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

[Leongsam]

Oh dear, what are the wicked pappies plotting now?

All this fuss over a minor infection that is no worse than the flu.

 

[rushifa666]

Lazy labs still cannot run 24hrs. They dont get what crisis is

 

[capamerica]

All this fuss over a minor infection that is no worse than the flu.

Wrong. Again. Call it 0 for 295 tries, all failed

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org...-one-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s-in-early-2021/

COVID-19 is the Number One Cause of Death in the U.S. in Early 2021​

By Cynthia Cox Twitter and Krutika Amin Twitter KFF
Briefs

Health & Wellbeing
Posted: February 22, 2021

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In 2020, COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by cancer and heart disease. However, that ranking includes months in early 2020 when the pandemic had not fully taken hold in the U.S. The death toll from COVID-19 has risen sharply, particularly since the November and December holidays.
Looking at the most recent data on deaths from COVID-19 and other causes, it becomes clear that COVID-19 is currently the number one cause of death in the United States. As of February 20, 2021, an average of more than 2,400 people per day died of COVID-19 in the U.S. during February 2021. That number is staggering compared to other leading causes of death and is nearly 20% higher than the next leading cause. Heart disease, which is typically the number one cause of death in the U.S. each year, leads to the death of about 2,000 Americans per day, and cancer claims about 1,600 American lives per day. The cumulative count of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. is 497,648 through February 20, 2021, and is expected to exceed 500,000 in the next few days.
The chart above combines data on COVID-19 mortality rates from KFF’s tracker with data from Center for Disease Control (CDC) on weekly counts of death by jurisdiction and cause of death. COVID-19 deaths in the chart represent the average daily deaths thus far in February 2021 (as of February 20, 2021). Deaths from other causes represent the weighted daily mortality rate averaged over MMWR weeks 1-52 during the year 2020. This CDC dataset does not include deaths due to accidents (which, before the pandemic, were typically the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer), nor does it include suicides (which were typically the tenth leading cause of death before the pandemic). To avoid double-counting, the dataset excludes deaths confirmed to have an underlying cause of COVID-19. The chart could, however, understate the severity of COVID-19 because some of those deaths may have been misclassified as other causes. There were many more deaths in 2020 than expected, and confirmed COVID-19 cases only accounted for about two in three excess deaths.
The current wave of COVID-19 has been described as more of a tsunami. The 3,076 COVID-19 deaths per day in January 2021 represent a 29% increase over December. December 2020 may have been the first month in which the COVID-19 mortality rate exceeded that of heart disease, though the margin is narrow and that data may still be preliminary due to reporting delays. In January 2021, the number of deaths from COVID-19 increased so rapidly that it has clearly become the number one cause of death in the U.S. These data are just one more way of illustrating the urgency of expediting COVID-19 vaccination. President Biden has developed a plan to increase vaccine supply, including through use of the Defense Production Act and by purchasing additional doses. In the meantime, other public health measures are crucial to reduce transmission. The number of new COVID-19 cases appears to have taken a turn for the better in the latter half of January, which could lead to declines in the number of new deaths several weeks from now. However, it is difficult to know what the future holds, particularly with the potential spread of new variants.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

New Covid-19 cluster of 13 cases at Block 506 in Hougang Avenue 8​

The new cluster at Hougang Avenue 8 includes a subcluster of four cases linked to a 67-year-old retiree.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Ang Qing

Jun 3, 2021

SINGAPORE - A new Covid-19 cluster of 13 cases at Block 506 in Hougang Avenue 8 has been announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (June 3).
Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis conducted by the National Public Health Laboratory revealed links among previous cases to the cluster, said MOH.
This included a 58-year-old homemaker who was among the 35 cases in the community reported on Thursday.
The homemaker had received her first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on May 18.
The new cluster at Hougang Avenue 8 includes a subcluster of four cases linked to a 67-year-old retiree who was confirmed to have the virus on May 26.
The cluster was first detected when a 57-year-old unemployed woman who stays at the Hougang block was confirmed to have the virus on May 15.

The sole unlinked case in the community is a 41-year-old coating inspector at SBM Keppel Tuas.
He had previously travelled to India last July and returned to Singapore on April 20.
Twenty-two of Thursday's community cases are from the MINDSville @ Napiri cluster, which was first detected when a 37-year-old female resident tested positive for the virus on Monday.
The 19 residents and three nursing aides had already been quarantined prior to their positive test results. The staff and 17 residents have vaccinated.
They take the total number of people linked to the cluster to 27.
Of the new community cases, 28 had already been placed on quarantine.
There were also 10 imported cases who had been placed on stay-home notice on arrival in Singapore.
With 45 new cases, Singapore has a total tally of 62,145 cases.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Hougang is hong kan-ed.

Residents and shop staff of 8 Hougang HDB blocks to go for Covid-19 tests​

This comes after a new cluster was linked to Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Choo Yun Ting

Jun 4, 2021

SINGAPORE - Residents, visitors and staff at eight Housing Board blocks in Hougang will undergo Covid-19 swab tests after new cases of infection were reported in neighbouring blocks.
The tests will be mandatory for residents and visitors of Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8, as well as shop staff in neighbouring blocks, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (June 3).
The neighbouring blocks are Block 511 Hougang Avenue 10; Blocks 681, 683 and 684 Hougang Avenue 8; Block 682 Hougang Avenue 4; and Blocks 685 and 698 Hougang Street 61.
This comes after a new cluster was linked to Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8. A 58-year-old Singaporean woman, who is a housewife and resides there, was among the 35 new cases in the community reported on Thursday. A total of 13 cases have been linked to the cluster.
Last month, residents in Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8 underwent testing after several people living in the 12-storey block tested positive for Covid-19.
Several amenities, such as supermarket outlets, fast-food restaurants, food stalls and retail shops, are located in the neighbouring blocks, four of which are part of the Hougang Village neighbourhood centre.


The swab tests will be conducted at Block 507 Hougang Avenue 8 on Friday and Saturday, between 9am and 4pm.
MOH said that the mandatory testing is to detect cases who were still incubating the virus in the first round of testing and to prevent spread in the community.
In the event that a positive case is detected, the ministry will isolate the case, identify all close contacts, test and quarantine them to protect the community from further transmission, it said.

The ministry will also be conducting voluntary testing for those who were at neighbouring blocks to prevent further spread and detect asymptomatic cases. Residents and visitors who were at the blocks between May 19 and June 3 are encouraged to undergo testing.
Leaflets and text notifications will be sent to inform residents to provide them with more information.
Mr Darryl David, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, which six of the neighbouring blocks are under, said that he would be going around to the shops in Hougang Village on Friday to encourage tenants and shop staff to get tested for Covid-19. Grassroots leaders and the chairman of the Hougang Village Merchants' Association will also be doing so, and keep to safe distancing measures, he added.
Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam, who is vice-chairman of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, told The Straits Times: "I understand that it might be a bit of a hassle, especially for Block 506 residents, who just got swabbed less than two weeks ago. However, I'm sure residents understand that this is to ensure their health and that of the community." He added that residents can contact him if they have any concerns.
The latest round of swab tests comes after mandatory testing for residents living in Blocks 501 and 507 Hougang Avenue 8 began on Tuesday, after Covid-19 viral fragments were detected in wastewater samples collected from the blocks.
MOH said the tests have been completed, and that as at Thursday, 680 individuals have tested negative, while one person tested positive.
Investigations are ongoing to determine links and the transmission source.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Visits to elderly residential care homes in S'pore suspended from June 5 to 20​

MOH says this is to “reduce the risk of importing Covid-19 into such settings, and the risk of cross-transmission”.PHOTO: ST FILE

Ang Qing

Jun 4, 2021

SINGAPORE - Visitors will not be allowed at residential care homes serving the elderly from Saturday (June 5) to June 20, in view of recent Covid-19 community cases.
The Ministry of Health on Friday said the temporary ban is to "reduce the risk of importing Covid-19 into such settings, and the risk of cross-transmission".
"We will work with the homes on strengthening precautionary measures... to assist homes in resuming physical visitations safely," it added.
This includes reviewing visitor management and testing policies at the nursing homes, welfare homes, sheltered homes and adult disability homes.
The latest restriction follows the discovery of a Covid-19 cluster at the MINDSville @ Napiri home. As at Thursday noon, the facility in Hougang for adults with intellectual disabilities has 27 cases.
Visits to homes serving the elderly resumed last year on June 19, after being suspended for almost three months. That suspension came after a cluster of Covid-19 infections emerged at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home in Thomson, followed by another cluster of 15 cases in Acacia Home - a welfare home in Admiralty for the destitute.


During the circuit-breaker, all residents and staff at homes caring for the elderly underwent mass testing to detect infections early and ring-fence clusters.
Even as community cases surged at the end of April this year, visits had continued under tightened restrictions. Some nursing homes took the extra step of barring visitors who had recently been to Tan Tock Seng Hospital - Singapore's first Covid-19 hospital cluster.
Nursing homes that did not have suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases capped the total number of visitors each day.
Each resident could pre-register up to four designated visitors but no more than two could turn up at one time.
In addition, nursing homes with more than 100 beds implemented split zones while ensuring staff and residents did not mix across such zones.

 

[mojito]

Singapore can not close it self to the world. Why oppies want to shut our country from the rest of the world?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Formula One: Singapore F1 Grand Prix cancelled for second year in a row over Covid-19​

Singapore's current deal with F1 owners Liberty Media was supposed to end after this year's race.PHOTO: ST FILE

Kimberly Kwek

JUN 4, 2021, 11:51 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix has been cancelled for the second year running, announced race organiser Singapore GP, "due to ongoing safety and logistic concerns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic".
It noted that the "evolving and unpredictable pandemic situation around the world" had made it "increasingly challenging to stage a complex multi-faceted event for tens of thousands of local and overseas spectators".
The event was slated to take place from Oct 1-3 and would have been the 16th race in the 2021 season's 23-stop series.
"To cancel the event for a second year is an incredibly difficult decision, but a necessary one in light of the prevailing restrictions for live events in Singapore," said Colin Syn, deputy chairman of Singapore GP, in a statement on Friday night (June 4).
"We would not be able to deliver a full event experience fans have come to expect over the years, while safeguarding the health and safety of our fans, contractors, volunteers and staff. Ultimately, we have to be responsible, cautious and prudent, as safety is our number one concern.
"We are grateful for the support of Singaporeans, stakeholders and local businesses who have helped contribute to the success of the night race. Needless to say, we look forward to the safe return of Formula 1 racing against the spectacular Marina Bay skyline."

Ong Ling Lee, director for sports at the Singapore Tourism Board, said: "As the first night street race, it is one of the most iconic races on the Formula 1 calendar. We are working closely with Singapore GP, Formula 1 and other government agencies to determine the future of the race."
Singapore is currently in a heightened state of alert following a spike in coronavirus cases since April. On May 16, the Government imposed stricter measures such as restricting social gatherings to groups of two, banning dining in eateries and making work from home the default. These will last till June 13.
There is also a 21-day quarantine period for most visitors from overseas.
Several key events such as the June 4-5 Shangri-La Dialogue and the World Economic Forum's special annual meeting in August have been postponed or cancelled.

Sports events have not been spared.
On May 27, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced that the Republic was withdrawing as host of two AFC Cup groups owing to the "erratic" Covid-19 situation in the region.
Mixed martial arts promotion One Championship postponed its May 28 Empower event at the Indoor Stadium, while the June 1-6 Singapore Badminton Open, the final qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics, was canned.

Monaco Formula One driver Charles Leclerc of Scuderia Ferrari leading the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix race on Sept 22, 2019. PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Last year, Singapore GP called the race off, citing reasons such as prohibitions imposed on access and construction of the 5.063km Marina Bay Street Circuit during the two-month circuit breaker, as well as restrictions on mass gatherings.
The event has been a highlight of the country's tourism calendar since it was first staged in 2008. In 2019, some 268,000 spectators flocked to the Marina Bay Street Circuit over three days, not just for the race action but also to catch the star-studded musical acts which have become a staple of the event.
The race weekend contributes about $130 million annually in tourism receipts, with overseas visitors accounting for 40 per cent of the crowd.

In 2019, some 268,000 spectators flocked to the Marina Bay Street Circuit over three days ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Singapore's current deal with F1 owners Liberty Media was supposed to end after this year's race, although it is uncertain how the cancellation of the race will affect the deal.
The Singapore race is the third grand prix to be called off this season following the June 13 Canadian GP and its replacement, the Turkish GP.
According to Canadian media, F1 officials had wanted to bypass the country's mandatory 14-day quarantine for the hundreds of staff, crew members and drivers and rely on private medical staff and have the entire operation run in a bubble. But Montreal public health authorities had concluded the risks were too high, even if the event had no spectators.
Istanbul was yanked off the calendar following a rise in Covid-19 cases there.
Singapore GP said that tickets for this year’s race had not been released for sale because of uncertainty over the event’s feasibility. It added that ticket holders who deferred their 2020 tickets to the 2021 race would be fully refunded and it would be contacting them directly.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Testing our patience...

Residents of Punggol HDB block to undergo Covid-19 tests after 8 cases detected​

Visitors who were at Block 325A Sumang Walk between May 10 and June 5 are also encouraged to undergo testing.PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Michelle Ng

Jun 7, 2021

SINGAPORE - Residents living in Block 325A Sumang Walk in Punggol will undergo mandatory Covid-19 tests after eight cases were found in three different households in the block.
In an update on Monday night (June 7), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it will be conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for all residents to prevent any possible spread in the community.
Testing will be conducted at the pavilion at Block 324 Sumang Walk on Tuesday and Wednesday (June 8 and 9) between 9am and 4pm.
Residents have been informed via leaflets and SMS notifications.
Visitors who were at the block between May 10 and June 5 are also encouraged to undergo testing.
The latest case at the Punggol block was a 13-year-old girl who is a student at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School, announced by the ministry on Sunday.


She developed anosmia - loss of one's sense of smell - on May 29 and did not seek medical treatment until last Friday, when she visited a general practitioner clinic and was tested for Covid-19. Her case is currently unlinked.
Earlier cases were from two separate households: one with four cases and another with three cases.
The infections in the household with four cases were confirmed on May 17 and 20, while those in the household with three cases were confirmed on May 21 and 22.
Investigations are ongoing to determine linkages and the source of transmission, said MOH.

In the event that a positive Covid-19 case is detected during the testing operation on Tuesday and Wednesday, MOH said it will isolate the case, identify all close contacts, test and quarantine them to protect the community from further transmission.
Those who are awaiting their PCR test results are advised to minimise social interactions as much as possible.
Residents are also advised to monitor their health closely and consult a doctor immediately if they feel unwell.

Testing will be conducted at the pavilion at Block 324 Sumang Walk on June 8 and 9 between 9am and 4pm. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

​

On Monday night, the ministry also updated that mandatory testing for the 1,413 residents living in Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8 and staff working in neighbouring blocks have been concluded, with no Covid-19 cases reported.
Another group of more than 3,500 people who live in or work at the blocks near Block 506, or who had visited people there, have tested negative for Covid-19.
A total of 3,778 people have voluntarily stepped forward for testing, of whom 3,531 people were found to be negative, with 247 test results pending.
The neighbouring blocks comprise Block 511 Hougang Avenue 10; Blocks 681, 683 and 684 Hougang Avenue 8; Block 682 Hougang Avenue 4; and Blocks 685 and 698 Hougang Street 61.
Compulsory swabbing for this group began last Friday after 13 cases were linked to a cluster at Block 506.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Bukit Merah food centre cluster grows to 56.

Covid-19 testing for visitors to Redhill, Tiong Bahru shops; Bukit Merah View food centre cluster grows to 56​

Special testing operations for staff and tenants who work in parts of Redhill and Tiong Bahru will be conducted.
Tay Hong Yi

JUN 17, 2021, 10:36 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - Special testing operations for staff and tenants who work in parts of Redhill and Tiong Bahru will be conducted from Friday (June 18), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (June 17) night.
The testing operation comes as more cases were confirmed in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood on Thursday, including one that was unlinked.
The swabbing operation is therefore meant to detect and curb any community transmission, said MOH.
"MOH is investigating cases of Covid-19 infection among individuals who work in or visited 78, 79, 80, 84 and 85 Redhill Lane, 86 Redhill Close, 18 Jalan Membina and Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu Coffeeshop (56 Eng Hoon Street).
"In order to disrupt any wider, undetected community transmission, we will conduct special testing operations for all staff and tenants who have been working at these premises, " said the ministry.
There were 17 more people added to the Bukit Merah View food centre cluster on Thursday night (June 17), most of whom work at the food centre or are their family members, said the ministry.

Linked cases in the cluster include a 73-year-old female Singaporean who works as a stall assistant at Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu (56 Eng Hoon Street).
She is a family member and household contact of a cleaner who tested positive on Sunday, and the workplace contact of another stall assistant who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.
She was quarantined and tested on Monday. On the same day, her test result came back positive for Covid-19 infection. Her serology test result is pending.
She had received her first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on March 6, and the second dose on March 27.

Another case linked to the cluster is a 23-year-old female Singaporean who works as a patient service associate at Singapore General Hospital.
She was tested for Covid-19 on Tuesday as part of the hospital’s surveillance testing for staff. Her test result came back positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. On the same day, she developed a sore throat and blocked nose.
She received her first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on Feb 1 and the second dose on Feb 24. Her serology test result is pending.
Two of her family members, a 62-year-old homemaker and a 10-year-old student also tested positive on Wednesday.

​

The new cases bring the total number of cases in the Bukit Merah View cluster to 56. This makes it the largest open cluster to be declared since the MINDSville @ Napiri cluster on June 2, which currently has 33 cases.
The 17 new cases in the cluster formed the bulk of the 19 linked cases that were announced by MOH on Thursday.

The 19 linked cases consist of 14 cases who have already been placed under quarantine and five that were detected through surveillance.
There is also one unlinked case and seven imported cases confirmed on Thursday, for a total of 27 new cases. The 27 confirmed cases as at Thursday take Singapore's total to 62,366, said MOH.
The unlinked case is a 72-year-old Singaporean woman who works as a counter employee at McDonald's at Tiong Bahru Plaza. She is asymptomatic, and was detected when she was tested as part of surveillance testing of staff who work at the mall on Wednesday.
All seven of the imported cases were already on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. Three are Singaporeans or permanent residents.

There were no new cases from migrant workers' dormitories.
The weekly total number of community cases is 93 in the past week, up from 40 in the previous week. The number of unlinked cases has also risen to 18 in the past week, compared with seven cases in the week before.

There are currently 41 active clusters of infection, down from 44 on Wednesday.
As at Thursday night, 151 patients remain hospitalised, including one in critical condition in the intensive care unit, while 221 are recuperating in community facilities.
Singapore has had 34 deaths from Covid-19 complications, while 15 who tested positive have died of other causes.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

What do you mean "could have"? Definitely!

Delta variant of Covid-19 could have contributed to spread at S'pore's wet markets: Experts​

T
The cluster at 115 Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre is linked to 56 cases, making it the third largest open cluster.
Lim Min Zhang, Clara Chong and Yeo Shu Hui

JUN 17, 2021

SINGAPORE - Wet markets can fit a large number of people in a compact space and people have continued to flock to them even during the recent period of heightened alert.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Covid-19 cases have surfaced there, said experts.
The increased number of cases recently might also be due to a variant of Covid-19 that spreads more easily, they added.
The cluster at 115 Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre is linked to 56 cases, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (June 17), making it the third-largest open cluster.
Precautions have also been taken at other wet markets after positive cases were found.
Stallholders at the nearby Redhill Market and Food Centre had to undergo mandatory Covid-19 tests earlier this week.



Testing was also conducted for people working at the Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre and Market, which has been closed for disinfection till Friday.
Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said some wet markets may be quite compact relative to the number of visitors, which would heighten the risk of spread, even with natural ventilation.
He said the recent wet market clusters have a mix of three types of cases: those who work in the market or at a stall, those who visit the market, and household contacts of a case connected to the market.
The household contacts were not really infected because of the market per se, even though they are epidemiologically linked to the market clusters, he said.

"So the risk of infection within a wet market isn't quite as high as it may appear from the size of these clusters," he added.
Professor Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia-Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, said the spread in open-air wet markets suggests that airborne transmission is indeed rare as most authorities agree - for all strains of the virus.
As for whether wet markets should be avoided, he said: "The key has to be vaccination. That is how every single viral disease from smallpox to measles to polio has been controlled."
A possible link has been established between the Bukit Merah and Telok Blangah markets.
MOH said on Monday that a Singaporean man, 42, who works as a hawker at the Telok Blangah food centre is a family member of another Singaporean man, 47, who works as a cooking assistant at the Bukit Merah market.

​

An infected person had also visited the Redhill Market and Food Centre from June 8 to 10, according to MOH data.
Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS' Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said it is highly likely that the cases at the Bukit Merah and Redhill markets are linked, given their proximity to each other.
He added that malls and supermarkets have been where outbreaks were detected recently.
"I do not see them as a new weak link, but rather as a consequence of Singapore having to deal with a much more infectious Delta variant that is driving these outbreaks."
Recent evidence from Britain has suggested that the Delta variant has a reproductive number of five to eight, which is much higher than the wild-type variant that the world saw early last year, with an R0 of two to three, he said.
The reproductive number, or R0, of a virus is a measure of its transmission, or the number of new infections generated by each case.
An R0 rate of 1, for example, means on average each infected person will infect one other person they come in contact with.
The MOH told The Straits Times earlier this month that as at the end of May, 550 Covid-19 cases in Singapore were infected with the Delta variant of the coronavirus first detected in India.
The number included 428 local cases, and 122 imported ones.

​

Prof Teo said the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant means there is a possibility of a large outbreak event happening whenever infected cases are moving about in the community.
"If these cases were going to work or going about their social activities, then I expect the venues that are associated with the large outbreaks will be linked to workplaces or public spaces for social activities.
"But precisely because the default continues to be working from home and social activities are kept to a minimum now, people are frequenting malls, supermarkets, and wet markets for necessities and food. This is why we are seeing outbreaks in such venues," he said.
Residents in Telok Blangah and Bukit Merah have expressed concern about the growing number of cases in the neighbourhood, as well as people who do not comply with safety rules.
Compliance officer Gideon Goh, 37, who lives in Bukit Merah, told The Straits Times that he had seen elderly people smoking or talking in groups in his neighbourhood, with masks that are not properly worn.
Mr Goh, who recently reported such behaviour via the OneService app, said: "While we can report such non-compliant behaviour, if you want to avoid conflict, there's not very much that you can do apart from avoiding these people."
He added: "I think it also takes a little bit more of a community effort. If there is a stronger sense of frowning upon certain behaviour by passers-by, then they know that they are in the minority and are more likely to follow the rules," he said.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Businesses in Hougang hit hard by recent cluster nearby​

MPs say sanitising of area and precautions taken make it safe to patronise shops there​

1 of 2

Ding Feng Wellness Zone Reflexology at Block 684 Hougang Ave 8 has seen a 70 per cent drop in footfall since Covid-19 cases were detected at the nearby Block 506, says Madam Goh Ai Kim, a massage therapist who works at the foot reflexology shop.

Hougang resident Goh Hway Beng, who lives in Block 507 Hougang Avenue 8, said he is not worried about the recent cases and testing operations in the area as he has been fully vaccinated.

Rei Kurohi and Gabrielle Ng

Jun 18, 2021

Since about a month ago, when Covid-19 cases were first detected at Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8, Madam Goh Ai Kim has seen a 70 per cent drop in footfall at the foot reflexology shop she works at in nearby Block 684.
"The Block 506 cluster has had a very big impact on our business. Virtually no one enters the shop from morning till evening, maybe because they are scared to go out," said the 74-year-old massage therapist in Mandarin.
"I feel very discouraged as I am paid by commission. I don't feel like working any more, but I have nowhere else to go. With so few customers, I just watch videos on my phone or nap to pass the time."
The 13 cases linked to the cluster at Block 506, as well as another three individuals linked to the Changi Airport cluster who also live in the block, triggered a series of intensive testing operations in Hougang over the past month.
Residents and visitors to Block 506 had to undergo mandatory testing on May 21 and 22, as did those at Blocks 501 and 507 from June 1 to June 3. Three people later tested positive, out of the 1,233 tested across the three blocks.
The Block 506 cluster has not seen any new cases since June 1.



In a mandatory second round of testing from June 4 to 6 for residents of Block 506 and shop staff at seven neighbouring blocks, all 1,413 tested negative.
Free testing was also offered to visitors of Block 506 as well as residents of and visitors to the seven other blocks from June 4 till yesterday, when the voluntary testing operation wrapped up. None of the 4,384 individuals who volunteered to be tested by June 10 were positive for Covid-19.
Like Madam Goh, many workers at shops in the neighbourhood felt the cluster and the testing operations had affected business.
Many said they had seen significant drops in traffic and in revenue - of up to 70 per cent - compared with before the cluster emerged.

A man in his 60s, who owns a shop in one of the blocks that had to undergo testing, said his revenue has fallen about 70 per cent compared with two months ago.
https://static.straitstimes.com.sg/...021/06/18/ST_20210618_RKHOUGANG18_6626947.pdf




https://static.straitstimes.com.sg/...021/06/18/ST_20210618_RKHOUGANG18_6626947.pdf

"Honestly, I've faced a lot of pressure in the last year. I've had to draw on my savings to pay rent every month. It's not fair for those of us who cannot get government aid like hawkers can," said the man, who did not want to be named.
He said he could not bear to close the shop that he had been running for more than 30 years.
A coffee shop supervisor who gave her name as Ah Gun said daily revenue had fallen to about $400 to $500 a day, compared with about $2,000 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Darryl David, the Ang Mo Kio GRC MP for the ward where some of the affected blocks are located, said the area is usually a bustling centre of activity. He said he was not surprised to hear that some of the confirmed cases from Block 506 in the neighbouring ward had gone over to the shops in Hougang Village, as the area is called.
"Hougang Village has a (FairPrice) supermarket, it's got a wet market, and there are six coffee shops there. It's a very well patronised area - not just by the residents of those blocks but also those from all the blocks nearby."
He added: "We've done the best we can to make sure that we sanitised this place as quickly as possible. Once people understand that there's no real major spread, hopefully, they will slowly come back with some confidence."
He said it is difficult to say how much of the recent impact on businesses was due to the heightened alert measures that began on May 16, including a ban on dining in.
Despite the fallout for businesses, some residents in the area told The Straits Times they understood the need for the testing operations and were not worried for themselves.
Mr Harish Mehra, 42, a resident of Block 688, was spotted playing ball games with his son and brother near his home. "We don't go to any other places. We just come down to play sports and buy food from the market," he said.
Several like Mr Goh Hway Beng, 71, also said they were not worried as they had been fully vaccinated.
Mr David said residents he spoke to while making the rounds and dropping off fliers about the voluntary testing operations were generally calm and understood that it was just a precaution being taken.
Meanwhile, Mr Gerald Giam, the Aljunied GRC MP for the ward where Block 506 and several other affected blocks are located, said life is more or less back to normal for most of his residents.
"Some told me that they are now taking greater care to prevent infections, which I think is one good thing that has come out of this difficult process," he said.
"Several also told me that they booked vaccination appointments after this episode, which I am very encouraged to hear because it will significantly reduce the spread and severity of infections."
Mr Giam said the swabbing operation had in fact made the neighbourhood more safe, not less.
"All infected individuals have been quarantined and are not mingling undetected in the community, so everyone should feel safe patronising these shops again, if they take the necessary precautions at all times."