The shit created by the PAP government because they refused to close the borders with India

[LITTLEREDDOT]

A sharp increase in covid-19 cases in the community caused by imported virus (Indian variant).
A second lockdown.

S'pore tightens Covid-19 measures to curb spread; public urged to limit social gatherings to 2 a day

The new measures will affect malls, outdoor barbeque pits, campsites and attractions.PHOTOS: KUA CHEE SIONG, LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE, ST FILE, LIM YAOHUI

Linette Lai
Political Correspondent

MAY 3, 2021


SINGAPORE - Singapore is tightening rules on social interactions in a bid to tackle the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the community.
This means stricter limits on the number of people who can be present in malls, attractions and large standalone stores, with residents urged to have no more than two social gatherings a day.
From 11.59pm on Saturday (May 1), the country will also bar all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the last two weeks.
The number of new community cases has increased to 35 cases in the past week, from 10 cases in the week before, with the first Covid-19 hospital cluster growing to 13 cases.
On Friday (April 30), Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic, reiterated that Singapore's economic reopening would not be a smooth process.
"From the very start, we have emphasised that this will not be a one-way street, there will be stops and starts and there would be bumps along the way," he said at a press conference.

"We are now encountering one such bump in our journey of reopening. But let us also take confidence in the fact that today, we have better capabilities and tools to control the infection."
The minister acknowledged that these restrictions would create inconveniences but urged Singaporeans to cooperate and scale back their social activities.
Doing so is the only way Singapore can slow the virus' spread, he said, warning that more stringent measures may have to be considered should the situation worsen.
Under new rules that take effect from May 1 to May 14, occupancy limits for malls and large standalone stores will be reduced to one person per 10 sq m of gross floor area, down from one person per 8 sq m.

Odd and even entry date restrictions will be reinstated on Sundays at Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza, while outdoor barbecue pits and campsites will be closed. These include pits in parks, HDB estates, condominiums and country clubs.
All attractions that received prior approval to operate at 65 per cent of their operating capacity will have to reduce this to 50 per cent from May 7 to 14.
Mr Wong added that the restriction on eight unique visitors a day per household remains.
Employers should allow staff to work from home as far as possible, he said, noting that the public sector - in particular agencies in the Novena area near Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) - will take the lead in this regard.
Public urged to limit gatherings as part of new Covid-19 curbs; TTSH locks down 4 wards | ST LIVE

The hospital has placed four wards under lockdown after it detected a cluster of 13 cases, involving both staff and patients.
This means patients will leave the wards only for essential tests, with "full precautions" taken when they are moved. No new patients will be admitted into the affected wards, which will be managed by a dedicated group of staff, said TTSH chief executive Eugene Soh.
A total of 61 patients - including those infected - have been transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. Other patients in the affected wards have tested negative for Covid-19 so far.
The TTSH cluster consists of eight patients and five staff members - two doctors, a nurse, a healthcare assistant and a cleaner.
Four staff members and one patient had been fully vaccinated against the virus, while another patient had received one dose.

"We always knew that vaccinations are not 100 per cent," Mr Wong said, warning that Singaporeans should not jump to the conclusion that there is therefore no need for vaccination.
"They protect (you)... from the risk of severe disease, and they do help to reduce transmission. It's not 100 per cent, but there is an impact. And the more of us who are vaccinated, the bigger the impact would be in reducing overall transmission of the virus in our community."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Mass quarantine.
Creates worries and inconvenience to the Singapore citizens.
Disruption to daily life and loss in economic activity.
Isn't the loss in economic activity greater than any economic gains by continuing to allow in foreign workers?

Over 100 Victoria JC students and staff quarantined after student tests positive for Covid-19
1 of 2

By May 10, about 2,200 students, staff, vendors and visitors of VJC will also be undergoing Covid-19 swab tests. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Ang Qing

MAY 8, 2021

SINGAPORE - A student from Victoria Junior College (VJC) tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday (May 7), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a statement on Saturday.
To curb the risk of transmission, 95 students and eight staff who had been in close contact with the student have been placed under quarantine order.
By May 10, about 2,200 of students, staff, vendors and visitors of VJC will also be undergoing Covid-19 swab tests as a precautionary measure given that this is an unlinked case and in light of the increase in community cases, the ministry added.
The 103 people who were quarantined will be swabbed separately.
The student was last in school on Wednesday and developed acute respiratory symptoms later that day.
She consulted a doctor on Thursday and tested positive the next day.

VJC has since thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the school premises, MOE said.
From May 10 to May 14, the school will conduct full home-based learning to allow time for the results of the Covid-19 swab tests to be finalised.
During this period, teachers will keep in regular contact with students and parents.
"With the increase in the number of local cases over the past week, we urge all students and staff to continue practising good personal hygiene and adhering to safe management measures," the ministry said.

This includes wearing masks, washing hands frequently, wiping down equipment and tables, seeing a doctor if they are sick and returning to school only when fully recovered.
VJC is the second school to be affected by the surge in community cases over the past two weeks.
On May 1, a 15-year-old student at Edgefield Secondary School was reported to have tested positive for the virus.
Following this, the school shifted to full home-based learning this week.

On May 10, it will return to in-person lessons after about 1,500 students, staff and external vendors of the school in Punggol tested negative for Covid-19.
This is also the second time that a member of VJC has tested positive for the virus.
Last February, a 42-year-old teacher was confirmed to have the infection.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health announced seven Covid-19 cases in the community, of which five are unlinked.

 

[Leongsam]

All these measures are futile. The virus is still going to spread regardless of what humans do.

 

[bobby]

‘Sorry, you’re uninvited’: Some couples trim guest list, bring forward wedding following tightened Covid-19 rules

SINGAPORE — Ms Claudia Marianne Benedict had invited 62 guests to her wedding, thinking that by keeping the number of guests below 100, she would not have to make them undergo Covid-19 swab tests before her event.

On Tuesday (May 4) the authorities revised the rules, reducing the limit to 50, which meant that Ms Benedict has to get them tested if she wants all of them to come.

She chose to uninvite 12.

“It was very embarrassing and very upsetting to have to rescind my invitations to (the 12 guests),” said Ms Benedict, a 25-year-old financial consultant whose wedding is set to take place at Tamarind Hill restaurant on May 15.

“But I felt that it was the easier option, rather than have everyone take a swab test, which also adds additional costs,” said Ms Benedict, who was given a quote of S$50 per swab test.

With the authorities reintroducing more stringent measures in response to rising community Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, some couples here have decided to uninvite guests from their wedding to comply with the stricter pre-event testing rules that kicked in on May 8.

Other couples have chosen to go ahead with their weddings as planned, while a handful have raced against the clock to bring forward their weddings to get around the restrictions.

Earlier this week, the Government task force handling Singapore’s response to the pandemic announced that wedding receptions and marriage solemnisations may still proceed with up to 250 attendees in total, but those with more than 50 guests would need to arrange for swab tests for all attendees, including the wedding couple.

Previously, only wedding receptions with more than 100 guests required all attendees to be swabbed. For marriage solemnisations with more than 100 attendees, only the wedding couple needs to get tested, if unvaccinated.

Ms Claudia Marianne Benedict and her fiance, Mr Imran Shariff, were set to get hitched on May 15 and initially invited 62 guests. Photo: Claudia Marianne Benedict

Another bride caught in a similar situation was Ms Val L.

The 30-year-old healthcare worker, who declined to give her full name, will be getting married at Fullerton Hotel on May 30 — the last day when the new measures will be in effect — and had invited 82 guests.

But she was quoted around S$30 per swab test, so Ms Val decided whittling down her guest list was more prudent as the cost would set her back by almost S$2,500 for an already five-digit-sum wedding.

They considered postponing their wedding, but the couple is keen to start a family soon.

The decision to uninvite some guests comes with the perils of navigating interpersonal and familial relationships.

Ms Val’s parents advised her to uninvite her cousins and have the older generation of relatives present, while her fiance’s family decided to have one member of each relative’s family attend to represent their entire family.

“Even now, I still haven’t worded the best message to uninvite them,” she said.

SOME WENT AHEAD WITH WEDDING PLANS

Then there are couples like Mr Brandon Pang, 28, and his wife, Ms Vanetta Wong, 27, who brought forward their wedding reception to Friday once they heard the news.

They had initially planned to get hitched on Sunday.

“We were panicking because we could not possibly downsize the number of people that we invited to the wedding,” said Mr Pang, an executive financial consultant who had invited 100 guests to the reception.

The couple also felt that it would be logistically impossible to inform and get all their guests to do a pre-event test on Saturday at such short notice.

So they contacted all their guests and vendors to find out if they were available — from the photographers to the solemniser — and also scrambled to find out if the venue, Conrad Centennial Hotel, had an earlier slot available.

The last-minute effort by all parties pulled the wedding off successfully and only two guests could not make it for the Friday reception in the end, said Mr Pang.

“Everyone moved schedules and changed their appointments just to show us their support… Our bridesmaids told us that if we decided to shift the wedding, they would take leave from work just to make it happen,” he said.

Bride-to-be Hilary Tan, who will be getting married on May 15, decided to go ahead with her wedding plans and chose to absorb the cost of pre-event testing for her 100 guests.

When the new measures were announced, the 26-year-old public relations consultant was firm in wanting to carry forward with the wedding, but was concerned about the logistics of getting all her guests swabbed in time for the wedding.

Thankfully, though, the venue was able to allow pre-event testing on site. She was also able to get part of the cost for the swab tests subsidised at about S$20 per person.

SOME WEDDING VENUES OFFER TO ABSORB TESTING COSTS

Some hotels and restaurants told TODAY they are offering to cover some of the cost for pre-event testing for couples affected by the new regulations.

Ms Cinn Tan, chief sales and marketing officer at Pan Pacific Hotels Group, which operates five hotels here, said its hotel, Parkroyal on Beach Road, will absorb half of the pre-event testing cost for weddings held in May with 100 people.

Another hotel under the group, Parkroyal on Kitchener Road, has secured a “preferential rate” from home healthcare service Speedoc for couples who require pre-event testing.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group runs Pan Pacific Singapore, Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Parkroyal Collection Pickering, Parkroyal on Beach Road and Parkroyal on Kitchener Road.

A spokesperson for restaurant The Summer House, a popular wedding venue, will also absorb a portion of the cost for couples getting married in May.

Mr Garth Simmons, chief executive officer for Accor Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, said one of its hotels, Fairmont Singapore, will cover the cost of pre-event testing for any weddings impacted until May 30.

The group operates 27 hotels in Singapore, including Raffles Hotel Singapore, Sofitel and Novotel.

The hotel operators and restaurants said they have received requests from couples to either cancel, postpone or reduce the number of attendees since the news broke earlier this week.

The Summer House spokesperson said about 40 per cent of wedding couples have requested to postpone their weddings.

Of the remaining couples who have chosen to go ahead with their receptions in May, half have chosen to scale down their guest lists, while the other half have chosen to arrange for pre-event testing for their guests.

Mr Simmons said only a few couples have chosen to reduce the capacity of their receptions, while 30 per cent of couples have asked to cancel or postpone. Some are still deliberating on their decision.

SOME GUESTS HAPPY TO ABSORB TESTING COSTS

Compliance executive Cindy Wong, 30, will be attending a friend’s wedding on May 16 at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and is prepared to pay for the swab.

“Earlier this week, the bride sent us all a video by the hotel on the swabbing procedure… She asked if we are okay with it and if we are still coming. We assured her that we are,” said Ms Wong.

Mr Matthew Ang was set to attend his uncle’s wedding on May 17, but has since been uninvited because of the new rules.

The 20-year-old, who works part-time at Baker & Cook, said the couple chose to prioritise “important and senior members of the family” when deciding who to remove from the guest list.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Singaporeans turned away from hospitals and treatment delayed because hospitals need to reserve beds for covid-19 cases.

Hospitals reduce non-urgent surgery to prepare for surge in Covid-19 cases in S'pore

Most hospitals are reducing non-urgent surgery.ST PHOTO: MOHD KHALID BABA

Joyce Teo


MAY 5, 2021

SINGAPORE - Most hospitals are reducing non-urgent surgery as they ramp up capacity to prepare for a rise in Covid-19 cases but life-saving treatment for afflictions like cancer or stroke will not be affected.
All hospitals were asked on Monday (May 3) to defer non-urgent surgery and appointments at specialist outpatient clinics until further notice.
The authorities are on the alert as worrisome new variants of Covid-19 are spreading fast in the community.
The number of new community cases had risen to 64 in the past week, from 11 the week before, noted the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday.
It added that 10 cases of the variants spreading in India have been identified here; half are part of Singapore's largest active cluster at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). TTSH has ceased taking in new patients as it focuses on containing the spread and caring for existing patients.
Professor Terrance Chua, the group chairman of SingHealth's medical board, said its institutions will be temporarily deferring non-urgent surgery, admissions and specialist outpatient clinic appointments until further notice.

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Changi General Hospital are among the hospitals under SingHealth.
"The rescheduling of procedures and appointments will only be done for non-urgent cases which our clinical teams have reviewed to be safe for a temporary deferment," said Prof Chua.
He said patients will be contacted, adding: "We are also working closely with them to arrange teleconsultations and alternative care arrangements where suitable."
Professor Fong Kok Yong, co-chair of the SingHealth Disease Outbreak Taskforce, said hospitals are prepared to increase capacity as necessary: "Besides our existing isolation facilities and the possibility of converting existing wards, we also have dedicated facilities that can support the care of Covid-19 patients."

SGH has 50 isolation units at Ward @ Bowyer that opened last July, while its Bright Vision community hospital continues to receive clinically stable Covid-19 patients who require inpatient care, he said.
There's a sense of deja vu at the hospitals, which started to defer non-urgent or elective procedures some time in February last year before gradually resuming around the end of the April-June circuit breaker period.
The hospitals will assess which non-urgent appointments to defer. While it's not clear which ones will be deferred, they could include complex, open surgery such as those for the prostate or spine, or total knee replacement done for elderly patients, who may require a few days in hospital.
Some private hospitals are also helping with Singapore's Covid-19 fight.
Dr Noel Yeo, chief operating officer of IHH Healthcare Singapore, said it is managing its surgical and admission loads in consultation with doctors "so as to avail capacity, resources and manpower to support our colleagues in the public sector". It has committed up to 70 beds in three hospitals for Covid-19 patients.
Raffles Hospital, too, is involved.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told a briefing on Tuesday that MOH is preparing the healthcare system for any potential rise in community cases and new clusters as it continues to test and contain the TTSH cluster. He said: "We hope it will not happen, but we must be prepared for it."
There are 131 Covid-19 patients in hospitals around the city, including two in intensive care.

 

[Leongsam]

All the measures are pathetic and futile and will not change the course of the infection.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Responsible businesses like gyms and fitness studios are innocent victims even though they have been practising safe management and no covid-19 cases have arose from gyms.

Gym and fitness studio closures needed to 'eliminate risk' of Covid-19 clusters forming, say experts

In March last year, two gyms in Singapore were visited by Covid cases.PHOTO: ST FILE
Deepanraj Ganesan


MAY 5, 2021

SINGAPORE - Medical experts said that the decision to close indoor gyms and fitness studios is timely after stricter measures were announced to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the wider community on Tuesday (May 4).
Such fitness facilities will be closed and mass participation events will be suspended from May 8 to May 30 to minimise the potential for large Covid-19 cluster formations, said the multi-ministry task force (MTF) tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist from the Rophi Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, said that the closed setting of gyms and fitness studios presents a higher risk of virus transmission.
"We have seen more data that shows the risk of indoor transmission is much higher than outdoors. In our gyms and fitness studios, with the doors closed and people in close proximity, the risk is definitely very high," said Dr Leong.
"There is also the huffing and puffing that take place (when people exercise), which raises the possibilities of transmission in a closed space."
Dr Asok Kurup, who chairs the Academy of Medicine's Chapter of Infectious Disease Physicians agreed, calling gyms and fitness studios a "perfect recipe for disaster".

He said: "Given the background of the latest situation, where we are dealing with a more transmittable strain and a high viral load, we have a situation where it could be a perfect recipe for disaster...
"We already have several open clusters. That is enough of a reason."
Dr Kurup added that he understood the frustrations of some about the closures but urged the community to see it as a measure that will "benefit everyone in the long term".
He said: "The rise (in community cases) is telling and I think the measure is beyond precautionary. It is to eliminate the risk factor and we have to protect ourselves now."
In March last year, two gyms in Singapore were visited by Covid-19 cases.
Both the Safra Punggol gym, which had one individual, who was later identified as Case 138, and the Tanjong Pagar branch of Virgin Active Singapore, which had two unlinked cases in the same week, were closed for cleaning and disinfection.
Neither incident resulted in a cluster forming but a coronavirus outbreak at a Hong Kong gym less than two months ago is a cautionary tale.
The outbreak spread to international schools and other fitness centres, while positive cases also appeared in the banking community just as the city was emerging from a prolonged round of social restrictions and venue closures.
The flare-up was linked to a 27-year-old trainer from Ursus Fitness, a gym in Hong Kong Island's Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood, popular with expatriates. According to a Bloomberg report, the gym had said that five of its staff, as well as a client, also tested positive for Covid-19.

 

[bobby]

So many cuts here and there but Ah Nehs coming into SG got cut ?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Patriotic Singaporeans get into trouble for enforcing mask-wearing against non-complying foreign talents.

Quotes:
Madam Nita, who is an Indian Singaporean, was walking from Choa Chu Kang MRT station towards the stadium at about 8.30am on Friday when the alleged assault took place.
"He shouted at me to put my mask above my nose. I patiently told him that I was exercising which is why I had the mask below my nose," she said.

Questions:
Is walking considered exercise?
Is the train station an exercise area? Exercising starts only when one is in the stadium.
Masks need not be worn only for strenuous exercises. Is walking strenuous?

Police investigating man who allegedly used racial slur, kicked 55-year-old woman

Malavika Menon

May 10, 2021

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating a case of a man who allegedly kicked a 55-year-old woman on her chest and shouted a racial slur at her for not wearing her mask while brisk walking.
The woman, private tutor Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai, was brisk walking on Friday (May 17) when she had a run-in with the man.
Madam Nita, who is an Indian Singaporean, was walking from Choa Chu Kang MRT station towards the stadium at about 8.30am on Friday when the alleged assault took place.
The mother of two adult children said she lowered her mask below her nose to prevent breathlessness as she was walking fast, dressed in a sleeveless top and track pants.
She turned around when she suddenly heard a man, whom she described as wearing a light-coloured T-shirt with dark shorts and sports shoes, shouting at her from behind. He was accompanied by a woman.
"He shouted at me to put my mask above my nose. I patiently told him that I was exercising which is why I had the mask below my nose," she said.

The man, believed to be in his late 20s, once again shouted at her to put her mask up, even though it was clear she had worked up a sweat from her walk. She tried to explain again that she was exercising.
"He then started to abuse me and even used a racial slur, I was absolutely shocked. I do not like confrontation and I wanted to avoid an argument with him, so I said 'God bless you' and decided to walk away," she added.
Madam Nita said this further frustrated the man, who was several metres away from her. He ran towards her and landed what she described as a "flying kick".
"It was a very forceful kick which caused me to fall to the ground. I kept saying 'he kicked me, he kicked me'. I was in complete disbelief," said Madam Nita, who is about 1.6m tall and weighs 60kg.

She sustained scratches on her arms and hands from the fall.
The woman with the man did not intervene during the incident and the couple ran away after she fell to the ground, Madam Nita added.
A bystander who had witnessed the incident from a nearby bus stop rushed to her aid, helping her get up and offering plasters to stem the bleeding from the scratches.
"I know I should have taken down the kind woman's number but in that moment all I could do was escape from the situation. I was in a state of shock and I did not know how to react. I could not even get a photograph of my attacker," Madam Nita said.
After narrating the incident to her husband and two children, aged 26 and 27, Madam Nita filed a police report regarding the incident on Friday night. On Monday, she said she would be going to a polyclinic after work to have her injuries checked by a doctor.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police confirmed a report has been filed regarding the incident and they are investigating the case.
ST understands the man is being investigated for voluntarily causing hurt and harassment.
According to current regulations, individuals can remove their mask when engaging in strenuous exercise but must put the mask back on once this is completed.
Sport Singapore defines "strenuous exercise" as running, jogging, cycling, static exercises and drills for warm-ups, brisk walking and walking on hilly terrain like Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Madam Nita said the incident has left her afraid of taking the route, which she has frequented for more than a year now.
"I made up my mind to walk only on the opposite side of the street, even though it does not have a rain shelter. I could not understand why the man would act so violently towards me," she said.
A similar incident reportedly took place at Pasir Ris on May 2, when a man was caught on camera shouting at a family of Indian expatriates and accusing them of spreading Covid-19.
The online video shows that the man, believed to be Singaporean, used derogatory terms against the family of four and asked them to "go back" and said they were "spreading the virus here".
ST has contacted the police for more information about that incident.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Patriotic Singaporeans get into trouble for enforcing mask-wearing against non-complying foreign talents - 2

 

[Leongsam]

These measures are pure comedy but with absolutely no effect on reality.

They remind me of this...

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Tension rise and tempers flare in the community because of the perceived incorrect enforcement of safe distancing.
Safe distancing ambassadors get abused.

Police investigating verbal abuse of safe distancing ambassador at Lau Pa Sat

The incident involved a group of people who were told by the officer that they could not gather in a group of more than five.PHOTOS: MAX MAMBA/FACEBOOK

Jean Iau

May 10, 2021

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating a case of verbal abuse of a public servant performing his duties as a safe distancing enforcement officer following a late night altercation at Lau Pa Sat.
A video that went viral on Sunday (May 9) showed two men gesturing and hurling vulgarities at the officer outside a restaurant at 18 Raffles Quay.
Police said no one was injured during the dispute, which they were alerted to at 10.16pm on Saturday.
The incident involved a group of people who were told by the officer that they could not gather in a group of more than five.
Stricter rules limiting gatherings to five, compared with eight previously, kicked in on Saturday, following a spike in community cases here. The new rule is in place until May 30.
A three-minute long video of the incident was uploaded on Facebook group "COMPLAINT SINGAPORE" on Sunday and showed the enforcement officer explaining that they cannot "accept more than five people".

He could be seen asking the group to listen to him as he explained social distancing rules, but a member of the group shouted: "Who are you to ask me to listen to you?"
Members of the group could be heard saying that they were seated at two tables.
"You don't make sense at all," another man told the officer.
The officer is later seen backing off and standing with at least three other social distancing ambassadors, while members of the group continued to gesture at him up-close.
Last June, a man was arrested after he was allegedly violent towards two safe distancing ambassadors at Compass One shopping mall.
The ambassadors were advising a group of food delivery riders to observe safe distancing measures when the man, who was not part of the group, allegedly confronted one of the safe distancing ambassadors and pushed him.
In April last year, a man was charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging her duty, after he allegedly hit a safe distancing ambassador's hand when he was advised not to loiter.

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

This table sums it all up... 7 out of 13 came from India

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Singaporeans who stay away from perceived high-risk people are being prudent and sensible but get criticised for being racist or discriminatory!

Forum: Understandable why some shunning those at higher risk of Covid-19 infection

May 10, 2021

It is laudable of people to urge others to respect and not discriminate against those who are at higher risk of being infected with Covid-19 (Healthcare workers deserve respect; and Cases of discrimination against TTSH staff: PM, both May 8).
But I can understand why people are thinking of shunning people or places with higher chances of getting Covid-19.
Covid-19 is a deadly disease so it is understandable that people are fearful. Once you get it, you are fighting for your life. Even if you are lucky enough to survive, you may face lingering health issues, especially for persons with chronic sickness.
Those who are vaccinated may also not be 100 per cent protected from getting the disease.
Keeping away from those persons with a higher exposure to the virus or places likely to be frequented by these people is just another safety measure.
It is similar to safe management measures such as maintaining good hygiene, masking, safe distancing and staying at home.

I see this as another way to reduce the risk of being infected.
So those who shun people with a higher exposure to the virus should not be seen as not giving respect to, or discriminating against, these people, who include healthcare workers.
It is right for the authorities to take the appropriate steps to support these people who are at higher risk of infection.
But at the same time they should reconsider taking action to penalise people who want to take their own precautionary measures to protect themselves from getting infected.
Ng Choon Lai

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Singaporeans are shunning Singaporeans at TTS Hospital.
Businesses at TTS Hospital and taxi drivers suffer drop in income.

Forum: Protect service providers who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients

May 10, 2021


I refer to the plea by Ministry of Health director of medical services Kenneth Mak not to shun healthcare workers and staff from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) (Show support for TTSH workers: Mak, May 5).
Yes, it looks like the public has been shunning TTSH workers since the Covid-19 outbreak there. According to friends who work at TTSH, it is now difficult for TTSH staff to book a taxi, as very few taxi drivers are willing to pick up passengers from the hospital.
The fear of these taxi drivers, though unfair and unwarranted, is understandable. If the passenger turns out to be a Covid-19 patient, the cab driver would be identified as someone who had been in close contact with the patient for a relatively prolonged period of time.
The taxi driver may subsequently be served a quarantine order.
As taxi drivers are considered self-employed people, being quarantined would mean losing income for 14 days. That would be a great financial loss for them.
There should be policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

As long as both passengers and taxi drivers practise safe management measures, like wearing a surgical mask throughout the ride, drivers should be assured that they will not be issued a quarantine order.
Similar policies should also be formulated for staff in restaurants, retail shops and so on.
Urging the public not to shun TTSH healthcare workers is a good move. But the authorities can do more by issuing concrete policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

Desmond Wai (Dr)

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

National reserves drawn down to do mass swabbing.
Inconvenience, anxiety, tax on resources.

Swabbing exercise under way at Victoria JC after student tests positive for Covid-19
1 of 2

Students entering the Victoria Junior College campus, where a Covid-19 testing exercise is under way. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Adeline Tan


MAY 9, 2021


SINGAPORE - A Covid-19 testing exercise is under way at Victoria Junior College, with a steady stream of students seen entering the school on Sunday (May 9) morning for their swabs.
Dressed in their school uniforms, students entered the school through the main entrance and left via a side gate after they had their swabs taken.
This comes as a 18-year-old student tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday. She was last in school last Wednesday, and fell sick later in the day. She consulted a doctor the next day. Her case is current unlinked.
To curb the risk of transmission, 95 students and eight staff who had been in close contact with the student were placed under quarantine order, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Saturday.
There were no queues or crowds outside the school when The Straits Times was there from about 11am to 12.30pm, although a few students were seen waiting outside for their friends.
A row of cars was also parked outside, most of them parents waiting for their children to finish the swab tests.



Students said the swabbing exercise was done in the school hall and the process was smooth and fuss-free, with no waiting time.
Some told ST that the news of their schoolmate contracting Covid-19 came as a surprise to them, and some were a little worried in light of the spike in cases in the community.
A second-year student, who did not want to be named, said that the parents were informed about the case on Saturday afternoon before the news broke later that night.
The MOE said about 2,200 students, staff, vendors and visitors to the school are expected to be tested by Monday.
MOE said VJC will be conducting full home-based learning in the coming week, pending the results of the swab tests.
The second-year student said: "We were a little shocked but I think we should be safe if we kept to safe distancing measures. I think the precautions are a good thing so we will not interact much with each other."
ST has contacted MOE for more information.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Resources used up: time, money, effort.

1,500 people at Edgefield Secondary test negative for Covid-19; in-person lessons resume next week

Edgefield Secondary School students arriving for swab tests in Punggol on May 2, 2021.PHOTO: ST FILE

Ng Wei Kai

MAY 7, 2021

SINGAPORE - Edgefield Secondary School will return to in-person lessons on Monday (May 10) after about 1,500 students, staff and external vendors of the school in Punggol tested negative for Covid-19.
A 15-year-old student had tested positive for the virus on April 30. As a result, the school shifted to full home-based learning this week.
Those tested in the exercise included some who are serving quarantine orders, said the Ministry of Education on Friday.
The teenager had developed a sore throat on April 28 and lost her sense of smell the following day.
She reported sick while in school on April 29 and was tested for Covid-19 at a general practitioner clinic.
Her test result came back positive the next day and she was taken to the National University Hospital in an ambulance.



"The school will continue to monitor the well-being of all students and staff, as well as ensure the implementation of all necessary safe management measures," added MOE.
The ministry did not say if all students, staff and external vendors were tested. The Straits Times understands swabs were taken from all who were identified as requiring a Covid-19 test.
On May 2, dozens of students, teachers and staff were seen queueing up in the school at around 1pm.
They arrived at staggered times and were seen observing safe distancing measures while waiting their turn to get tested. Personnel in full personal protective equipment were also seen at the school.

 

[zhihau]

Altogether now!!! Sian ah!!!

 

[laksaboy]

I ask again: where does incompetence end and treason begin?

Are people going to let it slide just because LKY's blood flows through his veins?

 

[birdie69]

Singaporeans are shunning Singaporeans at TTS Hospital.
Businesses at TTS Hospital and taxi drivers suffer drop in income.

Forum: Protect service providers who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients

May 10, 2021


I refer to the plea by Ministry of Health director of medical services Kenneth Mak not to shun healthcare workers and staff from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) (Show support for TTSH workers: Mak, May 5).
Yes, it looks like the public has been shunning TTSH workers since the Covid-19 outbreak there. According to friends who work at TTSH, it is now difficult for TTSH staff to book a taxi, as very few taxi drivers are willing to pick up passengers from the hospital.
The fear of these taxi drivers, though unfair and unwarranted, is understandable. If the passenger turns out to be a Covid-19 patient, the cab driver would be identified as someone who had been in close contact with the patient for a relatively prolonged period of time.
The taxi driver may subsequently be served a quarantine order.
As taxi drivers are considered self-employed people, being quarantined would mean losing income for 14 days. That would be a great financial loss for them.
There should be policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

As long as both passengers and taxi drivers practise safe management measures, like wearing a surgical mask throughout the ride, drivers should be assured that they will not be issued a quarantine order.
Similar policies should also be formulated for staff in restaurants, retail shops and so on.
Urging the public not to shun TTSH healthcare workers is a good move. But the authorities can do more by issuing concrete policies to protect those who come in contact with potential Covid-19 patients.

Desmond Wai (Dr)

I am worried that these hatred incidents just a tip of the iceberg. Many Singaporeans hate CECA Indians but not shown yet.