10 sq m per person of gross floor area, to 16 sq m per person.
- All attractions that received prior approval to operate at 50 per cent of their operating capacity will have to reduce this to 25 per cent.
- Indoor and outdoor shows are allowed to continue for up to 50 people, with the cap going up to 100 people if pre-event testing is implemented.
- Museums and public libraries will operate at a reduced capacity of 25 per cent.
- Up to 100 people may be allowed into cinema halls with pre-event testing, or up to 50 people if no testing is in place. The cap of two people per group applies, and food and drinks cannot be sold or consumed in the cinema.

To speed up detection, everyone who sees a doctor with signs of an acute respiratory infection will also have to undergo an antigen rapid test. This is in addition to the slower but more accurate polymerase chain reaction test.

This testing regime will be rolled out progressively, starting with around 200 public health preparedness clinics from Saturday.

Mr Wong urged people to follow the tightened measures and go out only for essential reasons.
He added: "We know this is a very difficult period for everyone; this is clearly a setback in our fight against Covid-19. We are resolved to keep fellow Singaporeans safe and to see Singapore safely through this crisis. So let's continue to stay united, support each other and do our very best."

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#18
The refusal to close the borders to India fast has result in air travel bubbles being delayed.

S'pore unlikely to meet criteria for air travel bubble with Hong Kong: Ong Ye Kung​

The bubble was slated to take off on May 26, six months after its initial planned launch in November last year. PHOTOS: ONG WEE JIN, AFP

Toh Ting Wei

May 14, 2021

SINGAPORE - The air travel bubble to allow for quarantine-free travel between Singapore and Hong Kong is likely to be delayed yet again, given the rising number of Covid-19 community cases in Singapore.
Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Friday (May 14) said: "It is very likely that Singapore will not be able to meet the resumption criteria.
"What we will do now is to closely monitor the numbers the next few days to review the start date, and early next week, we will make a decision and an announcement."
The bubble was slated to take off on May 26, six months after its initial planned launch in November last year. It was deferred by both parties due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong.
Both cities had agreed that the air travel bubble will be suspended when the seven-day moving average of the unlinked community cases in either Singapore or Hong Kong increases to above five.
There have been 15 unlinked Covid-19 cases in Singapore in the past week. This works out to a moving average of about two cases a day, which is still below the threshold to trigger a pause in the travel bubble.



Mr Ong, who was speaking at a virtual press conference held by the task force combating the pandemic, said he had briefed Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau on Friday morning about the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.
He said that both cities are strongly committed to the bubble, but have to start it safely. They would also respect the resumption mechanisms that both sides had agreed on.
Mr Ong said that Hong Kong is a "very safe region" now, with daily Covid-19 cases ranging between zero and two.
Earlier this week, both cities had expressed optimism that the bubble could still take flight.
On Wednesday, Mr Yau noted that the seven-day moving average of unlinked cases in both cities was below the threshold of five that would trigger a pause in the arrangement.
Singapore's Transport Ministry the same day said that Hong Kong was "recording very low or zero daily cases currently", adding that it will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation in both cities.

 

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#19
Another law, another fine.

Mandatory for diners to return trays and clear table litter from June 1​

From Sept 1, enforcement will be taken against those who do not clean up after themselves at hawker centres.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Adeline Tan

May 14, 2021

SINGAPORE – It will be mandatory for diners to return their trays and clear their table litter from June 1, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Friday (May 14).
Table litter includes used tissues, wet wipes, straws, canned drinks, plastic bottles and food remnants.
As part of an effort to help diners adjust, no enforcement action will be taken until after Aug 31. During the three months, they will only be advised to follow the rule.
From Sept 1, enforcement will be taken against those who do not comply with advice to clean up after themselves in public dining places.
First-time offenders will be given a written warning. Second-time offenders will face a $300 composition fine, and subsequent offenders may face court fines, which can go up to $2,000 for the first conviction.
The Singapore Food Agency will also work with NEA to roll out enforcement progressively at coffee shops and foodcourts in the fourth quarter of this year.



NEA said the move, which comes amid a public health crisis, followed years of extensive educational efforts to change behaviour and mindsets of diners in public places.
NEA deputy chief executive of public health and director-general of public health Chew Ming Fai said: “We’ve been talking about these clean tables since 2013, and there’s been a lot of education effort that has been put out over the years.”
One example is the Clean Tables Campaign launched in February this year.
Mr Chew said: “Following that exercise, we’ve seen a small uptick in terms of tray return rates from 33 per cent to 35 per cent, but unfortunately, I don’t think that is significant enough.”
NEA will be setting up more tray return infrastructure across the hawker centres. Currently, there are about 900 tray return racks installed across 111 hawker centres.
During the advisory period, safe distancing ambassadors, SG Clean ambassadors, community volunteers and NEA officers being deployed at hawker centres will continue to remind diners to clear their dirty trays, crockery and litter.
Visual cues such as posters and banners will also be progressively installed at hawker centres.
NEA said Covid-19 has underscored the need to maintain high public hygiene and cleanliness standards, and various members of the public and institutions have called for stronger measures to raise cleanliness standards, including the use of legislation.
Clearing dirty trays, crockery and table litter will not only protect other diners, but also the cleaners, who are usually the elderly.
NEA said: “We urge everyone to work with NEA to take greater ownership of our public dining places and to maintain high hygiene and cleanliness standards at these areas. This will allow us to enjoy our meals in a clean and hygienic environment and better safeguard ourselves against any public health risks.”

 

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#20
The PAP government knows best. After all, they have the brightest scholars and army generals. Army generals are used to giving instructions, not taking instructions. Why does the PAP government need to listen to the citizens?

Forum: Better communication needed between leaders and people​

May 25, 2021


Former Straits Times editor Leslie Fong's thesis that Singaporeans are unhappy or even angry at being dismissed as ill-informed and incapable of deep thinking and understanding by "the powers that be" resonated with many, as his commentary was circulated widely and commanded much attention on social media following its publication (What lies beneath the unhappiness over Covid resurgence in S'pore?, May 20).

Most Singaporeans agree that a complete shutdown of borders is not possible and migrant workers are needed to keep the economy humming along.
However, Singaporeans rightly expect their government to protect their well-being by restricting or even shutting out, at least temporarily, the entry of foreigners, especially dependents of employment pass holders, from countries which have been devastated by the pandemic.

Calls from well-intended Singaporeans to control or stop arrivals from heavily infected countries were summarily dismissed as xenophobic and racist. Such name-calling is unfair and unhelpful.

Singaporeans now have to cope with restrictions and disruption to their daily life, and are feeling anxious and even threatened.
Adding to their misery, job losses may mount and many small businesses, including hawkers and shop and restaurant owners, are now back to battling for survival.

My biggest takeaway from this is the perceptible dichotomy between the rulers and the ruled in a wide range of policy decisions: The former think they know best how to govern, while the latter believe that their genuine concerns and interests are being disregarded.

Perhaps, it is time for better communication to bridge the divide. Political leaders can benefit from listening, because some feedback is constructive and merits consideration, and contrarian views are not necessarily inferior.

Ang Ah Lay

 

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#21

PSP’s Jess Chua: The Singapore Core cannot be anything other than Singaporeans​

She takes issue with DPM Heng Swee Keat

Photo: YouTube screengrabs, PSP's Jess Chua, DPM Heng Swee Keat

AUTHOR Obbana Rajah
DATE June 1, 2021

Singapore — The Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) head of the PSP Youth Catalyst, Ms Chua Hui Kee Jess, emphasised in a Facebook post that the Singapore core must be made up of Singaporeans.
The PSP Facebook page shared the post she wrote.
She was taking issue with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
He was speaking at a virtual press conference organised by the Emerging Stronger Taskforce on May 17 when he was asked which term – “Singapore core”, or “Singaporean core” – most accurately captures Singapore’s workforce policy.
Mr Heng replied the “Singapore core” should not be too narrowly defined.
The minister said the Singapore core should be made up of individuals who are committed to Singapore and its well-being, instead of being defined in terms of whether someone is Singapore-born, a new citizen, or a foreigner who is helming a company.
Ms Chua wrote: “I take issue with DPM Heng’s choice of using ‘commitment’ as the yardstick.”
She explained that commitments vary in duration, and work commitments are rewarded with remuneration and end once the employment contract ceases.
She noted that citizenship, however, is a life-long commitment.
“Singapore citizens, natural or naturalised alike, must be the Singapore Core. Period” she wrote.
Ms Chua clarified that though non-Singaporeans may not form the Singapore core, they have a role to play. “Throughout the country’s history, they have been a part of our society and we will continue to call on them to complement our local workforce,” she added.

Ms Chua said that regardless of their abilities and level of contributions, none of the foreigners came to Singapore “out of altruism; they did not travel across countries merely wanting to help build Singapore or boost our Gross Domestic Product. They came here to seek better opportunities for themselves”.
“The powers that be should not obfuscate the Singapore identity to suit their political objectives. The Singapore Core cannot be anything other than Singaporeans”, she said.
Ending her post, Ms Chua made reference to the theme song from the 1987 National Day Parade, “We Are Singapore”. The final line, “We are Singapore, Singaporeans” – “Now it serves as a beacon to me for what the Singapore Core should be”, she wrote. /TISGFollow us on Social Media

 

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Forum: Make process easier for self-employed who need to do regular Covid-19 testing​

Jul 19, 2021

I am a self-employed person working in the fitness industry. Since last Thursday, all self-employed persons working with unmasked clients have been put on a compulsory "fast and easy testing" regime.
While many of us support the testing, the roll-out of the process has been poorly organised.
Only three centres are available for us to choose from, and they are open only from 10am to 5pm.
To make matters worse, we cannot choose the time slots. Considering the high number of applications, this is hardly adequate. Available dates are about a week away.
And according to the circular sent out by Sport Singapore, we will be notified by SMS only a few days before our test. Are we expected to make work arrangements on such short notice?
This compounds our problems during an already challenging period when our income was, and still is, badly affected.

Since we have to be tested twice a month, it likely means that we will have to forfeit work and lose even more income.
I emphasise again that I am in support of the testing measures, but feel that the system in places does not consider the logistics of accommodating the many who need to be tested and retested, as well as the concerns of the self-employed.
I urge the authorities to make the process as easy as possible, especially since we are preparing for a new normal in which Covid-19 is endemic.
Alan Kiat-Leng Lee

 

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There are many expats from many countries here. Have we really go to the root of problem why only THEY? A concern on when this discriminatory law takes effect, this law will protect the minority of THEM.

 

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Forum: How efforts to engage citizens' minds can come to nought​

SEP 18, 2021

I refer to the article "Vivian Balakrishnan apologises to PSP's Leong Mun Wai after 'illiterate' comment circulates online" (Sept 15).
If the People's Action Party wants to know why it has lost vote share and a second group representation constituency in the last election, it needs to look no further than this incident.
Voters can be put off by what they perceive as an elitist and condescending attitude towards the opposition.
The Government tries so hard to win the minds of the people, but it forgets that often the heart transcends the mind.
Ministers can spend hours making speeches about the benefits of having free trade agreements or the importance of stamping out racism.
But all these efforts to engage the logical minds of citizens come to nought when ministers make remarks that pierce the hearts of the people.

The Government often chastises Singaporeans for being racist or xenophobic, but does it have the moral high ground to do so when its own Cabinet ministers can be seen to be elitist?
Elitism is no less a form of discrimination than racism or xenophobia.
This incident also leads to the worrying question of whether such elitist thinking and chatter are also present at Cabinet meetings.

Victor Ng Beng Li

 

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Forum: Don't be too quick to dismiss concerns about foreign workers​

SEP 23, 2021

Singapore's founding fathers had the foresight to know that the Republic is too small a country to allow any fault lines to divide its society, putting guard rails in place to ensure no one can use issues like race or religion to sow division.
Singaporeans have been able to live harmoniously for many decades.
Straits Times associate editor Chua Mui Hoong was spot on when she pointed out there is an emerging fault line in our society - between the lived experience of the governing and that of those being governed (The most worrisome fault line in S'pore, Sept 17).
I believe wholeheartedly that the Government is sincere in wanting to address any fault lines that can cause division in our society.
I therefore urge the Government to take a step back and re-examine its past conclusions on the concerns raised about foreign workers, and not be too fast to attribute these concerns to attempts to score political points, xenophobia or racism.
The current government has been pursuing a more open and consultative style of governing, but when feedback is categorised in such a manner, it may alienate people who want to give sincere feedback on their actual experience, which may well be different from those governing and setting policies.


Luo Siao Ping

 

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The government started reacting to the citizens' concerns only in the past few years. Before that, the government was indiscriminately opening the doors to foreign workers. The measures put in place in the past few years was only to undo the damage caused by the government's misguided policies in the first place.

Quote: "Over the years, we have strengthened our policies and enhanced our schemes to do so. For example, we raised the salary thresholds for Employment Pass and S Pass holders twice last year."

The salary thresholds should have been raised years ago. If the government has to raise it twice in one year, it means that the salary thresholds have been ridiculously low for many years, costing Singaporeans thousands of jobs.

Quote: "We have also been progressively stepping up efforts to enhance workplace fairness for over two decades."

Two decades!!?? Name the measures that the government introduced 10 to 20 years ago.

Forum: Government listens to Singaporeans' concerns on jobs and livelihoods​

Sep 25, 2021


In his letter, "Don't be too quick to dismiss concerns about foreign workers" (Sept 23), Mr Luo Siao Ping voiced concerns about categorising feedback on foreign workers as xenophobic or racist, thus alienating those who wish to give sincere feedback.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The Government has never considered people who express anxieties or concerns about their jobs to be racist or xenophobic.
It is precisely because we want to prevent such divisions in society that it called out the Progress Singapore Party during the recent parliamentary debates, for exploiting these anxieties to stir racism and xenophobia.
The objective of the Government's foreign manpower policy has always been to ensure that foreigners complement, rather than displace, local workers.
Over the years, we have strengthened our policies and enhanced our schemes to do so. For example, we raised the salary thresholds for Employment Pass and S Pass holders twice last year.
We have also been progressively stepping up efforts to enhance workplace fairness for over two decades.

We stiffened penalties, extended the coverage of the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement to S Passes, and doubled the minimum advertising duration from 14 to 28 days. We are now taking the next step of strengthening our enforcement against workplace discrimination through legislation.
While the majority of Singaporeans have benefited from globalisation, a significant minority have not.
We spare no effort to help them, and enable them to compete strongly. For example, the National Jobs Council spearheaded the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, through which more than 128,000 local job-seekers have been placed into jobs and skills opportunities as at July.
Job-seekers who need support can approach Workforce Singapore and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, including any of the 24 SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres across the country.
We wish to assure Mr Luo that the Government engages widely to hear the views and concerns of our workers, job-seekers, union leaders, business owners and chambers, HR community and stakeholders.
We are committed to walking this journey with all our stakeholders, so as to secure better employment outcomes for Singaporeans.

Ho Moon Shin
Press Secretary to the Minister for Manpower

 

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A confused population cannot pull together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic​

Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent

Early in September, home recovery was for fully vaccinated people 50 years and younger who had no or mild symptoms.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Oct 4, 2021

SINGAPORE - When circumstances change or more is known about Covid-19, Singapore's response to the virus, too, must change. That is being nimble in the face of a pandemic.
But changes that happen too often can lead to confusion and poor adherence to rules - to the detriment of overall efforts to keep people safe.
Acknowledging this last week, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "The protocols are many and complex to the man in the street, and to them, it's confusing and even frustrating.
"Few people truly understand or remember them. This issue needs to be addressed because if people don't understand, they can't do their part to exercise personal responsibility, much less help others."
But the confusion, I would argue, goes beyond just complex protocols or the use of too many "alphabet soup" acronyms.
Such confusion, especially in recent months, also applies to policies.

The Singapore Medical Association runs an opinion blog called hobbitsma, penned by an anonymous doctor.
On Sept 27, the writer bemoaned how the lack of clarity from the Ministry of Health (MOH) stresses out healthcare workers, including its policy on vaccine booster shots that have left general practitioners bewildered.
The writer said: "On 14 Sept 21, GPs were informed by AIC that boosters can be given for those 60 and above if they had received their two doses at least six months (or 180 days) ago.
"On 17 Sept 21, this was revised to five months (or 150 days). That's fine. Then on 24 Sept 21, another (third) e-mail was sent by AIC (on behalf of MOH) to yet again change the criteria to 143 days and if the person had received an SMS from MOH to take their booster shot."

AIC is the Agency for Integrated Care, a corporate entity under MOH Holdings that acts as a centralised coordinator for help that seniors might need, such as getting a place in a nursing home.
Three different criteria on boosters disseminated within a two-week period does make one wonder about the decision-making behind this policy.
The writer also wondered about the odd figure of 143 days, and suggested that 150 days or five months would make life far easier for everyone.
If doctors are confused, how much more the general public, and on as important an issue as when to take a booster shot.
More to the point, when booster jabs were announced on Sept 10, the official word to the public was that they were for those 60 and above, and residents of aged-care facilities, "who have completed their vaccination regimen with two doses at least six months ago".

Seniors register for Covid-19 vaccines booster shots at Bishan Vaccination Centre on Oct 1, 2021. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

There has been no announcement on how the policy had been tweaked to a shorter interval of 150 days, let alone 143 days. This has led to confusion, as people have been getting invitations to register for their boosters even though they have yet to hit six months - the original policy - from their second jab.
This was compounded by a statement last Thursday (Sept 30) that people 60 years and older who completed their second dose on April 1, 2021, or earlier, may walk in without appointments for their booster jab from Oct 1 - that's still six months.
The policy on home recovery is another example.
Early in September, home recovery was for fully vaccinated people 50 years and younger who had no or mild symptoms, and provided they were not living with someone who is older than 80 or medically vulnerable, such as the immunocompromised or pregnant, and who have their own room with an attached bathroom/toilet.

Later in September, it was extended to people aged 69 years and younger, with all other conditions applying, except they now should "preferably" have an attached bathroom.
The change was not surprising - and even understandable - given the rising number of infections, of whom more than 98 per cent were either asymptomatic or mildly sick. The devil, though, was in the details of this policy.
More than a million families live in HDB flats, of which around two in three are four-room or smaller. If one room and toilet/bathroom is set aside for the one infected person, how does the rest of the family manage?
And how many families have no vulnerable person, such as a pregnant woman, someone who is sick or over the age of 80 years, at home?

As Covid-19 continues to spread, home recovery will become the default. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

As Covid-19 continues to spread, home recovery will become the default, as it will be impossible to find enough places to house everyone, even if hotels and student hostels are roped in.
The criteria for home recovery needs to be aligned with what most people can manage.
For example, can someone who is asymptomatic share a toilet but limit the surfaces touched and properly clean them after use? Given how there are more than 130,000 people older than 80 in Singapore, should home recovery be allowed in all cases, so long as precautions are taken, such as everyone at home wearing a mask throughout the patient's 10-day recovery period?

For a policy to work, it must work in practice.
Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, an infectious diseases expert at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said: "Some policies such as home recovery had multiple clauses that were impracticable for a significant proportion - perhaps even a majority - of households with Covid-19 members, and lacked ground support for implementation to the extent that to call it an operational failure might be charitable."
Prof Hsu also pointed out that some contacts of Covid-19 patients had been contacted by MOH only eight to nine days after the encounter. This reveals a lack of preparedness, given how the authorities had themselves predicted a surge.
Requiring children below the age of 12 to be checked by a hospital doctor before being allowed to do home recovery adds work to an already stressed healthcare system, he added.

Under current rules, if a person's ART result is positive twice, indicating he has been infected with Covid-19, he does not need to have a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction test. PHOTO: ST FILE

Another area of confusion has been the policy on what happens when someone tests positive for Covid-19.
Every household has been given antigen rapid test (ART) self-test kits, and a fair number of workplaces require regular testing using these kits.
Under current rules, if a person's ART result is positive twice, indicating he has been infected with Covid-19, he does not need to have a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
In fact, he does not even need to inform MOH that he has been infected. He just needs to stay home and repeat the ART test till it gives him a negative result, after which he may return to work and normal life.
This also means he is not part of the daily count of about 2,000 new infections that MOH has been reporting, which leads to the question: How accurate are those figures?

If all the people with Covid-19 who discovered their infection through self-tests are not included - and we can assume that they are either not sick or only mildly so - then would the percentage of people who do not get seriously ill be actually higher than the 98.1 per cent released by MOH? How much higher? Are the numbers released even meaningful?
Once the person gets a negative result, life returns to normal for him, as prescribed under the current policy. But MOH also says on its website that the ART has "potentially high false negative rate in individuals with low viral load".
So one negative test result could mean the person is still infectious. Yet the authorities have deemed it all right for him to resume life as normal. Wouldn't it be better if two negative tests are needed to give the all-clear?
A reader wrote in recently to say that his son's sergeant was confirmed to have Covid-19. Upon this, his son and all his platoon mates were made to take a PCR test then told to go home.
He asked why the platoon was sent home before the PCR test results were out, since this could inadvertently spread the disease to others, including vulnerable seniors like him at home. Wouldn't it have been better if the entire platoon was kept in camp and ring-fenced till the tests were out?
His comments made sense to me, given how these soldiers already stay in camp and could easily have been asked to remain there for a day or two more.
Also, why were these young men- likely to be asymptomatic even if they had caught Covid-19 - given PCR tests when others in Singapore who test positive with the less-accurate ART do not even need to inform MOH that they have been infected?

Am I the only one confused by these rules and their inconsistent implementation?
I'm sure I am not, since there are still workplaces and food outlets that close for 14 days because an employee had tested positive for Covid-19. They obviously have not heard that this is no longer necessary. What is clear: Simply announcing a rule change doesn't mean the message has got through.
Professor Dale Fisher, an infectious diseases specialist at the National University Hospital (NUH), said good communication "is easily the major challenge for any outbreak response".
He added: "If guidelines change every week, people and businesses won't keep up. Yes, we must be nimble but we also need to factor in the capacity to get the messages and activities to all corners of the population."
Agreeing, Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said: "Our communication strategies need to be consistent so the public know how to respond."
Instead, we are getting conflicting messages.

One last example: People are told that if they are fully vaccinated and healthy, an infection is unlikely to cause more than mild symptoms, which is in line with transiting to an endemic state.
But cross signals come when places like Pasir Panjang market is closed - a move more aligned with an elimination strategy, pointed out Prof Teo.
A confused population cannot pull together to fight a pandemic.
Mr Ong has given the assurance that protocols will be simplified. Hopefully, the situation will be sorted out soon.

 

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Forum: No success with job search after 2 years​

Oct 8, 2021

I refer to the letter from the press secretary to the Minister for Manpower, "Government listens to Singaporeans' concerns on jobs and livelihoods" (Sept 25).
It was mentioned that through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, more than 128,000 local job seekers have been placed into jobs and skills opportunities.
For relevance, the conversion factor - to show how many job applicants were successful in getting jobs - should also be indicated.
The letter said job seekers can approach Workforce Singapore to get suitable placements. Unfortunately, my own experience with the Workforce Singapore website leaves much to be desired.
I am a maritime professional with more than 35 years of service, and I was made redundant in September 2019.
Since then, I have made at least 125 job applications using the Workforce Singapore website and have not received a single invitation for an interview.

Last month, I appealed to Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng for help. He replied very promptly and forwarded my request to Careers Connect, Workforce Singapore.
I was contacted by both an officer and a career coach but after a few calls and e-mail exchanges, there has been no follow-up.
I have made no progress in my quest to get employment for about two years despite using the Workforce Singapore portal, as well as trying to communicate with its staff.
Based on the comments and feedback on various social media forums, I think I am not the only one in this situation.
I hope that the Workforce Singapore recruitment process will be reviewed and reinforced with more dedicated follow-up to ensure that all eligible citizens find gainful employment.

Rajkrish Kumaran

 

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Forum: My wife's a teacher. Can I have her back with the family please?​

OCT 11, 2021

The topic of overworked teachers has been brought up before, but needs relooking as not much seems to have changed for the better.
My wife is an educator and is also part of her school's middle management team.
Over the past few weeks, when Covid-19 cases started sprouting up in schools, the workload of teachers has increased tremendously.
On top of their administrative and teaching roles, teachers are now deployed as contact-tracers for positive cases.
These duties can take up the whole afternoon and evening, with information from various ministries coming in at different times.
Teachers are expected to hop into action and abandon whatever they are doing (family and rest time go out the window) whenever cases are reported, even during the weekends.

During home-based learning periods, teachers have to work harder to conduct more lessons online as students are broken up into smaller groups for better control. This is, of course, on top of helping out their own children also on home-based learning.
Can we draw a clear line between those who are supposed to focus on teaching and others dedicated to contact-tracing and Covid-19-related matters?
How can we stop teachers from being exhausted and burnt out? They are already entering the school before sunrise and leaving only after sunset. The marking and calls to be answered continue at home.
The fight against the pandemic is going to continue, so we need to act fast or we'll face a collapse of one of the world's best education systems. Let's not wait till it's too late.
As for myself, I just hope to have a wife, a mother and a key family member back.

Ng Wei Yang

 

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For some S'porean seniors, need for income means having to leave home for work​

Wallace Woon

OCT 11, 2021

SINGAPORE - Cobbler Kay Ching Poh, 70, received his booster shot at the end of last month.
It gives him an increased sense of safety and peace of mind as he continues running his makeshift stall outside Chinatown MRT station.
Speaking in Mandarin, Mr Kay said: "I open every day, from 10am to 7pm. Of course, I'm worried because I'm scared of getting infected.
"But I have no choice, I have to eat. If I didn't need to eat, then I would not keep working."
He added that he had also encouraged many of his family members to get vaccinated as a precautionary measure, in particular his older brother, whom he lives with in their Havelock Road flat.
Delivery driver Kiko Tuscany, 65, has to continue working in order to pay his bills.

He said: "Who is going to help me? I still have my home loan to pay. If I don't work, how am I going to survive?"
About five of the 50 seniors whom The Straits Times spoke to said that they have no choice but to leave their homes in order to make a living.

Mr Kiko Tuscany said he has to continue working in order to pay his bills. ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH, PHILIP CHEONG

Mr Mokhtar, who declined to give his full name, said he is aware that he is exposing himself to some risk as a private-hire driver.

The 67-year-old, who drives for Grab, makes sure that his car is constantly stocked with hand sanitiser so that he and his passengers can maintain their personal hygiene.
"The first thing is to take care of yourself because this is your life. Especially if you're driving Grab, and it's for income.
"If anything happens or you get infected, you don't have your income," he said, adding that he does not leave his home other than for work.
Mr Mokhtar, who received his booster shot on Sept 15, said that he prefers to stay home with his family and bond over TV shows.
ST met Mr Loh Boon Khian, 67, outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple along Waterloo Street, where he sells tissue paper.

Mr Loh Boon Khian sells tissue paper outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple along Waterloo Street. ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH, PHILIP CHEONG

"Before the pandemic, when the temple was open, I could earn about $60 every day. I need the money to see the doctor because my children don't give me any money," said Mr Loh, who walks for about 10 minutes from his home in Selegie every day.
Taxi driver Kamaruddin Matsom, 67, took his third Pfizer shot at the start of this month.
He said he did so in order to continue to earn a living. "I'm driving and every day I go out. After that I go back and I have to rest because I'm tired.
"If I want to buy something, I'll go (out) but as long as you keep clean, you don't have to worry about this virus," he said.

 

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Forum: Vaccinated son can't visit unvaccinated dad in hospital​

Jan 8, 2022

My 93-year-old unvaccinated father was admitted to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on Wednesday for medical conditions unrelated to Covid-19.
My father has been living with my younger brother's family for the past seven years. My brother actively takes care of our father, together with the helper.
We, the children, decided not to send our father for vaccination given his age and underlying medical and general health conditions which leave him home-bound.
My brother, who is fully vaccinated, took leave from work to visit our father at the hospital on Thursday.
To his consternation, he was denied the visit at the registration counter. The reason given was that our father is unvaccinated and that it is Ministry of Health protocol that he cannot receive any visits regardless of the visitors' vaccination status.
To presume that my brother poses a risk to our father is puzzling since they live in the same household. He is in a general ward and thus exposed to other patients and their visitors. Even the healthcare professionals who attend to him might pose a risk to him as they are constantly in close contact with him.
Good patient care should embrace the love, emotional comfort and warmth that only the family can provide to the patient, especially one on his last lap. I don't think it is too much to ask for.

Cheong Hwee Leng

 

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ComfortDelGro raises cab fares by around 8%​

ComfortDelGro said the company's taxis' flagdown fare will rise by 20 cents from March 1, 2022. PHOTO: ST FILE

Christopher Tan
Senior Transport Correspondent

Feb 8, 2022

SINGAPORE - Leading taxi group ComfortDelGro will raise cab fares from March 1 - its first fare increase in a decade.
Confirming a report by The Straits Times two weeks ago, the listed company, which controls about 8,900 cabs or 60 per cent of the fleet here, said the flag-down fare will rise by 20 cents.
This means the starting fare of a Hyundai i40 cab will increase from $3.70 to $3.90, and that of a Toyota Prius, Hyundai Ioniq, and Hyundai Kona, as well as the starting fare of LimoCab and MaxiCabs, will increase from $3.90 to $4.10.
Distance and time-based charges will also rise. There will be a two-cent increase for distance rates from 22 cents to 24 cents for every 400m (or 350m after 10km) for normal taxis, and a three-cent increase from 30 cents to 33 cents for limousines.
Likewise, a two-cent increase from 22 cents to 24 cents for every 45 seconds of waiting time for normal taxis, and a three-cent increase from 30 cents to 33 cents for limousines will also take place.
With the increase, the fare for a 10km off-peak normal taxi trip is estimated to rise by 7.7 per cent or 84 cents - from $10.98 to $11.82.
The adjustment, which is almost identical to the one it made in 2011, is to "help cabbies defray higher operating costs resulting from rising fuel prices and inflation", ComfortDelGro said.

"In the last six months alone, fuel prices have increased by about 10 per cent on average, in line with rising oil prices as world economies continue to emerge from the pandemic," it added.
"Inflation has also been heading north. In fact, in the last decade, inflation has grown by close to 12 per cent."
ComfortDelGro added that cabbies' incomes have also been adversely impacted by the pandemic over the last two years, despite government relief and $206.5 million-worth of rental waivers the company has extended to its drivers.

ComfortDelGro private mobility group and taxi chief executive Jackson Chia said: "With rising fuel costs and inflation, the earnings of our cabbies have been hard hit. This fare adjustment will help our cabbies defray the higher costs of operation.
"Given that the last fare revision was more than a decade back, we seek the understanding and support of our commuters."
National Taxi Association adviser Yeo Wan Ling said: "We recognise that taxi fares need to match higher operating costs and have been in talks with ComfortDelGro on fare changes.
"We support the fare adjustments and hope that this move will help drivers better cope with rising costs."
As has happened in the past, the other four taxi operators are likely to follow ComfortDelGro's lead in raising fares.
Ms Jasmine Tan, general manager of second largest player Trans-Cab, which has around 2,400 taxis, said the company will discuss with its drivers’ union to determine how much it will adjust fares by.
“We will consult the ground and then inform the Public Transport Council,” she said.
Meanwhile, half an hour after ComfortDelGro announced its fare increase, the PTC replied to a query by The Straits Times filed two weeks ago that “it has been informed of ComfortDelGro’s intention” to raise taxi fares.

 

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No work for more than 6 months: Who are S'pore's long-term unemployed?​

Former marine operations manager Charles Chong's niche skill sets pose a challenge. ST PHOTO: SAMUEL ANG

Calvin Yang
Assistant News Editor

Feb 9, 2022

SINGAPORE - Former marine operations manager Charles Chong has sent out more than 100 job applications in a year but has been invited for only a dozen interviews - and he still has not found a suitable job.
The 42-year-old left his previous employer, an offshore shipping firm, last February after it downsized amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Waiting for a response from a prospective employer can sometimes take two to three months, and the uncertainty can cause a lot of anxiety," Mr Chong said of his year-long job search.
Singapore's labour market is slowly recovering, with more jobs being made available and incomes rebounding, a report released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) last month showed.
But long-term unemployment rates - which look at those who have been unemployed for 25 weeks or more - remained unchanged, after increasing in 2020 when Covid-19 hit.
Observers told The Straits Times that many of the chronic long-term unemployed are residents facing a mismatch between skills and jobs. Some are hesitant about moving into a new field, while others have lost their motivation to continue their job search after several disappointments.
Dr David Leong, managing director of human resource firm PeopleWorldwide Consulting, said these are typically senior white-collar workers who become too expensive for their positions, which can be substituted by lower-paid workers .

For some unemployed blue-collar workers, their skills have become redundant with automation and process improvements, he added.
The MOM report found that the long-term unemployment rates improved for PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) and non-PMETs aged below 30 last year but largely rose in other age groups. The rates remained relatively higher among residents aged 40 and above.
The elevated long-term unemployment rates, compared with pre-Covid-19 levels, suggest that some workers displaced during the pandemic could have faced challenges in their job hunt, said MOM.

For Mr Chong, who has over 20 years of experience in the marine industry, his niche skill sets pose a challenge.
As there are limited opportunities in the marine line, he has to rely on transferable skills, such as operations and people management, for suitable roles in other industries.
But Mr Chong, who is currently involved in Covid-19 swabbing operations on a contract basis, is confident his gruelling job hunt will end soon. The father of a nine-year-old boy has since attended courses such as programming and e-commerce to improve his chances of landing a full-time role.

"At the end of the day, to be able to support my family is my priority and that motivates me to keep on trying," he said.
Last year, the long-term unemployment rate for resident PMETs was 0.8 per cent, while that for non-PMETs was 0.9 per cent, said the MOM report. These figures were unchanged from 2020.
In 2019, the rate for PMETs was 0.6 per cent. For non-PMETs, it was 0.8 per cent.
Business development manager Richard Khoo secured a full-time job at global technology distributor Westcon-Comstor in October last year, after a year-long job search. The 39-year-old was retrenched in September 2020, when the automobile company he worked for as a marketing and communications manager was impacted by the pandemic.
While job hunting, the sole breadwinner, who is married with two daughters aged two and seven, took up food delivery jobs and put in long hours daily to support his family.
He eventually sought help from a Workforce Singapore (WSG) career coach, who helped him to expand his professional network and explore different options.
"I became more confident after I started receiving more replies from recruiters and through referrals from old contacts," he said.
WSG said it has various resources to help job seekers. These include workshops covering popular topics such as curriculum vitae writing and interview preparation, and its Careers Connect centres that provide Singaporeans with career-related assistance such as creating a career plan.
The long-term unemployed might "feel lost and limit their opportunities... by looking at jobs only in sectors or areas that they are familiar with", said WSG senior career coach Kelvin Tan, adding that some could lose the momentum after multiple disappointments. "Coupled with the lack of more up-to-date job search skills, their job search can take longer."

3 in 4 business leaders find filling vacancies difficult, but only half sent workers for training: Report
Dr Leong said: "Once prolonged, their chances of getting employed would dim. Some workers have gaps on their resumes that position them poorly from a HR perspective."
Observers called on job seekers to explore unfamiliar roles and sectors. Workers are also encouraged to expand their professional networks, update their skills and tailor their resume to specific roles.
Dr Leong noted that skills mismatch is "a solvable problem".
He said: "As long as these unemployed workers recognise their skill gaps or are willing to undertake a transitioning training phase, they can be easily assimilated back into the workforce."

 

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Police officers in Parti Liyani's case neglected their duties: Shanmugam​

The officers involved in Ms Parti Liyani's case have both been issued financial penalties. PHOTO: ST FILE

David Sun
Correspondent

Feb 14, 2022

SINGAPORE - The police officers who were involved in the case of Ms Parti Liyani were found to have neglected their duties and fallen short of expectations.
This was revealed by Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam on Monday (Feb 14) in response to a question raised by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, an MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, in Parliament.
Mr Zhulkarnain had asked for an update on the internal investigations.
Mr Shanmugam said both the investigation officer (IO) and his supervisor had neglected their duties, resulting in lapses.
He listed three lapses that were found.
The first was that the IO did not visit the scene of crime to promptly carry out investigations and gather evidence, contributing to a break in the chain of custody for some exhibits.
The second was that the IO did not properly verify some of the claims made by parties during the investigation.

The third lapse was the supervisor not providing sufficient guidance.
The minister said the officers had done their jobs under difficult circumstances, facing workload challenges due to a manpower shortage in the police force.
"I have sympathy for the situation that they find themselves in," he said.
"They have, however, fallen short of expectations."
The officers have both been issued financial penalties in the form of a fine and a number of months of increments foregone.
The minister added that the IO had been under intense pressure, handling many on-going investigations, prosecutions and conducting arrest operations.
"I have spoken before about the workload challenges that police IOs face," said Mr Shanmugam.
"The only way to deal with this is to increase police's headcount. We have not solved this issue yet. This is a difficult problem, and not easily solvable, given the general manpower shortage."