Renri 人日 or Yan Yat 2020

CNY dish: 七样菜 Stir Fried 7 Vegetables

Every 7th day of Chinese New Year (also called ‘Ren Ri’ ; 人日), Ah-ma will tell me to go and buy 7 types of vegetables for her to cook 七样菜. 人日 is literally ‘human day’. According to Chinese legend, 女媧 created different animals on different days. Humans were created on the 7th day after she created the world, so Ren Ri is also known as everyone’s birthday. Don’t be surprised if a Chinese wishes you ‘Happy Birthday’ on this day!

Some markets will pre-pack the 7 assorted vegetables for you so you don’t end up with big bunches of everything. Ah-ma says there’s no hard and fast rule as to which vegetables go into the dish, but she insists on having Chinese leeks (大蒜), pronounced ‘da suan’, which sounds like calculating (money).She also always got some 春菜 (mustard greens) but it’s kinda hard to find. My 7 types of vegetables this year:

1. Chinese leeks (red leeks)
2. Spring onions
3. Chives
4. Celery
5. Cabbage
6. Puay Leng (Chinese spinach)
7. Xiao Bai Cai

You can add in some meat slices like lean pork, but I added bak gwa this year. Slice the bak gwa into strips and fry them together with the leeks, chives and celery in the beginning, so that the entire wok has the smokey fragrance of bak gwa. But watch the fire to prevent burning. I like them a bit charred though!

CNY dish: 七样菜 Stir Fried 7 Vegetables (budgetpantry.com)
Serves: 4-6 as part of a Chinese meal
What you need:

6 stalks Chinese leek
2 sprigs spring onion
4-5 stalks chives
4 stalks celery
8 leaves napa cabbage
Handful of Chinese spinach
3 bunches xiao bai cai
1.5 slice bak kwa, cut into strips
5 cloves sliced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 tablespoon mushroom seasoning

(note: above is agaration. you can simply use a handful of each type of vegetable)

Steps:
Chop the vegetables into 1-inch length thereabouts.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the garlic, leeks, chives, celery and bak kwa for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables on high heat.

Sprinkle in the mushroom seasoning, mix well and dish up. If you have some fried garlic, you can also sprinkle some on top before serving.

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Lo Hei 捞起 Yúshēng 魚生

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LO HEI & WHAT IT ACTUALLY REPRESENTS

The Chinese Lunar New Year is an annual festival where many traditions culminate from exchanging of oranges to the receiving of red packets and more. Still, as far as the Chinese New Year goes, the iconic yu sheng toss remains at the helm of all things festive. Yu Sheng, otherwise known as lo-hei or prosperity toss, is something that we’ve grown terribly fond of. A vibrant centrepiece dish comprising various elements, each boasting its own unique flavour and meaning behind it, the yu sheng is always the first order of business at any family gathering. Yet, as we find ourselves going through the motion of this tradition year in year out, how many of us millennials can actually say that we truly understand this practice and its significance? To a season dedicated to good fortune, family reunion and feasting, here is our guide on lo hei, what it is and what it represents.

Since its origins as a simple raw fish dish back in the 1930s, the recipe has undergone a series of transformations, and even until today, people are still finding innovative ways to present this dish. The dish was brought to Singapore in the late 19th century by the migration of Cantonese and Teochew migrants from China. “Lo Hei”, in Cantonese literally translates to “tossing up good fortune”, and it refers to the ritual adopted in Singapore that involves a group of people gathered around a massive plate, tossing its contents violently while saying out auspicious phrases before eating it—it is popularly believed that the higher the toss, the better your prospects and fortune in the year ahead.

At the very beginning, the salad itself consisted merely of raw fish slices, some vegetables and seasoning to taste. It was only much later on in 1964, where a quartet of chefs—known affectionately as the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’—reinvented the dish and served it at the then, newly opened Lai Wah restaurant. The new salad saw an improvement in texture, colour, and flavour. Key ingredients & what they represent:

• Carrots – Represents good luck.
• Green Radish – Represents eternal youth.
• White Radish – Represents good job opportunities in the coming year.
• Raw Fish – symbolises abundance and prosperity.
• Pomelo – Represents luck.
• Crushed Peanuts – Is a sign that your home will be filled with many valuable possessions.
• Sesame Seeds – Represent the hope that your business will flourish.
• Golden Crackers – Symbolises wealth.
• Plum Sauce – A key component that binds the salad together, it represents stronger ties among family and friends.
• Pepper & Cinnamon Powder – signify the wish for wealth
• Oil – Often drizzled onto the salad in a circular motion rather than poured over. This is to symbolise that money will come from all directions.

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Nián Nián Yǒu Yú 2024

Rabbitfish 白肚鱼 for Chinese New Year

Rabbitfish as a symbolic dish in Chinese New Year (CNY)

Rabbitfish is one of the must-buy food during Chinese New Year (CNY). The species commonly eaten is White-Spotted Rabbitfish. Its stomach region is usually bitter. CNY period coincides with their mating season, as a result, the fish taste great. Rabbitfish contains fish roe and milt (fish semen) during this time. Rabbitfish Milt tastes like soft tofu and with a tinge of seafood flavour. This is viewed as an abundance by the Chinese and will also buy it for its taste.

Fish is one of the most eaten food during the Chinese New Year (CNY). The word Fish (鱼yú) has the same pronunciation(余yú) as Chinese idiom 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú). Traditional Chinese idiom represents surplus all year round. It is one of the popular auspicious blessings during CNY festive season. Chinese choose Rabbitfish as one of the preferred fish even calling it “发财鱼” prosperous fish. Thus, it is common to buy Rabbitfish as a custom is to wish their loved ones prosperity and living in abundance during reunion dinner.  There will often be some leftover fish to symbolise surplus that matches the idiom. Most importantly, CNY reunion dinner is once a year, Chinese will definitely buy it during CNY.

White-Spotted Rabbitfish is also known as Spinefoots and they belong to the Siganidae family. Rabbitfish is a diurnal animal (active during the day). At night, it often hides in between rocks and corals. Younger rabbitfish form large schools, while the adults are usually seen in smaller schools. Some species can reach up to a length of 40 cm. White-spotted Rabbitfish is more commonly found up to 15cm. The rabbitfish elevated spines contain poison glands on its fins. These spines can be found on their fins. As Rabbitfish have venomous spines on their fins, you must act with caution when handling rabbitfish. Although not lethal, its sting can inflict great pain to people. While rabbitfish are not aggressive in nature, however, they do not hesitate to sting predators in self-defence. Rabbitfish is mainly herbivorous. Its diet is based mostly on algae. Some species of rabbitfish eat zooplankton, seaweed and corals.

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Chinese New Year Traditions

Chinese New Year Traditional Custom

Do you know what should we follow and the meaning of traditional customs and cultures for Chinese New Year celebration? Let’s us look at following tips, they help your celebration easier and have a Happy Chinese New Year:

• Spring Cleaning: All family members will clean-up the house together on the 28th day (of the last month) of the (old) year. Spring Cleaning symbolizes that sweeping all misfortune or bad luck away from the house. Plum blossom symbolizes lucky and representing people are resilient, even in a harsh environment.
• House Decoration: Red lanterns and red banners will be hung beside the door to keep in good luck and longevity.
• Reunion Dinner: In New Year Eve, the whole family members will gather together and have a sumptuous dinner. If a family member could not come for the dinner, his or her presence is usually symbolized by placing an empty seat at the banquet.
• Symbolic dishes: In the reunion dinner, some dishes are mostly being served as they hold a symbolic good meaning. For instance, prawn featuring smile always and fish featuring prosperity.
• Shou Sui (守岁): People stay awake all night for increase longevity of the elderly family members.
• Angpau: Angpau with lucky money or sweet inside were distributed to the young by elders. The red color of the angpau symbolizes good luck and also ward off evil spirits. 
• Ancestor Worshiping: Chinese believe that deceased family members have a continued existence and they will look after the family.
• New Cloth: New cloth especially in red colour will be worn during Chinese New Year as it symbolize a new start and monster Nian scared about this colour. Black and white is avoided during Chinese New Year because they represent mourning.
• New Year Visits (Bai Nian): Chinese travels back to their home town to meet their family and also to visit relatives and friends.
• Firecrackers: To scare away any traces of monster Nian, because it is afraid of noise.
• Lion Dances: The loud beats of the drum and cymbals together with the face of the lion dancing can evict bad or evil spirits. Lion dance are popular for visiting houses and shops to perform the traditional custom of "Cai Ching" (采青) as people believed it can brings prosperity to people.
• Sticky Cake (Nian Gao): To appeasing the appetite of the Kitchen God and also sticking his mouth to prevent him from speaking ill about the family. 
• Yu Sheng (鱼生): To achieve prosperity and vigor, normally having Yu Sheng on renri (day 7).
• Jade Emperor Ritual (Bai Tian Gong): The Hokkiens will have another family reunion dinner, and they pray to the Jade Emperor at midnight (day8). 
• Lantern Festival: Children will go out at night carrying lanterns which symbolic of hope and good luck. People will eat Tang Yuan (汤圆) as it considered to family reunion.

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Understanding What Blood Pressure Is

Here's the Easiest Way, Exactly

PeopleImages - Getty Images Why you should pee (and skip your morning coffee) before getting your blood pressure checked, and other ways to get the most accurate reading

You know that keeping your blood pressure in check makes for a strong heart—but you may not understand exactly what BP is or why it’s so important. Well, get this: 1 in 3 American adults have high blood pressure—and 20% of them don't even know they have it. Here, info and advice to make sure your ticker’s in tip-top shape.

So What Exactly Is Blood Pressure? While your blood is traveling from your heart to all the other parts of your body, it pushes against the walls of blood vessels—this force is called blood pressure. When you get it measured, the doctor or nurse rattles off two numbers:

• The top number is your systolic blood pressure, which represents the force against your artery walls as your heart contracts to pump out blood. This is when BP is at its highest.
• The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, which occurs between heartbeats while your heart is resting to gear up for the next pump. That’s your BP at its lowest.

What’s too high? Officially, 140/90—but any reading over 120/80 is considered risky and should be watched.

High blood pressure, or hyper-tension, can occur when plaque builds up in arteries, causing your blood to exert more force as it tries to squeeze through narrowed tubes. You may have heard high blood pressure called “the silent killer” because it doesn’t produce any symptoms; this is why it’s so important to get your BP checked regularly.

Chronic high blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease and, over time, can compromise the ability of blood to reach the brain, kidneys, eyes, and heart. It also puts excess strain on your heart (which has to work extra hard to push blood throughout your body) and arteries—a bulge (a.k.a. an aneurysm) may develop in weakened arteries, and if it ruptures, that may be deadly.

Low blood pressure isn’t harmful unless you experience dizziness, nausea, fainting, severe headaches, confusion, or light-headedness - if you do, see a doctor, as more serious conditions such as endocrine problems, nutrient deficiencies, or a medication issue may be at play.

Why Blood Pressure Changes? Our blood pressure does a little jig throughout the day—rise and dip, rise and dip—because it’s ruled by your circadian rhythm. It slowly rises a few hours before you wake up, peaks in the afternoon, and is at its lowest while you sleep. Your BP will also adjust based on your oxygen needs: If your body needs more oxygen, as when you’re exercising or digesting food, it’ll spike slightly.

How to Get the Right Reading? Blood pressure is temperamental—even a minor factor such as racing to your appointment can create an inaccurate reading, which can lead to over-treatment or under-treatment by your doc. Follow this advice to make sure you get the most accurate reading possible.

Slow down: Rushing to your doctor’s office can elevate your blood pressure, which may throw off your reading. Plan to arrive early so you can sit calmly in the waiting room for about five minutes, then keep quiet while your pressure is taken; even small talk can up your systolic reading by 10 to 15 mm Hg. If you suffer from white coat syndrome—getting anxious in medical settings—speak up, because being stressed can lead to a higher reading than when you’re not.

Prep properly: Skip coffee until after your appointment because caffeine may temporarily spike your blood pressure. And take a trip to the bathroom before entering the exam room—a full bladder can stimulate an adrenaline-like hormone that often raises BP.

Watch your posture: Sit with your feet flat on the floor—crossed legs or dangling feet can bump up systolic results. Be sure your arm is supported and at heart level, as diastolic pressure (the bottom number) is affected by arm position. Ask if you can sit in a chair instead of on the exam table so as to keep your arm supported at the correct height.

Keep Your Blood Pressure Healthy: Whether you need to bring BP down or keep it where it is, the right lifestyle habits can support healthy blood pressure levels.

Eat a healthy diet: Of course you know not to smoke, but it’s also important to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, and legumes—all these foods contain specific nutrients that promote lower BP.

Move your body: Regular exercise is also key; it lowers BP by reducing blood vessel stiffness. Any type of physical activity is great—walking, running, swimming, or strength training. In fact, just 30 minutes of walking on most days can lower blood pressure significantly, says the Mayo Clinic.

Keep a handle on stress: If you’re constantly frazzled, hormones are continuously being pumped out, which damages arteries over time and can lead to other conditions that raise your heart disease risk, such as weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

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Your Blood Pressure Reading May Not Be Correct, According to a Doctor

Follow this advice to make sure you get an accurate reading

Doctors emphasize that one of the smartest things you can do for your heart is know and manage your numbers — blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, and blood sugar. But here’s an unfortunate truth: The blood pressure reading that’s rattled off during your appointment may not be accurate.

It’s probably not your doctor’s fault. Blood pressure is temperamental. Lots of factors can result in an off measurement, meaning you can potentially end up with a misdiagnosis. “People might get over-treated or under-treated if their blood pressure isn’t measured correctly in the office,” says Jordana Cohen, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. In other words, you could be put on meds you don’t need or prescribed a dose higher or lower than necessary. Follow this blood pressure checklist to make sure you walk away with the right reading.

Take a breather.
Rushing to your appointment can elevate blood pressure, which may throw off your reading. If you can, calmly sit still in the waiting room for five minutes, then keep quiet while your pressure is taken; even small talk can up your systolic reading (the top number) by 10 to 15 mm Hg. If you get anxious in medical settings — known as white coat syndrome — speak up, because this can lead to a higher reading than when you’re not stressed.

Prep in advance.
Skip the coffee until after your appointment, as caffeine may cause blood pressure to spike temporarily. And hit the bathroom before heading into the exam room — a full bladder can stimulate an adrenaline-like hormone that often raises blood pressure.

Watch your posture.
Sit with your feet flat on the floor — crossed legs or dangling feet can bump systolic results up. Be sure your arm is supported and at heart level, as diastolic pressure (the bottom number) is affected by arm position, says Dr. Cohen. Ask if you can sit in a chair instead of on the exam table — this can help keep your arm supported at the correct height.

Do an at-home check.

To monitor your blood pressure at home, try a trustworthy device like the Omron ReliOn BP200 monitor. High reading? Here are expert-approved ways to lower your blood pressure without medication.

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12 Proven Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

Try these smart, drug-free ways to bring your numbers down

When you get a high blood pressure reading at the doctor's office, it might be tough for you to understand exactly what impact those numbers can make on your overall health, since high blood pressure has no unusual day-to-day symptoms. But the truth is, having high blood pressure is a serious health risk—it boosts the risks of leading killers such as heart attack and stroke, as well as aneurysms, cognitive decline, and kidney failure. What's more, high blood pressure is a primary or contributing cause of death in more than 1,000 deaths a day in the United States.

Even scarier? One in five U.S. adults with high blood pressure don’t know they have it, says the CDC. If you haven't had your numbers checked in two years, see a doctor. Anything above 130/80 mmHg is considered high.

While medication can lower blood pressure, it may cause side effects such as leg cramps, dizziness, and insomnia. The good news is that most people can bring their numbers down naturally without drugs. “Lifestyle changes are an important part of prevention and treatment of high blood pressure,” says Brandie D. Williams, MD, FACC, a cardiologist at Texas Health Stephenville and Texas Health Physicians Group.

First, get to a healthy weight (these tips can help!). Then try these natural ways to lower your blood pressure without having to take a single pill:

• Go for power walks
• Breathe deeply
• Pick potassium-rich foods
• Cut your sodium intake
• Indulge in dark chocolate
• Drink (a little) alcohol
• Switch to decaf coffee
• Take up tea
• Work (a bit) less
• Relax with music
• Seek help for snoring
• Have a glass of milk

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Stop and Reverse Pre-diabetes

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes describes a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes. In other words, it is the precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

The good news is studies have shown that a few lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthier diet, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can reverse pre-diabetes, as well as reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes can affect anyone. Knowing your risk of diabetes will help identify the changes you need to make to your lifestyle.

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Shēng Xiào 生肖 The Chinese Zodiac

Unlike the Western linear calendar used in the United States, the Chinese calendar features a cyclical dating method that repeats every 60 years. The calendar is based on two cycles that interact with each other—the Chinese zodiac, which is divided into 12 parts, and the five elements. The five elements are metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.

Each year of the Chinese Zodiac is represented by a different animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The five elements are assigned to the 12 animals (years), giving different characteristics to each animal (year). Assigning each of the five elements to the 12 years creates 60 different combinations that results in a 60-year cycle.

Horoscopes were developed around animal signs to predict personality traits and destiny. Each animal is known to have certain characteristics that a person born under the sign would demonstrate. The year a person is born determines their animal sign. For example, a person's animal sign is a rat if they were born in the year of the rat. Animal signs are also assigned by month and hours of the day, which are also broken up into increments of 12. It is important to remember when determining the hour in which you were born, that hours are not based on local time, but in relation to the Sun's location, according to the Chinese Zodiac.

• Rat: quick-witted, smart, charming, and persuasive

• Ox: patient, kind, stubborn, and conservative

• Tiger: authoritative, emotional, courageous, and intense

• Rabbit: popular, compassionate, and sincere

• Dragon: energetic, fearless, warm-hearted, and charismatic

• Snake: charming, gregarious, introverted, generous, and smart

• Horse: energetic, independent, impatient, and enjoy traveling

• Sheep: mild-mannered, shy, kind, and peace-loving

• Monkey: fun, energetic, and active

• Rooster: independent, practical, hard-working, and observant

• Dog: patient, diligent, generous, faithful, and kind

• Pig: loving, tolerant, honest, and appreciative of luxury

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Baba Nyonya Happy New Year 2020

Selamat Taon Bahru Panjang Panjang Umor

Fú Dào Le 福到了2020

Those Chinese Characters on the Door

It's a homophone, a play on words. The character that is hung upside down is Fú - 福, pronounced “foo”. It means fortune or luck.

The pun - In Mandarin, saying Fú Dào Le means "luck or fortune has arrived". But the word "Dào" can also imply to fall down or turn upside-down. So, literally turning the character 福, Fú, upside-down is a play on words implying fortune has arrived.

On the door - You'll see the character, usually written in gold on a red background, hung on doors across the country by Chinese hoping for good fortune for the new year. The decorations are often left up all year so you may see it at any time. And why not? Everyone needs a little fortune heading their way.

Gong Xi Fa Cai 恭喜发财 2020

CHINESE NEW YEAR CUSTOMS EXPLAINED

Chinese New Year takes place over 15 days and preparations for this celebration begin well over 1 month before the start of the new year. Here's a brief guide on the festivities and customs that take place during this annual event.

Xiao Guo Nian
On the 24th day of the 12th month of the Chinese lunar calendar is Xiao Guo Nian ("Little New Year"). On this day, the deities of the world report to the supreme deity, Yu Huang ("Jade Emperor"). Families will offer special food offerings to the Zao Jun ("Kitchen God") so that he will speak well of the family to the emperor. Firecrackers are lit to bid farewell to the deities and spring cleaning begins

Spring Cleaning
Houses are swept clean prior to the new year and traditionally, bamboo leaves are used as this is believed to drive out bad spirits. There should be no sweeping on the lunar new year itself as people believe that doing so sweeps away good luck. Festive decorations and symbols are put up around the house, like pots of kumquat and flowers, red scrolls or posters with auspicious sayings or Chun Lian ("Spring Couplets"). New clothes and haircut are also required for every individual in the family.

Reunion Dinner
The whole family gathers on Chu Xi ("eve of the new year") to feast together on dinner. The dinner symbolizes the love and respect that binds them together as a unit. Every member is expected to return for this dinner. Traditionally, all sons return to their parental homes for this occasion and married daughters share the tables of their husband's families. For this meal, the best food is served in abundance, whether the family is rich or poor, to symbolize the hope for greater material wealth in the coming year. Tuan Yuan Fan ("Togetherness Meal"), as the reunion dinner is known in Mandarin, can include delicacies like abalone soup, chicken, mushrooms, duck, fish, chap chye ("mixed vegetables"), roast pork and steam boat.

Ancestor Worship
The spirits of ancestors are ushered in to join in the family's celebrations. Before family members sit down to have their reunion dinner, they usually present offerings of food, fruits, tea and flowers to their ancestor's memorial tablets or tombs. In most families, the tablets are located either in their homes on the ancestral altar or in the temples.

Financial Accounts
After closing the accounts for the year, traditional Chinese bosses may give their workers bonuses. New year's eve is one of three days set aside in the lunar calendar for settling debts, especially for businessmen. It is considered a loss of face for persons to start a new year with unsettled debts. The other two days put aside for settling debts are the 5th day of the 5th lunar month (Dragon Boat Festival) and the 15th day of the 8th month (Mid-Autumn Festival).

New Year Vigil
Children are encouraged to stay awake until midnight to bless their parents with a happy new year early in the morning. Some Chinese believe that the longer their children keep away, the longer the lives of their parents. In return, the children are presented with hong bao before they go to bed.

Welcoming the God of Wealth
The traditional Chinese will offer joss sticks to the God of Wealth at their altar or by praying at temples. They consult a Chinese almanac for the most favorable hour and direction to receive the deity, usually between 11pm to 6am the next morning. Firecrackers are lit again to welcome the deity.

First Day of Chinese New Year
Yuan Dan (also Yuan Rim Yean Chen and Duan Ri) is the first of the 15 days marked for family visitations. It is usually reserved for close and senior family members.

Second Day
The second day is a time for married women to visit their maiden home and renew ties with their family. During this period, the God of Wealth (above) is welcomed. This and the 16th day of the lunar mont are the best "feast" days for employees.

Third Day
The third day is known as the "Loyal Dog Day" and is typically a day of rest. No visits or visitors are welcomed and it is believed evil spirits lurk on the earth in this day and it would be bad luck to be outdoors. This is why conservative Chinese businesses do not operate until the 5th day.

Seventh Day
The Ren Ri or Yan-Yat ("Birthday of Man") is celebrated with Yu Sheng ("raw fish") being served. The act is most known by its cantonese name, "Lo Hei".

Ninth Day
The birthday of the Jade Emperor falls on the 9th day of the lunar month. The Chinese people generally make offerings of thanks to this supreme deity.

Fifteenth Day
The last day of celebrations is also the time of the first full moon of the new lunar year. It is known as Yuan Xiao Jie ("First night of the full moon") and another reunion dinner, complete wih lanterns and oranges being exchanged, takes place. This festival is also known as the Deng Jie ("Lantern Festival").

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Year of the White Metal Rat 2020

Bye Bye Piggie & Welcome Year of the Metal Rat

Which are the 3 Zodiac signs that will HUAT this Chinese New Year in 2020?

2020 will be a year of GREAT prosperity for those who have these 3 zodiac signs:

Ox - For people who are born in the year of the Ox, this is a year of opportunities and blessings for them! They will be blessed by Success Star (also known as 太阳 Tai Yang) and will be receiving a huge amount of help from their benefactors to boost their career to greater heights. As an employee, they have chances to receive salary increments and if someone offers them a promotion or a new job, they can consider accepting the challenge that can bring them a better income. That means... good fortunes are coming towards them! They will also need to have the knowledge and wisdom to seize money opportunities as these windows of opportunities can be gone very quickly if they were to miss them. In general, 2020 will be fantastic for them!

Rooster - Being in one of the compatible groups in Chinese Zodiac, Rooster will be having an outstanding year in 2020. This will be auspicious news for them as they will experience good luck for wealth as the Prosperity Star (福星 Fu Xing) will be shining upon them. They will achieve breakthroughs in their career and their investments will be profitable. Do take charge of their own wealth and be mindful about managing their money, learn to save for rainy days to avoid any financial losses. And by staying optimistic and positive, money-making opportunities will appear and that's when they can use their talent, imagination, and creativity to benefit themselves from them.

Goat - People born in the year of the Goat, are going to HUAT most in 2020! The year of the Rat is going to bring in a significant amount of wealth to them! Even the Emperor Star (known as 紫薇 Zi Wei) will be shining brightly on them with great wealth, luck and success for the entire year. They will be surrounded by benefactors who will give them sound advice and guidance to make the right decisions that will take their career, wealth and relationships to a whole new level. Therefore, be bold to take on new business projects which will reward them with more wealth in terms of a pay raise, promotion or bonus. With better management of their temper and finances, they can prevent signs of money or property loss and be blessed to receive an abundance of wealth in the upcoming new year!

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Xin Chia Ju Yi

Nián Yè Fàn 年夜飯 Reunion Dinner 2020

A reunion dinner "Nián Yè Fàn" 年夜飯 (also known as Tuán Nián 團年 or Wéi Lú, 圍爐 meaning "gathering around the family hearth") is traditionally held on Chinese New Year's Eve during which family members gather for celebration. It is considered to be the most important part of the celebration and every family member is expected to return to their families. Traditionally, married couples will go the the man’s parental homes (and to the woman's parents on the second day of the festivities).

Reunion dinner is supposed to bring everyone in the family harmoniously together, but for some reasons or other, not following the tradition, is causing tensions among families. This is especially so if one is celebrating his/her reunion with his/her parents as well as with the in-laws. It is therefore not surprising that one would have reunion dinners on a different earlier dates and nowadays, some hold it a week or two before the actual day. By doing so, the traditionalists believe that the Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion Dinner is losing or has even lost its meaning and significance.

To keep up with the tradition that Chinese New Year's Eve Reunion Dinner should be held on its actual date, and that married couples should return to man's parental homes, many families are compromising in order to make everybody happy:

• Eating reunion dinner twice, which means having the first dinner early, and then rushing off to do a second dinner by a certain time on the same actual day.
• Alternating the dinners yearly, one year with parent and following year with in-laws.

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Singapore confirms cases of COVID-19 Virus

Update 23 Jan 2021: A year of Covid-19: Singapore gears up for next stage in virus war

Mr Ben Ng, who spent 13 days in the ICU at Alexandra Hospital in March because of Covid-19, with nurse clinician Maryana Mohamed (left) and senior staff nurse Ong Chia Yee. PHOTO: ST

He knows the suffering that Covid-19 can inflict and wants to ensure that others do not have to go through it.

This is why Mr Ben Ng, a former coronavirus patient, has taken it upon himself to remind others to observe social distancing.

"I don't care who it is, but if the Government says eight (people can gather in a group), then we cannot have more than eight. It says we can have two tables next to each other and I say... no intermingling," he said in an interview last week.

related: Covid-19 one year on - Dark clouds & silver linings for Singapore amid pandemic

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How a year of COVID-19 changed Singapore forever

People taking in the sights of Marina Bay Sands at dusk, on the first day of Singapore's Phase 1 reopening after the circuit breaker period. (Photo: Jeremy Long)

It may seem like a lifetime to some, but it was precisely a year ago that Singapore reported its first COVID-19 case.

On Jan 23, 2020, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it had confirmed one imported case of "novel coronavirus" infection in Singapore. At that point, the virus didn't have a name.

The case was a 66-year-old man from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family a few days before.

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One year after Covid-19 first detected in Singapore, business recovery still a mixed bag

Mr Mak Ka Weng, whose fire protection company Fiready survived the past year by pivoting to become a “life saving company” by introducing products relevant to the pandemic such as disinfectant

Exactly 12 months after the first Covid-19 case was detected in Singapore, on Jan 23, 2020, the nation’s businesses have navigated a year like no other, with the worst recession in the Republic’s history, and unprecedented government support.

During the circuit breaker period in April and May, customer-facing businesses were virtually brought to a standstill as the authorities acted to bring the emerging health crisis under control.

Since then, most businesses, barring those in the aviation and tourism sectors, have been able to resume operations, at least to some extent, though things are hardly “normal” as some Covid-19 restrictions remain in place.

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Recovered virus patient still can't taste or smell

Ms Julie Ong, 54, is unsure about getting vaccinated as she still has antibodies from her infection to give her some immunity. TNP PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Chinese New Year is traditionally a time of celebration, joy and family visitations. But for Ms Julie Ong, 54, it is a grim reminder of what she went through a year ago, so much so that she has mixed feelings about this festive season.

On Feb 8 last year, she tested positive for Covid-19 and was announced as Case 38. She was warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) for 10 days. Before being diagnosed, she attended a Chinese New Year gathering. Her family members and friends who had contact with her were quarantined and eventually tested negative.

Ms Ong told The New Paper: "I was apologetic about the inconvenience I caused. But I was relieved that I didn't infect anyone. "It has made me more cautious. I won't be doing any visiting because I don't need another 'memorable' Chinese New Year."

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C0VID-19 Lockdown Laughs

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

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I Gotta Wash My Hands!

Update 11 May 2020: Went out without Mum's permission during Lockdown, now she got lockout

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Coronavirus cases in Singapore: What we know so far

The number of coronavirus cases in Singapore has grown to 17,101, with an additional 932 new cases reported on May 1.

The majority of these cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories. Five Singaporeans and permanent residents are among the cases confirmed on Friday, May 1.

As of April 30, an additional 56 patients have been discharged, bringing the total cases recovered to 1,244. Among those who have yet to recover, 22 are in critical condition.

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A Perfect Storm for an Outbreak

“They’ve contained the coronavirus. Here’s how,” read the New York Times headline on a piece about best responses to COVID-19. Alongside Hong Kong and Taiwan, Singapore was held up as a model for the rest of the world.

That was March 13, when Singapore had 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19. It’s a wildly different situation now. As of the time of writing, Singapore has confirmed 11,178 cases of the coronavirus.

The main reason for this skyrocketing figure has been the discovery of the virus spreading like wildfire within dormitories housing migrant workers. Over 80% of the country’s COVID-19 cases are migrant workers living in dormitories. In the dormitory with the largest cluster thus far, over 15% of the population of 13,000 men have tested positive. The resulting scramble to contain this tsunami of infections has highlighted uncomfortable truths about the city-state’s treatment of the men who built it.

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Why Coronavirus Cases Have Spiked in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan

Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan — once heralded for early successes in battling the pandemic — are now confronting a new wave of coronavirus cases, largely fueled by infections coming from elsewhere. Singapore is also seeing a rise in local transmissions, with more than 400 new cases in the past week that have been linked to migrant worker dormitories.

The first confirmed cases in all three places were connected to people who had traveled to Wuhan, China, where the pandemic began, followed by small clusters of cases among residents with no travel history. Despite their proximity to mainland China, however, they had all managed to keep their case counts low for weeks, through vigilant monitoring and early intervention. None of these places had a single day with more than 10 new cases until March, even as the coronavirus spread around the world.

That changed in the past two weeks, as both Hong Kong and Singapore saw new cases in the double digits for consecutive days, with the bulk attributed to those who have traveled from abroad. Singapore’s numbers are now triple-digits, with large clusters of cases linked to dorms for migrant workers. Taiwan was hit with a surge of new cases, the vast majority of which were imported from other countries, while the number of locally transmitted infections remained low.

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Singapore to shut Changi’s Terminal 2 for 18 months due to COVID-19

The departure hall of Changi Airport’s Terminal 2. Photo: Muhammad Hasbi

Singapore will shut Terminal 2 of the Changi Airport as part of a cost-cutting move due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seriously affected the country’s tourism industry.

All operations at the terminal, including retail, will be suspended for 18 months starting May, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan reportedly announced in Parliament today. He also hinted at more closures, noting that only one terminal has so far been enough to handle the traffic at the airport.

Airlines operating at the terminal will be transferred to Changi’s remaining three terminals next month. Singapore Airlines will operate from Terminal 3. “We will save on running costs – for the airport operator, retail tenants, airlines and ground handlers,” The Straits Times quoted him as saying.


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SIA Plans To Raise Up To S$15B From Existing Investors To Regain Its Wings Amid COVID-19

Troubled by deepening impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is just at the beginning of a heavy blow. The national carrier has suffered a 95 per cent reduction in capacity so far, which severely puts a dent in revenue, while it still has to continue incurring fixed costs like manpower and parking charges. On Monday, SIA CEO Goh Choon Pong increased the company’s cost-cutting measures, including implementing no-pay leave for staff and larger pay-cuts for management, affecting about 10,000 employees in total.

Today, the airline said it will be raising up to S$15 billion from existing investors through the sale of shares and convertible bonds, to tide through the shock from the coronavirus. This comes as SIA’s shares fell to their lowest in 22 years. The firm, on Thursday morning, halted trading before revealing this announcement. SIA will issue up to 1.77 billion new shares to existing shareholders at S$3 per share. On the basis of three rights shares for every two existing shares held by shareholders, it expects to raise S$5.3 billion. This is about a 54 per cent discount from SIA’s last traded share price of S$6.50.

Another S$9.7 billion will come from issuing mandatory 10-year convertible bonds at $1 each, on the basis of 295 bonds for every 100 existing shares owned. In the meantime, SIA has also arranged for a S$4 billion bridge loan facility with DBS. This fundraising is being underwritten by Temasek Holdings, SIA’s largest investor which owns about 55 per cent of its shares.

related: Changi Airport's Terminal 2 To Suspend Operations For 18 Months From May 1

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What’s behind Singapore’s U-turn on wearing masks?

A woman wears a face mask in Singapore on Thursday, as the spread of Covid-19 continues. Photo: Reuters

Singapore reversed its position on masks on Friday, saying it would no longer discourage residents from wearing them in public and would distribute reusable face masks from Sunday.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the statement alongside his announcement that schools and most workplaces would be closed from early next week, as part of increased measures to stem the coronavirus outbreak as infections surged in the past month to more than 1,100 as of Friday.

Lee acknowledged that health authorities had previously urged residents not to wear surgical masks unless they were unwell – with their exhortations appearing on the front pages of local newspapers – and attributed to the change to new research and the spike in cases. “We now think that there are some cases out there in the community going undetected, though probably still not that many,” he said in a national address, his third since the Covid-19 outbreak. “We also now have evidence that an infected person can show no symptoms and yet still pass on the virus to others … Therefore we will no longer discourage people from wearing masks.”

related:
S'pore heads towards coronavirus tipping point, what would Lee Kuan Yew have done?
Coronavirus Singapore: 100 to 1,000 infections in one month. What happened?
Coronavirus and Election Fever in Singapore


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Singapore reports first deaths from COVID-19

Two patients died from Covid-19 on Saturday morning (March 21) due to complications, the first deaths the Republic has seen.

A 75-year-old Singaporean woman with a history of chronic heart disease and hypertension died at 7.52am.

She had been admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on Feb 23 for pneumonia and was confirmed to have Covid-19 the same day.

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6 new cases including 3 linked to Safra Jurong cluster, bringing tally to 166

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (March 10) confirmed six more cases of Covid-19 infections in Singapore. Of these, three are linked to a private dinner event at Safra Jurong, bringing the total number of cases in the cluster to 39, it added.

The other two patients are linked to a previously confirmed case while one more did not have any connections found as yet.

The total number of reported infections in the country is now 166. Of these, 93 people have fully recovered and have been discharged.

related: The latest Singapore numbers at a glance

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Coronavirus confirmed as pandemic by World Health Organization

The coronavirus outbreak has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold in two weeks. He said he was "deeply concerned" by "alarming levels of inaction".

A pandemic is a disease that is spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time.

Hours later Italy said all shops except food shops and pharmacies would close.

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Singapore reports 6 new COVID-19 cases; 3 linked to SAFRA Jurong cluster

Six new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Singapore on Tuesday (Mar 10), including three linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster.

The cluster, which involved a private dinner function held at the Joy Garden restaurant in SAFRA Jurong on Feb 15, now has a total of 39 cases, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). Two of the new cases are linked to a previous case, while one - a Singaporean who had been in France - is currently unlinked.

The latest infections bring Singapore's total number of COVID-19 cases to 166.

related: All the COVID-19 cases in Singapore, the clusters & links between them

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Many local COVID-19 cases due to 'socially irresponsible' behaviour of a few

Many locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Singapore "were the result of the socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals" who continued to attend events and activities despite being unwell, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday (Mar 10).

To curb the spread of the coronavirus in Singapore, members of the public should avoid social contact and see a doctor early if unwell, Mr Gan said at a press conference.

About 35 out of the 160 confirmed cases in Singapore so far did not minimise social contact although they had already developed fever or respiratory symptoms, or had not consulted a doctor early when unwell.


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Singapore health minister warns ‘socially irresponsible actions’ risk further spread

Singaporean authorities on Tuesday criticised carriers of the coronavirus for “socially irresponsible actions” that risk spreading the disease, explaining containment measures will be ineffective if individuals do not cooperate.

As of Monday, Singapore had 160 confirmed cases and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong revealed that 35 of those cases failed to minimise social contact despite fever or respiratory symptoms. Nor did they visit a doctor after becoming ill.

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday announced six new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 166. Of these, 93 have been discharged while 12 are critically ill in the intensive care unit. Many of the local transmissions were the result of “socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals who continued to go to work, attend events and participate in activities despite being unwell”, Gan said at a press conference.

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Transmitted Coronavirus Cases in Singapore Result of Socially Irresponsible Action, Says Minister

Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday said many locally transmitted coronavirus cases in the country "were the result of the socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals" who continued to attend events and activities despite being unwell.

Speaking at a press conference here, Gan said a lot of patients with confirmed coronavirus infection did not minimise social contact despite being aware of the issue. "To curb the spread of the coronavirus in Singapore, members of the public should avoid social contact and see a doctor early if unwell. About 35 out of the 160 confirmed cases in Singapore so far did not minimise social contact although they had already developed fever or respiratory symptoms, or had not consulted a doctor early when unwell," Gan was quoted as saying in a report by Channel News Asia.

Gan said more than 22% of the people with coronavirus infection continued to work or carried on with their daily routine despite being sick.

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Hairdresser in Singapore attended to 10 customers while ill

The woman is linked to the dinner event attended by about 200 people on Feb 15, 2020, at the Joy Garden restaurant at Safra Jurong.PHOTO: ST FILE

The 58-year-old hairdresser who was one of 12 confirmed new coronavirus cases in Singapore on Sunday (March 8) attended to customers after developing symptoms, but said she wore a mask at all times.

The woman, who works from her home in Jurong West Street 74, first reported symptoms last Tuesday and was confirmed to have the virus on Saturday. She is linked to the Safra Jurong dinner cluster, which has 30 cases as of Sunday.

She told Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao on Sunday that she attended to about 10 customers from Tuesday to Saturday. The woman, who did not want to be named, said she started to have a blocked nose on Tuesday and informed her customers that she was not feeling very well prior to their appointments. “Some of them I told over the phone (that I was sick), and the rest I told them when they arrived at my house. But most of them said they were not worried,” she said.

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1 in 5 patients went out or carried on with work despite being ill

One in five confirmed coronavirus patients here went out despite being unwell, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday.

One in four also consulted more than one doctor, he said at a press conference, giving an update on the Covid-19 situation.

Urging Singaporeans not to go out or doctor-hop if they are unwell, he said: "I am very concerned that many of the locally transmitted cases resulted from the socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals who continued to go to work, and attended events, and participated in activities despite being unwell, and went on to spread the disease to their family, friends and other contacts."

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More than a fifth of Covid-19 cases had gone out while sick: MOH

More than one in five coronavirus patients continued to go to work or socialise even after they were unwell.

Expressing his concern yesterday, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong urged Singaporeans to practise social responsibility to avoid contributing to the spread of Covid-19 here.

He revealed that 35 of the 160 confirmed cases as of Monday, or about 22 per cent, had not minimised social contact and continued to work or carried on with their daily routines even after developing a fever or respiratory symptoms.

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Organisers “should not have continued with Safra Jurong function”

There is concern online over reports of the many Covid-19 cases linked to a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (March 8) that nine of the 12 new cases were part of this cluster.

This means that 39 cases are linked to Feb 15 dinner, listed on the MOH website as Cases 94, 96, 107, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 164 and 166.

Most of the people who attended the event who later tested positive for Covid-19 infection are 50 years old and older.

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Why non-essential event was given go-ahead despite DORSCON orange alert?

Letter to People’s Association Chairman, Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Chairman Chan Chun Sing

Dear Sir, It beggars belief that such a large scale, non-essential event was given the go-ahead to proceed despite a Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) orange alert in place on the 7 February. For it to be given the tag of a “private function” misleads the public into thinking it was a small family function or such when it was later revealed that the two events hosted a combined total of a few hundred people, most of whom attended singing classes under the purview of People’s Association (PA) and/or Resident Committees (RCs). On top of it, the event(s) were held in the premises of SAFRA Jurong.

I think the public would like to know if PA/RC had any knowledge of a function being organized that gathered a few hundred people in an enclosed air-conditioned environment. The attendees of this function were part of the PA/RC singing classes.

If PA/RC were not in the dark, what happened to the oft-touted social responsibility advocated by our government in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus? As a grassroots body, where is the “lead by example” approach?

related: Netizens condenm SPH Chinese Media Group for holding dinner gathering amid Covid-19 outbreak

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10 new COVID-19 cases; 6 linked to SAFRA Jurong cluster, bringing total to 160

Ten new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Singapore on Monday (Mar 9), including six linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster.

The cluster, which involved a private dinner function held at the Joy Garden restaurant in SAFRA Jurong on Feb 15, now has a total of 36 cases, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Of the new cases, one is linked to the cluster at The Life Church and Mission Singapore, while the other three are imported cases. The latest infections bring Singapore's total number of COVID-19 cases to 160.

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10 more confirmed infections, 3 of which are imported cases; Safra Jurong cluster grows to 36

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (March 9) announced 10 more cases of Covid-19 infections in the country. Of these, six were traced to the private dinner function at Safra Jurong, bringing the number of cases linked to the cluster to 36.

MOH said that three other infections are imported cases, while one is linked to the The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar.

This brings the total number of infections in the country to 160.

related: The latest Singapore numbers at a glance

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When A Mask Is A Must

Besides the haze, when should you wear a mask?

In Singapore, the culture of wearing a mask when one is sick has yet to catch on. Since the practice is not common, you might feel conspicuous wearing a mask outside. You might avoid wearing a mask for wear of drawing unwanted attention to yourself.

Due to our hot and humid climate, wearing a mask may also be uncomfortable. But you could be unintentionally spreading diseases to the people around you.

When Should You Wear a Mask:

• When There is a Haze Period
• When You Are Sick

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Singapore reports 12 new COVID-19 cases, bringing total to 150

Singapore on Sunday (Mar 8) confirmed another 12 cases of COVID-19, including nine linked to a private dinner function held at SAFRA Jurong.

One of the cases is linked to a previous case, another is an imported case, and another is currently unlinked, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The latest infections bring Singapore's total number of COVID-19 cases to 150. It also brings the number of cases linked to the SAFRA Jurong event to 30.

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12 more confirmed cases; Safra Jurong now largest cluster in Singapore

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (March 8) confirmed 12 more cases of Covid-19 infections in the country. Of these, nine are linked to the cluster at the private dinner function at Safra Jurong, making it the largest cluster of infections in Singapore with 30 confirmed cases.

In its media statement, MOH said that one newly confirmed case is linked to a previous case, one is an imported case and one other case is currently unlinked.

This brings the total number of infections in the country to 150.

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8 new COVID-19 cases confirmed, bringing total to 138

Eight new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Singapore on Saturday (Mar 7), bringing the total number of cases to 138.

Eight more patients have also recovered from the coronavirus, said the Ministry of Health in a daily update, bringing the number of cases discharged from hospital to 90. The discharged cases are 43, 47, 74, 85, 86, 93, 96 and 110.

Among the new cases, four are linked to the cluster involving a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong. One case is linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore cluster.

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8 new cases in Singapore, 4 of them linked to Safra Jurong cluster

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday (March 7) confirmed that eight more people have Covid-19 in Singapore. Four of them are a part of the cluster involving a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15.

This brings the number of confirmed cases from the Safra Jurong cluster to 21.

Of the other four new cases, one of them is linked to the cluster at The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar. Two are likely to be imported cases, and one is not linked to any of the seven known clusters here, MOH said.

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Inevitable that Singapore will see Covid-19 deaths, says Health Minister Gan Kim Yong

It is inevitable that Singapore will see a fatality from the coronavirus, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Friday (March 6).

Mr Gan, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force set up to combat the spread of the virus, told a briefing that patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) - seven as of Thursday - are in quite critical condition.

"So far our healthcare workers are working very hard and trying their best to support them and hopefully they can recover. But it's inevitable that at some point in time, we will see fatalities from Covid-19, as we've seen all around the world," he said.

related: Be ready to cope with Covid-19 for a long time

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Netizens respond to 13 new Covid-19 cases popping up in S’pore

The online community has expressed their opinions on the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the country, and many are disappointed at how the Government has handled the situation.

On Friday (Mar 6), Singapore reported 13 new Covid-19 cases, making it the highest daily jump since the beginning of the outbreak in the country. The total number of confirmed cases in Singapore is currently at 130, while the total number of discharged patients is at 82.

Nine out of the 13 new cases have been linked to the cluster involved in a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong, Boon Lay Way on Feb 15 which brings the total cases linked to this cluster to 17.

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Singapore must expect 'significantly higher numbers' of new Covid-19 cases in time: Gan Kim Yong

Singapore “must expect to see significantly higher numbers" of new COVID-19 cases in time to come, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday (March 5).

“Globally, the number of cases outside mainland China continues to grow at an alarming rate across continents and regions. This is worrying as they pose a high risk of importation of cases into Singapore," said Mr Gan, speaking in Parliament during the Ministry of Health's (MOH) Committee of Supply debate.

"Therefore, we must expect to see significantly higher numbers of new cases in time to come."

related: Authorities investigating possible first case of transmission within hospital

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Singapore reports 13 new COVID-19 cases in largest single-day spike

Singapore announced 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday (Mar 6), the highest daily jump since the outbreak started here.

This brings the total number of new coronavirus cases in Singapore to 130 since the first case was confirmed on Jan 23.

One more patient has recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of discharged cases to 82.

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13 new cases in Singapore, 9 of these from Safra Jurong cluster

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (March 6) confirmed 13 more cases of Covid-19 infections in Singapore, with nine coming from the new cluster involving a private dinner function at Safra Jurong.

It is the highest number of cases reported in a day, the previous high being the nine reported on Feb 14. Apart from the nine from the Safra Jurong cluster, two others are likely to be imported cases, one is linked to a previous case while one other case is unlinked.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 130.

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5 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing total to 117

Five new cases of COVID-19 in Singapore have been confirmed, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Mar 5), with a new cluster at SAFRA Jurong reported.

Four of the new cases are part of a cluster involving a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong on Feb 15, said MOH in the media release. The other is an imported case.

To date, there are 117 cases of the coronavirus in Singapore.


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Five new cases in Singapore; new cluster emerges at Safra Jurong private function

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (March 5) has confirmed five more cases of Covid-19 in Singapore. Of these newly confirmed cases, one is an imported case who was on the Turkish Airlines flight, and the others are part of a new cluster involving a private dinner function at Safra Jurong on Feb 15.

This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 117.

In its media statement, MOH said that two more patients — Cases 71 and 98 — have been discharged.

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1 more COVID-19 patient discharged, 2 new cases reported including pre-school employee

One more patient has recovered from COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (Mar 4), bringing the total number of discharged cases to 79.

Two new cases were confirmed, with one case working at a pre-school as a non-teaching staff member.

To date, there have been 112 cases of the coronavirus in Singapore.

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Two new cases in Singapore, including non-teaching staff at Jurong preschool

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (March 4) confirmed two more cases of Covid-19 in Singapore: One of them a Singaporean woman who works at a preschool in Jurong, the other a Singapore Permanent Resident who had travelled to Malaysia.

This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 112.

In its media statement, MOH said that one more patient — Case 61 — has been discharged from the hospital.

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2 new COVID-19 cases reported in Singapore, bringing total to 110

Two new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Mar 3), bringing the total number of cases in the country to 110.

One of the new cases is linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, which now has 14 confirmed cases.

Contact tracing is underway for the other case to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to affected countries or regions, said MOH in the release.

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Two new cases in Singapore, as Wizlearn Technologies cluster continues to grow

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (March 3) confirmed two more cases of Covid-19 in Singapore: One, a 70-year-old Singaporean worker at a restaurant located in West Coast Plaza, and the other, linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park.

This brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 110.

No patients were discharged on Tuesday. A total of 78 patients out of the 110 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Of the 32 who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving.

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Singapore confirms 2 new COVID-19 cases, 4 discharged

Two more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Singapore, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 108.

One of these is linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, while the other is linked to a previous case, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a media release on Monday (Mar 2).

Four more patients have also been discharged, MOH said, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 78.

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2 new cases in Singapore, 1 of which linked to Wizlearn Technologies cluster

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two more cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore, one of which is linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies while the other is linked to a previous case.

Four more cases of Covid-19 infection (Cases 37, 67, 69 and 88) have been discharged as of 12pm on Monday (March 2). In all, 78 have fully recovered from the infection, MOH said.

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Singapore confirms 4 new COVID-19 cases, bringing total to 106

Four more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (Mar 1), bringing the total number of cases in the country to 106.

Three of the new cases are linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park. The other case is a Japanese national who is a Singapore work pass holder.

Another 2 patients have been discharged, MOH said, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 74. The two cases - 54 and 60 - work at the Tanglin branch of the Grace Assembly of God church.

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4 new cases in Singapore, 3 of which linked to Wizlearn Technologies cluster

Four new cases of Covid-19 have been found in Singapore, three of which are linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, an e-learning solutions provider located at 10 Science Park Road, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (March 1).

This cluster, which was first announced on Friday, now has 11 cases.

Two more patients (Cases 54 and 60) have been discharged, bringing the total who have fully recovered and discharged to 74, MOH said.

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4 new COVID-19 cases linked to Science Park cluster, bringing total to 102

Four new COVID-19 cases linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park have emerged, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Feb 29).

The new cases, which include a domestic worker from the Philippines, bring the total number of infections in Singapore past the 100 mark to 102.

Another three patients have been discharged (Cases 20, 68 and 75), bringing the number of recovered cases to 72.

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4 new cases in Singapore, all linked to cluster at Science Park

Four new cases of Covid-19 have been found in Singapore, and they are all linked to the cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, an e-learning solutions provider located at 10 Science Park Road, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday (Feb 29).

This brings the number of cases in this cluster, which was first announced on Friday, to eight.

Three more patients (Cases 20, 68 and 75) have been discharged from hospital on Saturday, bringing the total who have fully recovered and discharged to 72, said MOH.

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2 new cases as new cluster emerges at Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park, bringing total to 98

There are two new cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore, and a new cluster has emerged at Wizlearn Technologies, an e-learning solutions provider.

Three patients have been discharged, raising the number of those who have recovered to 69, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Feb 28).

The two new cases are linked to a cluster at Wizlearn Technologies, where four cases have emerged.

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Singapore confirms 2 COVID-19 cases linked to new Science Park cluster; 3 more discharged

Two new COVID-19 patients were reported in Singapore on Friday (Feb 28), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a daily update. Both cases are linked to a newly identified cluster, Wizlearn Technologies, located at 10 Science Park Road.

This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 98.​​​​​​​ MOH added that three more patients were discharged after recovering from the disease. In all, 69 cases have fully recovered from the infection. Twenty-nine COVID-19 patients remain in hospital, with seven in ICU.

The Wizlearn Technologies cluster includes the latest two cases as well as cases 93 and 95.

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New cluster at company in Science Park II

A new coronavirus cluster, the fifth, has surfaced in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday as it announced two new confirmed cases. There are now a total of 98 confirmed cases.

Both are linked to Wizlearn Technologies, an e-learning solutions company in Science Park II.


Two earlier cases - 93 and 95 - are also linked to the firm. All four in the new cluster are colleagues. The company has about 100 staff.

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3 new Covid-19 cases including RI student, bringing total to 96

There were three new cases of Covid-19 infection as of noon on Thursday (Feb 27), including a Raffles Institution (RI) student, while another four patients have recovered and been discharged.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 96. Of these, 66 have fully recovered while 30 are still in hospital, the Ministry of Health said.

Patients in critical condition under intensive care have increased to eight.

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3 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, including 12-year-old student from Raffles Institution

Three new COVID-19 patients were reported in Singapore on Thursday (Feb 27), the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update, including a 12-year-old Singaporean student from Raffles Institution.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 96.

MOH also said that four more patients - Cases 18, 72, 78 and 80 - were discharged on Thursday. They include a Chinese woman from Wuhan, the final imported case to recover from the infection, as well as a National University Hospital (NUH) employee.


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2 new cases in Singapore, bringing total to 93

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two more cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore as at 12pm on Wednesday (Feb 26).

Four more cases (Cases 49, 56, 59 and 73) of Covid-19 infection have been discharged, bringing the total number of patients to have fully recovered to 62.

Of the 31 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving, MOH said.

Seven are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

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4 more COVID-19 patients discharged in Singapore, 2 new confirmed cases

Four more COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital, while two new cases have been confirmed, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update on Wednesday (Feb 26).

This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 93.

Among those discharged from hospital on Wednesday were an SAF regular serviceman who works at Tengah Air Base (case 73) and an anaesthesiologist who works at a private hospital (case 59).


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Singaporean linked to Paya Lebar church confirmed to be 91st case on Feb 25, among 5 people discharged

Five more patients who were infected by the Covid-19 coronavirus have been discharged from hospital on Tuesday (Feb 25), bringing the total number of those who have recovered to 58, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

So far, there have been 91 reported cases of infected patients in Singapore and the latest one was confirmed to have the virus on Feb 22 but was announced by MOH on Tuesday.

Case 91 is a 58-year-old Singaporean woman who did not go to China recently. She is among the five who have since been discharged from hospital, along with Case 77, a 35-year-old Singaporean man who was a contact of Case 50, a DBS bank employee who was discharged last week.

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5 more COVID-19 patients discharged in Singapore, 1 new confirmed case: MOH

Five more COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Feb 25).

Cases 58, 62, and 81, who are part of the Grace Assembly of God church cluster, were among those discharged, said MOH in a press release. The other two patients are cases 77 and 91.

This brings the total number of fully recovered cases to 58. Of the 33 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Seven are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.


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1 new reported case, bringing total to 90

Two more COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospital on Monday (Feb 24), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a daily update, while one new case was confirmed.

In all, 53 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.

Of the 37 confirmed cases who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Seven are in critical condition.

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Single new case linked to church cluster; 2 more discharged

Two more patients who had the coronavirus disease have been discharged and one new case was confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday.

This takes the total number of cases to 90, of which 53 have fully recovered.

A ministry spokesman also confirmed that Case 89, a 41-year-old Singapore permanent resident, is the Filipino mentioned by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore yesterday. The embassy had earlier said a Filipino had tested positive for Covid-19.

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Covid-19: 1 new case confirmed in Singapore, 2 more discharged

The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed one more case of Covid-19 infection on Monday (Feb 24), a 75-year-old Singaporean woman who is linked to the cluster at The Life Church and Missions Singapore.

The latest patient, Case 90, has not recently travelled to China, MOH said.
She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).


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3 more confirmed COVID-19 cases in Singapore; mother and 6-month-old baby discharged

Singapore reported three more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday (Feb 22) said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update, adding that two more were also discharged.

This brings the number of cases in the country to 89.

The recovered patients are a 28-year-old mother (Case 19) and her six-month-old baby (Case 28). They were both from the Yong Thai Hang medical products shop cluster. So far 49 people have recovered from the virus in Singapore. A total of 40 confirmed cases are still in hospital, with five in critical condition.

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Three new cases, one linked to Grace Assembly of God

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported three new cases of Covid-19 infection in Singapore on Saturday (Feb 22), including one linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God and one who was among the group of Singaporeans who were evacuated from Wuhan, China on Feb 9.

Contact tracing is underway for the remaining case to establish any links to previous cases or travel history to China, MOH said. Two patients were discharged from hospital on Saturday: A 28-year-old female Singapore resident who works at Chinese medicinal shop Yong Thai Hang and lives at the Jalan Bukit Merah area (Case 19) and her six-month-old son (Case 28).

In all, there are 89 confirmed cases in Singapore and out of these, 49 people have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital.


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1 new case linked to the 1st known patient with both dengue & coronavirus, bringing total to 86

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported one new case of Covid-19 infection in Singapore on Friday (Feb 21), a Singaporean man who is linked to the first known patient with both dengue and Covid-19.

The latest case, which MOH referred to as Case 86, is a 24-year-old Singapore Institute of Technology student who has not recently travelled to China.

He is warded at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). MOH said that the man reported an onset of symptoms on Feb 14 and sought treatment at two general practitioner (GP) clinics on Feb 16 and 18.


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10 more COVID-19 patients discharged, 1 new confirmed case

Ten more COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospital on Friday (Feb 21), including a DBS employee and several people linked to the Grace Assembly of God church cluster, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update.

Singapore reported one more confirmed case of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the country to 86.

Forty-seven people have now fully recovered from the virus, while 39 remain in hospital, with five in critical condition.

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Covid-19: 1 new case diagnosed, bringing total to 85

One new case of Covid-19 infection was confirmed on Thursday (Feb 20), while three were discharged from hospital.

The new victim, identified as Case 85, is a 36-year-old male Chinese national and a work pass holder who has not recently travelled to China.

He was confirmed to have the infection on the morning of Feb 20. He is warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).


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1 new COVID-19 case in Singapore, 3 more patients discharged

Singapore reported one new confirmed COVID-19 case on Thursday (Feb 20), bringing the number of cases in the country to 85, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update.

Three more patients were discharged from hospital on Thursday, meaning 37 have now fully recovered from the virus. Forty-eight patients remain in hospital, with four in critical condition.

The latest confirmed case is a 36-year-old male work pass holder from China. He has no recent travel history to China and is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

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3 new cases diagnosed, bringing total to 84

Three more people here have been diagnosed as being infected by the Covid-19 coronavirus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Wednesday (Feb 19), while five people were discharged from hospital.

Of the three new patients, one was admitted at first for dengue fever in the general ward of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. After she was found to have the Covid-19 virus, those who shared the ward with her had to be transferred to single wards and tested for infection as a precautionary measure, while contact tracing is ongoing for hospital workers who attended to her.

So far, 84 people in Singapore have been sickened by the virus. A total of 34 people have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital. For the 50 patients still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Four are in critical condition under intensive care, MOH said.

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3 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore; 5 more discharged, including Chinese national who was first confirmed patient

Singapore reported three more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (Feb 19), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update, including two patients who are linked to existing church clusters.

This brings the number of cases in Singapore to 84, with four in critical condition.

Five more patients were discharged from hospital on Wednesday, meaning 34 have now fully recovered from the virus.


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Four new patients diagnosed, bringing total to 81

Four new patients have been diagnosed as having the Covid-19 infection here while five have recovered, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Feb 18).

To date, Singapore has seen 81 cases of the coronavirus infection but of these, 29 have fully recovered and have left hospital. There are still four patients in critical condition and under intensive care, but the number has come down compared with the peak of eight last week.

Among the four new patients announced today, three of them — Cases 78, 80 and 81 — were linked to the Grace Assembly of God church, where 18 have already been infected.

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4 new cases, 1-year-old baby among 5 COVID-19 patients discharged

Five more COVID-19 patients have been discharged after making a full recovery, including a one-year-old baby, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Feb 18).

This means 29 cases have now been discharged from hospital. The one-year-old baby is Singapore's 76th case and was among the group evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9.

MOH also announced four new cases on Tuesday, taking the country's total to 81.

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4 new cases including 3 linked to Grace Assembly of God church; 21 cases now linked to the cluster

Another four people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection here, with three of them linked to the biggest cluster - the Grace Assembly of God church.

The church has now been linked to 21 cases, or about a quarter of the total of 81 confirmed cases here.

The fourth person announced yesterday is also linked to previous cases – the anaesthesiologist and a Chinese national who is a non-medical contact of his.


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2 new cases reported, bringing total to 77

Five more COVID-19 patients in Singapore have been discharged from hospital, said the Ministry of Health in a daily update on Monday (Feb 17). In all, 24 cases have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.

Two new cases were also been reported on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 77.

Case 76 is a one-year-old boy who was among the group evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9 and Case 77 is a 35-year-old man, a close contact of case 50.


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Covid-19: 2 new cases in Singapore, including 1-year-old boy evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9

Two new cases of Covid-19 infection were confirmed on Monday (Feb 17) while five have been discharged from hospital.

Of the two new cases, one was among the group of Singaporeans who were evacuated from Wuhan on Feb 9 and the other was linked to a previous case.

The five discharged from hospital as of 12pm on Monday were cases 14, 15, 31, 48 and 65. In all, 24 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

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3 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, bringing total to 75

The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (Feb 16) confirmed three new COVID-19 cases, including a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular serviceman linked to a cluster at the Grace Assembly of God church.

The serviceman was one of two new cases linked to the church. The third case is a family member of another patient.

All the new cases have no recent travel history to China. This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 75.

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SAF regular among 3 new victims as Grace Assembly of God cluster grows to 18 cases

Three new cases of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, have been confirmed in Singapore, while another patient has been discharged from hospital.

Of the three new confirmed cases, two are linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God church — with one of them being a regular serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

In its press release on Sunday (Feb 16), MOH said that the serviceman has not gone to work since the onset of his symptoms. The total number of confirmed cases linked to the Grace Assembly of God church cluster is now 18.


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SAF regular among three new cases confirmed in Singapore

Three more cases of coronavirus infections have been confirmed here, bringing the total number to 75, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (Feb 16).

Of the new cases, two - including the first Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular - are linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God, and the other is linked to a previous case.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the 43-year-old serviceman worked at Building 613 of Tengah Air Base and tested positive for the infection on Saturday.


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Singapore confirms 5 new cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 72

Singapore reported five new cases of COVID-19 infection, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in an update on Saturday (Feb 15).

Of these, three are linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God church; one is linked to the cluster at Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site and the other case is linked to a previous case.

This brings the total number of novel coronavirus infections in Singapore to 72.

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5 new cases confirmed in Singapore, 3 linked to Grace Assembly church

There are now 72 cases of Covid-19 infections in Singapore, with five new cases confirmed on Saturday.

Three of the new cases are linked to the cluster at the Grace Assembly of God church, which means two clusters are linked to places of worship, prompting churches here to step up precautionary measures or even cancel church services.

One of the other cases is linked to the cluster at the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site. The fifth is a non-medical contact of case 59, a 61-year-old doctor.

related: What we know about the five clusters in Singapore

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9 more cases in Singapore, 6 linked to Grace Assembly of God cluster

Nine more confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection have emerged in Singapore, with six of these linked to the Grace Assembly of God cluster, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Feb 14).

A total of 67 people have been infected with the Covid-19 virus in Singapore so far, 13 of whom are linked to the church, making it the biggest cluster here. The MOH also said on Friday that two patients have been discharged from hospital and are well, while another six remain in the intensive care unit and are critically ill.

An employee of national water agency PUB is among the new cases. PUB said in a statement on Friday that one of its employees tested positive for Covid-19. The infected employee is an administrative staff who works in the Environment Building, and is not involved in PUB’s plant or field operations, the agency said.

related: Second known case of taxi driver infected with virus

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9 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, 6 linked to Grace Assembly of God cluster

Singapore reported nine more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday (Feb 14), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a daily update.

Of them, six are linked to a cluster from the Grace Assembly of God church, director of medical services at MOH Kenneth Mak said at a press conference.

This brings the total number of novel coronavirus cases in Singapore to 67, with six patients in critical condition.

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Nine new coronavirus cases, no plans to raise outbreak alert to red

Singapore on Friday reported nine more cases of the deadly coronavirus, bringing its total number of cases to 67. This is the largest one-day surge so far after the city state recorded eight cases on Thursday. Of the nine new cases, six are linked to a previously identified cluster involving the Grace Assembly of God church.

There are four other local transmission clusters: The Life Church and Missions Singapore; a construction site at Seletar Aerospace Heights; a health products shop that primarily serves Chinese tourists; and a business meeting at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Amid the rising number of cases, authorities highlighted that some ill people are still reporting for work, thus transmitting the virus. “This is unhelpful in our efforts to reduce community transmission,” health minister Gan Kim Yong said.

The authorities also addressed rumours that Singapore’s pandemic alert framework was going to be raised from orange to red. When the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) went from yellow to orange last Friday, Singaporeans panicked and cleared supermarket shelves of essential items. “Please help me stop the rumours,” said health minister Gan. “It is difficult enough, challenging enough for us to try to stop the spread of the virus. I want to say, categorically, that we have no plans to go to Dorscon red.”

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9 new cases confirmed in Singapore with 6 linked to Grace Assembly church

Nine more coronavirus cases have been confirmed here, with six linked to the Grace Assembly of God church.

The church is now the biggest cluster, with 13 confirmed cases. The first two patients there tested positive on Feb 11.

Three more new cases have also surfaced, bringing the total number of those who have been infected to 67, the Ministry of Health said on Friday (Feb 14).

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8 more new cases in Singapore, bringing total to 58

Eight more confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection have emerged in Singapore, with five of these linked to the Grace Assembly of God cluster and two traced to a construction site at Seletar Aerospace Heights.

This brings the total number of cases linked to the church to seven, while the construction site has four cases. A total of 58 people have been infected with the Covid-19 virus in Singapore.

HOW SOME PATIENTS ARE LINKED TO CLUSTERS:

• Cases 8 and 9, as well as Cases 31, 33 and 38, are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore (at 146B Paya Lebar Road).
• Nine patients (Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 34 and 40) are linked to the cluster associated with health products shop Yong Thai Hang (24 Cavan Road off Lavender Street).
• Three people (Cases 30, 36 and 39) are linked to the private business meeting held at Grand Hyatt Singapore from Jan 20 to 22.
• Four patients (Cases 42, 47, 52 and 56) are linked to the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.
• Seven patients (Cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57 and 58) are linked to the Grace Assembly of God church.

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Eight new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, all linked to previous patients

Eight new cases of COVID-19 were announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Feb 13), all linked to previous cases.

"Further epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between previously announced and new cases," MOH said in a press release. This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 58.

Five of the new cases are linked to the Grace Assembly of God cluster, while two are linked to the cluster at Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site. One of the new cases is a family member of a DBS employee, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday.

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NUS professor among 8 new confirmed cases, total 58

8 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Singapore, all with no recent travel history to China, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Thursday (Feb 13).

Seven of the confirmed cases (Cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57 and 58) are linked to the Grace Assembly of God. One is a professor who works in NUS.

Case 53 is a 54 year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID. He is linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God. This takes the total number of cases in Singapore to 58.


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3 new cases of COVID-19 in Singapore, bringing total to 50

Singapore has three new cases of COVID-19, director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH) Kenneth Mak said at a media conference on Wednesday (Feb 12).

Of them, two are from the Grace Assembly of God church, and one of them works at DBS bank at the Marina Bay Financial Centre. All three of them are Singaporean and have no recent travel history to mainland China. The two patients linked to the church are two male employees aged 34 and 46 who visited both Grace Assembly of God churches at Tanglin and Bukit Batok, MOH said. The DBS employee is 62 years old.

This brings the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Singapore to 50.

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3 new cases of Covid-19 in Singapore, with 2 more clusters identified

Three new cases of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, have been confirmed in Singapore, while six patients have been discharged from hospital.

Two new clusters have also emerged — one at the Grace Assembly of God church and Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 50 and the number who have recovered from the virus to 15, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference by the multi-ministry task force on Wednesday (Feb 12).

HOW SOME PATIENTS ARE LINKED TO CLUSTERS:

• Cases 8 and 9, as well as Cases 31, 33 and 38, are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore (at 146B Paya Lebar Road).
• Nine patients (Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 34 and 40) are linked to the cluster associated with Yong Thai Hang (24 Cavan Road off Lavender Street).
• Three people (Cases 30, 36 and 39) are linked to the private business meeting held at Grand Hyatt Singapore from Jan 20 to 22.
• Two patients (Cases 42 and 47) are linked to the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site.
• Two (Cases 48 and 49) are linked to the Grace Assembly of God church.

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Singapore's DBS Sends 300 Staff Home After One Contracts Coronavirus

Singapore's biggest bank DBS Group Holdings asked 300 staff to leave its head office in the financial district on Wednesday and work from home as a precautionary measure after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.

Singapore has reported 50 coronavirus cases, one of the highest tallies outside China, and there is mounting evidence of local transmission. The government has been trying to calm nerves after it raised the virus alert level last week, sparking panic buying of essentials such as rice and toilet paper.

"DBS confirms today that one employee has been infected with the novel coronavirus," it said in a statement. DBS said an employee was tested on Feb. 11 and the bank was informed of the confirmation of coronavirus on Wednesday morning.

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300 employees vacate MBFC Tower 3 after coronavirus case confirmed at DBS Asia Central

About 300 DBS employees vacated their office at Marina Bay Financial Centre on Wednesday (Feb 12), after an employee was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus.

An e-mail seen by The Straits Times sent at 12.55pm on Wednesday said that there was a confirmed case at the DBS Asia Central office on the 43rd storey of Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC) Tower 3.

A DBS spokesman said the employee was tested on Tuesday and the bank was informed of the confirmation on Wednesday morning.


related: Fifth cluster found at another church

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Why Singapore is so vulnerable to coronavirus spread

Several international cases of the coronavirus from the UK to South Korea can be traced back to Singapore and some countries are now advising against travel to the international hub. But while Singapore has been commended for its management of the crisis, the tiny city-state faces unique challenges.

Changi airport in Singapore is one of the most interconnected hubs in the world. In fact, there's a flight taking off and arriving every 80 seconds here, making it more connected than JFK and San Francisco in the US and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

But the scenes there these days are very different. Dozens of thermal scanners dot the terminals, automatically taking the temperature of passengers as they enter and exit Singapore. Travellers are checked for fever, cold and cough symptoms - airport staff on the lookout for any sign of the coronavirus. The country's open borders and interconnectedness as well as its pro-active approach to testing means it has reported one of the highest tallies outside mainland China - 50.

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2 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, bringing total to 47

Singapore reported two more confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday (Feb 11), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update.

One had worked at the same location as another Bangladeshi coronavirus patient, the other is a Singapore permanent resident (PR) who lives in Johor Bahru and works at Resorts World Sentosa Casino.

This brings the number of cases in Singapore to 47, with seven in critical condition.

related: 19 quarantine orders issued after Bangladeshi worker infected

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2 new cases in S'pore including man who works at RWS casino; 2 more discharged bringing total recovered to 9

Two more coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Feb 11), bringing the total number discovered with the illness here to 47.

One of the two new cases is a 39-year-old Bangladeshi worker who had worked at Seletar Aerospace Heights, the same location as another Bangladeshi who was found to have the virus last Saturday. Both did not live on the same premises.

The other is a 35-year-old Singapore permanent resident living in Johor Baru, who works at the Resorts World Sentosa casino.


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2 new cases in S'pore, bringing total to 45

There are two new coronavirus cases in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday evening (Feb 10), bringing the total number of cases here to 45.

7 of those infected are now in critical condition and in the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, a total of seven have been discharged, MOH added.

One of the new cases is a 37-year-old Singaporean man who works at Certis and had been on duty at Chingay. The other case is a two-year-old Singaporean girl who was evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30 on a Scoot flight.

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ONE MORE CASE DISCHARGED; TWO NEW CASES OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION CONFIRMED

One more confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has been discharged from hospital today. In all, seven have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.

As of 10 February 2020, 12pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two additional cases of 2019-nCoV infection in Singapore. Of these, one was on the evacuation flight from Wuhan on 30 January. Contact tracing of the other case is underway.

Of the 23 locally transmitted cases, epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between 15 of the cases with the three currently known clusters1. Contact tracing is underway for the other eight locally transmitted cases, including Case 44, to establish if they are linked to previous cases or persons with travel history to mainland China.

related: UPDATES ON 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (2019-NCOV)

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Coronavirus cases in Singapore: Trends, clusters and key numbers to watch

As more novel coronavirus cases are confirmed in Singapore and more locally transmitted cases emerge, here's a look at the clusters that have become apparent, the patients who have no known links to the virus, as well as those who have recovered or whose condition has taken a turn for the worse.

THE CLUSTERS:

• The first and largest locally transmitted cluster so far is associated with health products shop Yong Thai Hang at 24 Cavan Road
• Separately, a possible cluster has emerged around The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar
• The cluster associated with a business meeting at the Grand Hyatt hotel

PATIENTS WITH NO KNOWN LINKS:

• Amid the emergence of several locally transmitted cases with no recent travel history to China or links with the other confirmed cases, authorities raised the DORSCON risk assessment framework for coronavirus to orange.
• Instances of such patients whose links with other cases are so far unclear include a Victoria Junior College teacher (case 32) , a taxi driver (case 35) and a private-hire driver (case 37).
• The Ministry of Health has been carrying out contact tracing for all confirmed cases, but any links that these four might have to existing cases have yet to emerge.

IMPORTED CASES:

• As of Feb 10, there have been at least 22 imported cases of coronavirus in Singapore.
• Many are Chinese nationals who entered Singapore on or before Jan 23, the date China authorities imposed a lockdown on Wuhan to prevent the spread of the virus.
• At least five of the imported cases are Singaporeans who were evacuated from Wuhan on a Scoot flight on Jan 30. They include a two-year-old girl who was diagnosed with the virus on Feb 10.

PATIENTS IN CRITICAL CONDITION:

• All the patients had been in stable condition previously but several began taking a turn for the worse, with the Ministry of Health announcing on Feb 6 that one patient was in the intensive care unit and another requiring additional oxygen support.
• As of Feb 10, seven patients are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
• The Ministry of Health declined to provide further details on the identity of these cases, citing patient confidentiality.

PATIENTS WHO HAVE RECOVERED:

• Seven patients (cases 2, 7, 10, 11, 13, 22 and 26) have been discharged after testing negative for the virus.
• They include a 73-year-old woman and her 42-year-old daughter from China, as well as the only Singaporean (case 22) to have been discharged so far.

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3 new cases in Singapore, total at 43

The Ministry of Health on Sunday (9 February) confirmed three new cases of the novel coronavirus infection, all of which are locally transmitted and bringing the total number of cases to 43. The three men are two Singaporeans aged 71 and 54, and a 39-year-old Bangladeshi. All have no recent travel history to China.

The health ministry also said that four cases have been discharged from hospital on Sunday, bringing the total number of those who have fully recovered and discharged to six. The discharged cases are number 10, 13, 22 and 26. “Of the remaining 37 still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Six are in critical condition in the intensive care unit,” it added.

Meanwhile, 516 of the suspect cases have tested negative for the virus as of noon on Sunday. Results are pending for the remaining 98 cases. The ministry said contact tracing of the new cases is underway. As of noon on Sunday, it has identified 989 close contacts.

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3 new cases confirmed in Singapore, 4 more discharged

Three new cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Singapore, all with no recent travel history to China, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Sunday (Feb 9).

This takes the total number of cases in Singapore to 43. Of these, six are in critical condition in intensive care.

Four more people - cases 10, 13, 22 and 26 - were discharged from hospital on Sunday, said the ministry, meaning that six people in total have fully recovered from the infection.

related: What we know about the 43 confirmed cases

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Of the 43 cases so far, 26 are male, 17 female; local cases now exceed imported ones

On Jan 23, the Ministry of Health reported the first case of coronavirus in Singapore. As of Feb 9, there have been a total of 43 cases, of which 22 are locally transmitted, the ministry said. The early patients were tourists from Wuhan. In the past week, local transmissions started appearing and now exceed imported ones.

As of Feb 9, six patients have been discharged – five China nationals and one Singaporean, who had been evacuated from Wuhan. But six patients - up from four on Feb 8 - are in critical care.

An analysis by The Straits Times shows that of the 43 so far:

• 26 patients are male and 17 female
• 16 are visitors from China, 22 are Singaporeans, two are Singapore permanent residents, one is a domestic worker from Indonesia, and two are Singapore work pass holders, one from China and the other from Bangladesh
• The median age of all patients is 41 years. The median for Singaporeans is 43.5 years and for China nationals is 37.5 years
• The youngest is six months old and the oldest 73 years old; there is also one teenager – a 17-year-old boy
• Five of the 43 are under the age of 30
• Eleven are in their 50s. Coincidentally, five are aged 56

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Three more cases of 2019-nCoV infection in Singapore without travel history to China or links to previously confirmed cases

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed three additional cases of 2019 novel coronavirus infection in Singapore. This makes a total of 43 infected cases so far.

All three new confirmed cases have no recent travel history to China or links to previously confirmed cases. Of the 22 locally transmitted cases, epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between 15 of the cases with the three currently known clusters. Of the remaining 37 who are still in hospital, most are stable or improving. Six are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

New confirmed cases:

• Case 41 is a 71 year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• Case 42 is a 39 year-old male Bangladesh national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and has no recent travel history to China.
• Case 43 is a 54 year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.

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7 new cases in Singapore, bringing total to 40

There are seven new coronavirus cases in Singapore, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday (Feb 8). Of these, five are linked to previously announced cases.

Among the new confirmed cases are a taxi driver and a private-hire car driver, it said. There is also a possible new cluster comprising five cases, linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar.

The total number of people infected here has grown to 40. Two of the patients have been discharged, but four are now in critical condition and in the intensive care unit, said MOH in its latest update.

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Seven new infected cases announced by MOH; Two new cases with no travel history to China or links to previous cases

The Ministry of Health has just announced on Saturday (8 Feb) that seven new cases of novel Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed. This brings the total number of infected cases in Singapore to 40 so far.

According to MOH, two new cases have not recently travelled to China or links to previous confirmed infected cases. These along with the four announced on Thursday and Friday, adds up to six in total.

New confirmed cases:

• Case 34 is a 40-year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• Case 35 is a 64-year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• Case 36 is a 38 year-old female Singapore Permanent Resident with no recent travel history to China but had been in Johor Bahru from 25 to 28 January.
• Case 37 is a 53 year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• Case 38 is a 52 year-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• Case 39 is a 51 year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China, but who had travelled to Malaysia from 23 January to 2 February.
• Case 40 is a 36-year-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.

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7 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, including taxi and private-hire drivers

Singapore confirmed seven new cases of novel coronavirus on Saturday (Feb 8), including a taxi driver and a private-hire car driver, taking the country's tally to 40. All seven patients had not travelled to China recently, said the ministry.

Of the 40 confirmed cases, four are in critical condition, with one requiring additional oxygen support.

Two have been discharged, and the remaining are mostly "stable or improving", said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a press release.

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3 new confirmed, unlinked cases in Singapore, bringing total to 33

Three new cases of the novel coronavirus infection with no links to previous cases or recent travel history to China were announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (7 February), including a female teacher from Victoria Junior College (VJC).

This brings the number of confirmed cases of infection with no links to previous cases or recent travel history to China to four, and the total number of confirmed cases to 33.

All three cases, announced during a multi-ministry taskforce on the Wuhan coronavirus press conference, were Singaporeans. These cases - two women and a man - tested positive for the virus on Thursday at about 11pm. One of the cases is a 42-year-old woman who taught at Victoria Junior College before being admitted to hospital. She reported the onset of symptoms on 2 February.

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Religious teacher under investigation by MHA, Muis for post saying novel coronavirus was retribution from Allah against Chinese

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) are investigating a religious teacher who had said on Facebook that the novel coronavirus was retribution by Allah against the Chinese for oppressing Muslim Uighurs.

In a Facebook post on Friday (Feb 7), Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam slammed the comments made by Mr Abdul Al-Halim on Jan 29, saying that they were silly, can be rebutted by reference to other examples and xenophobic.

Mr Shanmugam said in his Facebook post that Mr Abdul’s comments were “thoroughly racist”, as he had stated that Chinese people do not wash properly after defecating and were not as hygienic as Muslims, and he had suggested that that had caused the virus to spread. He said such comments were “quite unacceptable from anyone, let alone someone who is supposed to be a religious teacher.”

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Singapore confirms 2 new local infections, bringing total to 30

Two more Singaporeans were confirmed to have been infected by the coronavirus, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday (Feb 6). One did not travel to China recently and does not seem to be linked to previous cases.

The 41-year-old patient with no apparent links to past cases tested positive for the virus late on Wednesday night. Contact tracing is still in progress, with a focus on identifying any links he may have with past cases or travellers from China. The other case announced on Thursday also has no recent travel history to China. The 27-year-old Singaporean, however, went to a conference at the Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel last month. Three other attendees - two South Koreans and a Malaysian - tested positive for the virus after they left Singapore.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases here to 30, of which 11 are Singaporeans.


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Four new cases of Wuhan coronavirus in Singapore; 28 in total so far

On Wednesday (5 Feb), the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed four new cases of the novel Wuhan coronavirus in Singapore. This brings the total number of infected cases to 28 in total.

Of these, three cases are linked to the cluster of local transmission announced yesterday, and one is an imported case involving a Chinese tourist from Wuhan. The ministry highlighted that there is no evidence of widespread community transmission in Singapore yet.

Four new cases:

• Case 25, a 40 year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to China, is the husband of the 32-year-old female tourist guide
• Case 26 is a 42 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 21 January
• Case 27 is a 45-year-old male Singapore Citizen who is the husband of Case 19
• Case 28 is a six month-old male Singapore Citizen who is the child of Cases 19 and 27

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Here's an online map that pinpoints coronavirus infection cases in Singapore

The latest updates on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak have not been uplifting, as the spread continues. In Singapore, the total number of confirmed local cases currently stands at 28, including a six-month-old baby whose parents are infected as well.

The concerning bit is that signs of local transmissions have appeared. Four of the infected patients had no recent travel history to China, though they had “prolonged interaction” with recent travellers from China. The Ministry of Health (MOH) assured the public that there is no evidence of widespread community transmission in Singapore for now.

It is, however, pretty difficult to visualise just how broad the virus has branched out across the island. Found on Reddit, a local independent initiative has seen the creation of an interactive map of Singapore with pinpointed locations of infected cases based on publicly available information put out by MOH.

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Singapore virus tally hits 24 with first local transmission cases

Singapore has reported six more cases of a newly identified coronavirus, including four domestic transmissions, taking its tally of infections to 24, the health ministry of the southeast Asian city-state said on Tuesday.

“Though four of these cases constitute a local transmission cluster, there is as yet no evidence of widespread sustained community transmission in Singapore,” the health ministry said in a statement.

All four cases were linked to a health products shop that primarily serves Chinese tourists, the ministry added. The other two infections were in Singapore residents evacuated on Thursday from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have surfaced late last year in a market selling illegal wildlife.


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6 new cases of novel coronavirus in Singapore; This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 24

Six patients in Singapore, including four with no recent travel history to China, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Tuesday (Feb 4).

The four cases of local transmission are linked to travellers from China, the ministry said. Another two cases are Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30.

Of the four locally transmitted cases, three had "prolonged interactions" with recent travellers from China. Two of the Chinese travellers have since been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, according to health authorities in China.

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Singapore reports its first cases of local coronavirus transmission

Two women who work at Yong Thai Hang (above), a Chinese health products shop in Cavan Road that caters to Chinese tour groups, have come down with the coronavirus, as has a tour guide who led Chinese tourists there.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Singapore has recorded its first cases of local coronavirus transmission, with four women here infected who had not travelled to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Two work at Yong Thai Hang, a Chinese health products shop in Cavan Road, in Lavender, that caters to Chinese tour groups. The third is a maid of one of the women, while the fourth is a tour guide who had taken groups to the same shop.

In addition, another two confirmed cases were announced on Tuesday (Feb 4). The two were among a group of 92 people flown back to Singapore from Wuhan on a Scoot flight last Thursday.


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Two more imported cases of nCoV infection in Singapore, bringing the total number to 18

All are in stable condition. None of the previously announced cases are critically ill and most are improving. Contact tracing for all confirmed cases is ongoing.

A timeline of the confirmed cases:

• 1 Feb 2020, 2pm - 17th and 18th imported cases confirmed
• 31 Jan 2020, 2pm - 14th, 15th and 16th imported cases confirmed
• 30 Jan 2020, 2pm - 11th, 12th and 13th imported cases confirmed
• 29 Jan 2020, 2pm - 8th, 9th and 10th imported case confirmed
• 28 Jan 2020, 12pm - 6th and 7th imported cases confirmed
• 27 Jan 2020, 2pm - 5th imported case confirmed
• 25 Jan 2020, 10pm - 4th imported case confirmed
• 24 Jan 2020 - 2nd and 3rd imported cases confirmed
• 23 Jan 2020 - 1st imported case confirmed

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TWO MORE CONFIRMED IMPORTED CASES OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN SINGAPORE

As of 1 February 2020, 2pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two additional imported cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Singapore. Sixteen confirmed cases were earlier announced by MOH.

Both cases have recent travel history to Wuhan. There is currently no evidence of community spread in Singapore.

About the cases:

• The 17th case is a 47 year-old female Singapore Citizen who travelled to Wuhan.
• The 18th case is a 31 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 22 January.

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Another S’porean infected with Wuhan virus, total confirmed cases in S’pore at 18

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two new cases of the Wuhan novel coronavirus in Singapore on Feb. 1, making them the 17th and 18th confirmed cases.

Both cases have recent travel history to Wuhan and there is currently no evidence of community spread in Singapore.

MOH reports that the 17th case is a 47-year-old female Singaporean who travelled to Wuhan. She was one of the Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on Jan. 30, and arrived in Singapore via Scoot on the same day.

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Three more imported cases of Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore, bringing the total number to 16

All the confirmed cases in Singapore are Chinese nationals from Hubei. There is no community spread thus far.

MOH has been conducting epidemiological investigations and contact tracing to identify individuals who had close contact with the cases.

A timeline of the confirmed cases:

• 31 Jan 2020, 2pm - 14th, 15th and 16th imported cases confirmed
• 30 Jan 2020, 2pm - 11th, 12th and 13th imported cases confirmed
• 29 Jan 2020, 2pm - 8th, 9th and 10th imported case confirmed
• 28 Jan 2020, 12pm - 6th and 7th imported cases confirmed
• 27 Jan 2020, 2pm - 5th imported case confirmed
• 25 Jan 2020, 10pm - 4th imported case confirmed
• 24 Jan 2020 - 2nd and 3rd imported cases confirmed
• 23 Jan 2020 - 1st imported case confirmed

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THREE MORE CONFIRMED IMPORTED CASES OF WUHAN CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN SINGAPORE

As of 31 January 2020, 2pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed three additional imported cases of Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore. Thirteen confirmed cases were earlier announced by MOH.

All three cases have recent travel history to Wuhan. There is currently no evidence of community spread in Singapore.

About the cases:

• The 14th case is a 31 year-old male Chinese national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder.
• The 15th case is a 47 year-old female Singapore Citizen who travelled to Wuhan with her family.
• The 16th case is a 38 year-old male Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 22 January.

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1st S’porean to be infected with Wuhan virus among 3 new cases in S’pore, was evacuated from Wuhan on Jan. 30

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed three new cases, making them the 14th, 15th and 16th people to be infected by the Wuhan novel coronavirus in Singapore.

Among these three are the first Singapore citizen infected with the virus, who was among those who returned from Wuhan recently.

The 15th case is a 47-year-old female Singapore Citizen who travelled to Wuhan with her family. She was one of the Singaporeans evacuated from Wuhan on January 30, and arrived in Singapore on the same day.

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Three more confirmed cases of Wuhan virus - 13 confirmed cases in Singapore so far

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced on Thursday (30 Jan) that another three people have been confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan coronavirus. This makes a total of 13 confirmed Wuhan virus cases in Singapore.

The 11th case is a 31-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 22 Jan. She was a travelling companion of the fourth confirmed case. The 12th case is a 37-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 22 Jan with her family. The 13th confirmed case is a 73-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan, who arrived in Singapore with her family on 21 Jan.

Cases so far:

• Tenth case is a 56-year-old male Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 20 January.
• Ninth case is 56-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 19 January with the eighth case.
• Eighth case is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 19 January with her husband.
• Seventh case is a 35-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 23 January with family and friends.
• Sixth case is a 56-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on 19 January.
• Fifth case is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on 18 January.
• The fourth confirmed case is a 36-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on 22 January.
• The third case is that of a 37-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan, son of the first confirmed case who arrived on 20 Jan.
• The second case is a 53-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on 21 January.
• And the first confirmed case is a 66-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan, the father of the third case who arrived in Singapore on 20 Jan.

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Singapore confirms 3 new cases of Wuhan virus; total of 10 infected

A person wearing a protective face mask at Orchard Road, Singapore on Jan 28. (File photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Singapore on Wednesday (Jan 29) confirmed three new cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, bringing the total number of people infected in the country to 10.

All three cases are Chinese nationals who travelled from Wuhan, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a press release. "This is consistent with our assessment that more imported cases are expected from Hubei province. There is currently no evidence of community spread in Singapore," said MOH.

Confirmed cases so far:

• Singapore confirmed its first case of the coronavirus on Jan 23, a 66-year-old Wuhan man who had stayed at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa.
• A day later, the man's 37-year-old son and an unrelated 53-year-old woman, also from Wuhan, tested positive for the virus.
• On Jan 26, it announced its fourth confirmed case - a 36-year-old man from Wuhan who had stayed at Village Hotel Sentosa.
• A fifth case was confirmed the following day – a 56-year-old female woman from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan 18.
• Singapore confirms 2 more new cases, bringing total number infected to 7

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Three more confirmed imported cases of Wuhan Coronavirus in Singapore; Ten confirmed cases in total so far

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced three more additional cases of Wuhan coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Singapore as of 29 January 2020, 2 pm. This makes the total number of confirmed cases to be ten so far. According to the ministry, all three cases are Chinese nationals who travelled from Wuhan, which is consistent with its assessment that more imported cases are expected from Hubei province.

There is currently no evidence of community spread in Singapore, stressed the ministry. The ministry stated that the eighth and ninth cases are a 56-year-old female and 56-year-old male respectively. The married couple is both Chinese nationals from Wuhan who arrived together in Singapore on 19 January. The tenth confirmed case is a 56-year-old male Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 20 January. He is currently warded in an isolation room at NCID.

Cases so far:

• Seventh case is a 35-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on 23 January with family and friends.
• Sixth case is a 56-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on 19 January.
• Fifth case is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on 18 January.
• The fourth confirmed case is a 36-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on 22 January.
• The third case is that of a 37-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan, son of the first confirmed case who arrived on 20 Jan.
• The second case is a 53-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on 21 January.
• And the first confirmed case is a 66-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan, the father of the third case who arrived in Singapore on 20 Jan.

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2 new confirmed cases in Singapore, bringing total to 7; no entry or transit for new visitors from Hubei

People wearing masks around the premises of National Centre for Infectious Diseases on Jan 28, 2020.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Two new cases of Wuhan virus have been confirmed in Singapore, bringing the total number of infected people here to seven, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday (Jan 28).

With three confirmed cases within the last 24 hours, the trend of infection among Chinese nationals from Wuhan's Hubei province in Singapore is accelerating, in line with the sharp increase in global infection rates, said the ministry.

This presents a heightened risk to Singapore, although there is at yet no evidence that the virus has spread in the community.

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Singapore confirms 2 more new cases, bringing total number infected to 7

A man seen wearing a protective face mask in Singapore on Jan 28. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Two new cases of the Wuhan virus have been confirmed in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Jan 28).

The new cases bring the total number of people with the coronavirus in Singapore to seven. Both patients are Chinese nationals from Wuhan in Hubei province.

A 56-year-old male arrived from Wuhan on Jan 19 and subsequently developed a cough on Jan 25.

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Fifth confirmed case of Wuhan virus in Singapore: MOH

 A fifth case of the Wuhan virus has been confirmed in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Monday night (Jan 27).

The confirmed case is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan 18, the authority said on Monday.

“She is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and her condition is stable,” MOH said.

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Singapore reports fifth confirmed case after Chinese woman flies from Wuhan with family

A health officer screens arriving passengers from China at Changi International airport in Singapore, where a fifth coronavirus case has been confirmed. Photo: AFP

Singapore confirmed its fifth case of the coronavirus on Monday. The patient is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on January 18, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The woman has been warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). She is in a stable condition.

The health ministry said the patient was asymptomatic during her flight to Singapore but developed symptoms several days later, on January 24. She was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in an ambulance two days later.

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Singapore confirms 5th case; patient from Wuhan stayed at her family's home in Ceylon Road

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed a fifth case of Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore.

The patient is a 56-year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan 18.

The case was confirmed at 2pm on Monday (Jan 27), said MOH.

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University students move out of campus residences designated as quarantine centres

Students move their belongings to their new block at Prince George's Park Residences on Jan 27, 2020. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Allocated government quarantine facilities in Singapore - such as chalets and university hostels - can accommodate about 1,000 people, should there be a need to do so.

At a press conference on Monday morning (Jan 27), Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said hostels at three universities have been designated as government quarantine facilities.

“I apologised to the students for the inconvenience and seek their understanding. This is part of our national response. I think as part of this national response, we just want to get the facilities ready,” he said.

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NUS, NTU, SMU hostels to be used as quarantine facilities for Wuhan virus

Three hostels in autonomous universities will be used as quarantine facilities in Singapore as authorities prepare for an increase in suspected cases of the Wuhan coronavirus.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung told reporters on Monday (Jan 27) that a hostel each from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) are being cleaned up before being repurposed into government quarantine facilities.

The hostels are NUS' Prince George's Park Residences, NTU's Graduate Hall 1 and SMU's 83 Prinsep Street. Mr Ong said most students - including foreigners - affected will be transferred to other hostels on campus.

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'Leave of absence' step to affect 800 students in Singapore

The move is expected to affect an estimated 800 students returning from China from around mid-January, who will be asked to stay at home.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

All students and school staff who returned from mainland China in the past two weeks will have to take 14 days' leave of absence, as a precautionary measure against the Wuhan virus.

The move will apply to those in Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, special education schools, junior colleges and the Millennia Institute, who arrived in Singapore on Jan 15 or later.

It will also apply to students and staff from polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education who returned on Jan 14 or later.

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Public buses and trains need to be thoroughly disinfected

The report about Singapore's fourth confirmed case of the Wuhan virus infection said that the man had taken public transport during his stay here (No new confirmed cases of virus in S'pore after fourth patient, Jan 27).

The authorities have said the "risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or in public spaces, is assessed to be low".

The Wuhan outbreak has reached a critical stage and there is growing evidence of the virus' spread through human-to-human transmission (Efforts to tackle situation at critical juncture, says China, Jan 27).

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Singapore confirms 4th case of Wuhan virus: Patient from Wuhan stayed at Sentosa hotel

Passengers arriving at Changi Airport Terminal 3 from a Hangzhou flight go past a thermal scanner.ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed a fourth case of Wuhan virus.

The patient is a 36-year-old man from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on Jan 22.

The case was confirmed at about 9.30pm on Saturday (Jan 25), said MOH.

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4th confirmed case of Wuhan virus in Singapore: MOH

Sengkang General Hospital opened on Mar 23, 2019. (Photo: Sengkang General Hospital)

A fourth case of the Wuhan virus has been confirmed in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement early on Sunday (Jan 26).

The latest case is a 36-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with his family on Wednesday, the ministry said.

“He is currently warded in an isolation room at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) and his condition is stable,” said MOH.

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No new confirmed cases in Singapore after the three announced earlier, says MOH

Temperature screening stations at Tuas Checkpoint as seen on Jan 24, 2020. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

There are no new confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus here, after the three that were announced earlier, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Jan 25).

MOH has so far been notified of a total of 64 suspect cases. Three tested positive for the virus, 29 tested negative and results for the remaining 32 cases are pending.

On contact tracing efforts for the three confirmed cases, the ministry said that 46 individuals have been identified as close contacts for the first case, involving a 66-year-old man from Wuhan.

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Singapore confirms 2 more Wuhan virus cases, bringing total to 3 infected

An isolation ward at Singapore General Hospital. More imported cases are expected given the large number of cases in China and high travel volume from China to Singapore. PHOTO: SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL

Another two people here have been confirmed to have the Wuhan virus, bringing the total to three, the Ministry of Health said on Friday (Jan 24).

The first confirmed case was a 66-year-old man from Wuhan who is here on holiday. He is currently in stable condition at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

His 37-year-old son who was travelling with him has since been confirmed to have the virus too. He is also at SGH and in stable condition.

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No new cases of Wuhan virus in Singapore, 64 suspected cases so far: MOH

An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer taking a baby's temperature at Tuas Checkpoint on Friday (Jan 24), the day the authorities began temperature checks at both land checkpoints

There were no new cases of the Wuhan virus as of noon on Saturday (Jan 25), said the Ministry of Health (MOH), adding that it has been notified of 64 suspected cases in total.

Of the 64, 29 tested negative for the new coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China. Test results for 32 cases are pending.

Singapore has so far confirmed three cases of the SARS-like virus.

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Two more people test positive for Wuhan virus in Singapore

Two more people have tested positive for the Wuhan virus in Singapore, bringing the total number of cases to three, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday (Jan 24).

The new patients include the 37-year-old son of the first confirmed case, MOH said in a media briefing on Friday afternoon.

The second new confirmed case is a 53-year-old woman from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on a Scoot flight TR121 at 5.30am on Jan 21.

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Wuhan virus: MFA in touch with 35 Singaporeans in Wuhan, all are safe

Singaporeans should avoid all travel to Hubei province in China, including its capital city of Wuhan from where a virus outbreak that has killed more than 40 people originated from.PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

There are 35 Singaporeans in Wuhan who are in touch with Singapore's Foreign Ministry.

They are all well, MFA said in a statement on Saturday (Jan 25).

All Singaporeans currently in China are advised to register with MFA so that they can receive updated information and consular assistance where necessary, the ministry added.

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POFMA Office issues correction notice to SPH Magazines over HardwareZone Forum post on Wuhan virus

The office overseeing the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) has been instructed to issue a general correction notice to SPH Magazines over a post on HardwareZone Forum. (Photo: Factually)

The office overseeing the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) has been instructed to issue a general correction notice to SPH Magazines over a post on HardwareZone Forum.

This came at the instruction of Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, the POFMA Office said in a media release on Monday (Jan 27).

“A false statement was made in a HardwareZone forum post, claiming that a man has died from the Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore. HardwareZone is required to carry the Correction Notice to all end-users in Singapore who use HardwareZone.com,” said the POFMA Office.

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SPH Magazines complies with Pofma correction order on false HardwareZone post

SPH Magazines has complied with an order by the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) office to correct an online post in the HardwareZone Forum that falsely claimed that a man has died from the Wuhan virus infection. PHOTO: GOV.SG

SPH Magazines has complied with an order by the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) office to correct an online post in the HardwareZone Forum that falsely claimed that a man has died from the Wuhan virus infection.

"A false statement was made in a HardwareZone forum post, claiming that a man has died from the Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore. HardwareZone is required to carry the Correction Notice to all end-users in Singapore who use HardwareZone.com," said the Pofma Office said in a statement early on Monday.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong instructed the order to be issued, Pofma Office added.

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WHO names novel coronavirus as 'COVID-19'

The UN health agency on Tuesday (Feb 11) announced that "COVID-19" will be the official name of the deadly coronavirus from China, saying the disease represented a "very grave threat" for the world but there was a "realistic chance" of stopping it.

"We now have a name for the disease and it's COVID-19," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.

Tedros said that "co" stands for "corona", "vi" for "virus" and "d" for "disease", while "19" was for the year, as the outbreak was first identified on Dec 31.

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3 websites that visually track coronavirus cases in Singapore

Since the start of the outbreak last month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been quite diligent in keeping everyone updated about the unfolding coronavirus outbreak here. But if you prefer visual representations over wordy press releases, bookmark these three websites to keep track of the viral infection around our neck of the woods:

• MOH: COVID-19 Situation Dashboard
• SG Wuhan
• Wuhanvirus.sg

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Trends, clusters and key numbers to watch

As more novel coronavirus cases are confirmed in Singapore and more locally transmitted cases emerge, here's a look at the clusters that have become apparent, the patients who have no known links to the virus, as well as those who have recovered or whose condition has taken a turn for the worse.

THE CLUSTERS:

• The first cluster to be identified, at health products shop Yong Thai Hang, has 9 cases, (Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 34 and 40).
• Separately, a possible cluster has emerged around The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar, with 10 people who had been there confirmed to have contracted the virus (Cases 8, 9, 31, 33, 38, 83, 90, 91, 138 & 151).
• Meanwhile, five Bangladeshi work pass holders are linked to a cluster at Bombardier's Singapore Service Centre expansion site at Seletar Aerospace Heights. (Cases 42, 47, 52, 56 and 69).
• The cluster associated with a business meeting at the Grand Hyatt hotel saw some of its participants spread the virus beyond Singapore's borders (Cases 30, 36 and 39).
• The Grace Assembly of God church branches at Tanglin and Bukit Batok have emerged as the largest locally transmitted cluster, with 23 confirmed cases (cases 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 78, 80, 81, 84, & 88) linked directly to it.
• A new coronavirus cluster, the sixth, has surfaced in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday as it announced two new confirmed cases. Both are linked to Wizlearn Technologies, an e-learning solutions company in Science Park II. Two earlier cases - 93 and 95 - are also linked to the firm. 14 cases in the new cluster (cases 93, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108 & 110).
• New cluster involving a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong. 40 cases in this new cluster (Cases 94, 96, 107, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 140, 142, 144, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 164, 166 & 174).

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Here’s every Wuhan virus infection in Singapore on a map

At least 10 Singaporeans have now been infected with the Chinese coronavirus inside the city-state and on Friday afternoon the authorities formally raised the alarm that the disease threat is severe and spreading in Singapore. 

Raising the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition, or DORSCON, level from yellow to orange on Friday means schools will suspend off-campus activities, according to the Health Ministry. The change was announced after Singapore announced three new infections in people who had not been to China, bringing the total tally to 33.

Two of the new cases involved people who had recently traveled to Malaysia, while the third was a teacher at the Victoria Junior College. All three are Singaporeans.

Every Wuhan virus infection in Singapore:

• 1: Chinese man, 66, from Wuhan traveled to Singapore 7with his family on Jan 20.
• 2: Chinese woman, 53, from Wuhan traveled to Singapore with her family on Jan 21.
• 3: Chinese man, 37, from Wuhan, and son of first confirmed patient.
• 4: Chinese man, 36, from Wuhan traveled to Singapore on Jan 22 with his family.
• 5: Chinese woman, 56, from Wuhan traveled to Singapore with her family on Jan 18.
• 6: Chinese man, 56, from Wuhan traveled to Singapore with his family on Jan 19.
• 7: Chinese man, 35, from Wuhan arrived in Singapore on Jan 23 with family and friends.
• 8 & 9: Chinese married couple from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on Jan 19.
• 10: Chinese man, 56, from Wuhan arrived in Singapore on Jan 20.
• 11: Chinese woman, 31, arrived in S'pore Jan 22 and traveled with 4th confirmed patient.
• 12: Chinese woman, 37, from Wuhan arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan 22.
• 13: Chinese woman, 73, from Wuhan arrive Spore with family Jan 21, contact of 2nd patient.
• 14: Chinese man, 31, who works in Singapore where he stays at Jurong East Street 13.
• 15 (Singaporean): woman, 47, was 1 of the 92 Sporeans evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30.
• 16: Chinese man, 38, from Wuhan arrived Spore Jan 22 & stayed at his home at Nathan Rd.
• 17 (Singaporean): Singaporean woman, 47, among those evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30.
• 18: Chinese woman, 31, from Wuhan travel to Spore with 12th confirmed patient on Jan 22.
• 19 (Singaporean): woman, 28, contact group of 20 Chinese tourists from Guangxi province.
• 20 (Singaporean): woman, 48, colleague of 19th patient, developed symptoms on Jan 25.
• 21 (Indonesian): woman, 44, worked for 19th patient as domestic worker, symptoms on Feb 2.
• 22 (Singaporean): man, 41, tested positive after being evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30.
• 23 (Singaporean): A 17-yr-old man tested positive after evacuated from Wuhan on Jan 30.
• 24 (Singaporean): woman, 32, a tour guide who brought Guangxi tourists to Yong Thai Hang.
• 25 (Singaporean): Singaporean man, 40, is the husband of the tour guide.
• 26: Chinese woman, 42, from Wuhan arrived Spore Jan 21 with mother, who is 13th patient.
• 27 (Singaporean): Singaporean private-hire driver, 45, tested positive on Feb. 5.
• 28 (Singaporean): Six-month-old baby boy is son of the private-hire driver and 19th patient.
• 29 (Singaporean): man, 41, tested positive Feb 5 admitted to Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
• 30 (Singaporean): man, 27, tested positive Feb 6 attended business meeting at Grand Hyatt.
• 31 (Singaporean): man, 53, tested positive Feb 6, after he visited Malaysia on Jan 6, 11 & 17.
• 32 (Singaporean): woman, 42, teacher Victoria Jr College admitted Parkway E Hospital Feb 5.
• 33 (Singaporean): Woman, 39, tested positive Feb. 6 after visiting Malaysia from Jan. 22-29.
• 34 (Singaporean): 40-yr-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 35 (Singaporean): 64-yr-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 36 (Singapore PR): 38 yr-old female Sg PR no recent travel to China but in JB 25-28 Jan.
• 37 (Singaporean): 53 yr-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 38 (Singaporean): 52 yr-old female Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 39 (Singaporean): 51 yr-old male no recent travel to China, traveled to Malaysia 23 Jan-2 Feb.
• 40 (Singaporean): 36-yr-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 41 (Singaporean): 71-yr-old man no recent travel to China, had no links to previous cases.
• 42 (Bangladeshi): 39-yr-old Bangladesh who is Spore WP holder no recent travel to China.
• 43 (Singaporean): 54-yr-old with no recent travel to China, but visited Malaysia on Jan 26.
• 44 (Singaporean): 37-yr-old man who works at Certis and had been on duty at Chingay.
• 45 (Singaporean): 2-yr-old girl who was evacuated from Wuhan Jan 30 on a Scoot flight.
• 46 (Singaporean): 35-yr-old male Spore PR live in JB work at Resorts World Sentosa Casino.
• 47 (Bangladeshi): 39-year-old male Bangladesh worker, worked at Seletar Aerospace Heights.
• 48 (Singaporean): 34-yr-old man, employee Grace Assembly God church, symptoms Feb 1.
• 49 (Singaporean): 46-yr-old man, employee Grace Assembly God church, symptoms Feb 3.
• 50 (Singaporean): 62-yr-old man, employee of DBS confirmed infection on Wed morning.
• 51 (Singaporean): 48 yr-old male with no recent travel to China and stays at Bishan St 13.
• 52 (Bangladehi): 37 yr-old male Bangladeshi, a Spore WP holder, no recent travel to China.
• 53 (Singaporean): 54 yr-old male, works at NUS linked to cluster at Grace Assembly of God.
• 54 (Singaporean): 54 yr-old female Singapore Citizen).
• 55 (Singaporean): 30 yr-old male Singapore Citizen with no recent travel history to China.
• 56 (Bangladeshi): 30 yr-old male Bangladesh national with no recent travel history to China.
• 57 (Singaporean): 26 yr-old male Singapore Citizen.
• 58 (Singaporean): 55 yr-old male are linked to the cluster at Grace Assembly of God.
• 59-67: 9 new cases confirmed in Singapore with 6 linked to Grace Assembly church.
• 68-72: 5 new cases, 3 linked to Grace Assembly church. (69 is a 26-yr-old Bangladeshi).
• 73-75: 3 new cases confirmed in Singapore, including a SAF regular.
• 76-77: 2 new cases reported, 5 COVID-19 patients in Singapore discharged from hospital.
• 78-81: 4 new cases diagnosed, 3 linked to Grace Assembly of God church.
• 82-84: 3 new cases, 5 discharged, include Chinese national who was 1st confirmed patient.
• 85: 1 new case diagnosed, 3 discharged, 4 remain in ICU.
• 86: 1 new case, 10 more COVID-19 patients discharged.
• 87-89: 3 new cases, mother & 6-mth-old baby discharged.
• 90: 1 new case confirmed in Singapore, 2 more discharged.
• 91: 1 new case, 5 more COVID-19 patients discharged in Singapore.
• 92-93: 2 new cases in Singapore, bringing total to 93.
• 94-96: 3 new cases in Singapore, including RI student.
• 97-98: 2 new cases, as new cluster emerges at Wizlearn Technologies in Science Park II.
• 99-102: 4 new cases linked to Science Park cluster, including Filipino maid.
• 103-106: 4 new cases, 3 of which linked to Wizlearn Technologies cluster.
• 107-108: 2 new cases, 1 of which linked to Wizlearn Technologies cluster.
• 109-110: 2 new cases, as Wizlearn Technologies cluster continues to grow.
• 111-112: 2 new cases, including non-teaching staff at Jurong preschool.
• 113-117: 5 new cases, new cluster involving a private dinner function SAFRA Jurong.
• 118-130: 13 new cases, 9 of these from Safra Jurong cluster.
• 130-138: 8 new cases confirmed, 8 more patients discharged from hospital.
• 139-150: 12 new cases, 9 linked to SAFRA Jurong cluster.
• 151-160: 10 new cases, 6 linked to SAFRA Jurong cluster, including a 5-yr-old.
• 161-166: 6 new cases, 3 linked to SAFRA Jurong cluster.
• 167-178: 12 new cases, including RSAF servicemen who were on duty in France.

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Ministry of Health News Highlights: Press Releases

11 Mar 2020 Three more cases discharged; 12 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
10 Mar 2020 6 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
09 Mar 2020 Three more cases discharged, 10 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
08 Mar 2020 12 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
07 Mar 2020 Eight more cases discharged, 8 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
06 Mar 2020 One more case discharged; 13 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
05 Mar 2020 Two more cases discharged; 5 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
04 Mar 2020 One more case discharged; 2 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
03 Mar 2020 2 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
02 Mar 2020 Four More Cases Discharged, 2 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
01 Mar 2020 Two more cases discharged; 4 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
29 Feb 2020 Three more cases discharged, 4 new cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
28 Feb 2020 Three More Cases Discharged; 2 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
27 Feb 2020 Four more cases discharged, 3 new cases of COVID-19 Infection confirmed
26 Feb 2020 Four more cases discharged; 2 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
25 Feb 2020 Five More Cases Discharged: 1 New Case of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
24 Feb 2020 Two More Cases Discharged: 1 New Case of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
23 Feb 2020 Two More Cases Discharged; No New Confirmed Case of COVID-19 Infection
22 Feb 2020 Two more cases discharged; 3 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
21 Feb 2020 Ten more cases discharged; 1 new case of COVID-19 infection confirmed
20 Feb 2020 Three More Cases Discharged; 1 New Case of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
19 Feb 2020 Five more cases Discharged, 3 new cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
18 Feb 2020 Five More Cases Discharged; 4 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
17 Feb 2020 Five More Cases Discharged; 2 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
16 Feb 2020 One more case discharged; 3 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
15 Feb 2020 One more case discharged; 5 new cases of COVID-19 infection confirmed
14 Feb 2020 Two More Cases Discharged; 9 New Cases of COVID-19 Infection Confirmed
13 Feb 2020 8 More Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Infection
12 Feb 2020 Six more cases discharged; 3 new cases of COVID-19 Infection confirmed
11 Feb 2020 Two more cases discharged; 2 new cases of novel coronavirus infection confirmed
10 Feb 2020 One more case discharged; 2 new cases of novel coronavirus infection confirmed
09 Feb 2020 Four more cases discharged; 3 new cases of Novel Coronavirus Infection
08 Feb 2020 7 more confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection in Singapore
06 Feb 2020 2 more confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection in Singapore
05 Feb 2020 4 More Confirmed Cases of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Singapore
01 Feb 2020 2 More Confirmed Imported Cases of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Singapore
31 Jan 2020 3 More Confirmed Imported Cases of Wuhan Coronavirus Infection in Singapore
30 Jan 2020 3 more confirmed imported cases of Wuhan coronavirus infection in Singapore
29 Jan 2020 3 more Confirmed Imported Cases of Wuhan Coronavirus Infection in Singapore

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Political campaigning amidst social-distancing measures?

Did Dr Chia’s walkabout at Alexandra Village food centre breach existing circuit breaker measures?

The first thing that comes to mind about the report is not about how warm-hearted is Dr Chia in his desire to check on the hawkers in his constituency–rather, the question of why is he out interacting with people when there is an intensified call for people to practice social distancing and to comply with the control orders passed by the Parliament last week.

While some may argue that as an MP of the GRC, he should be entitled to hand out face masks to those in his ward, given how masks are essential during this pandemic. But the fact that reporters were present at Dr Chia’s walkabout would only mean that his walkabout was all about political campaigning. Furthermore, the individual accompanying him is not his aide or volunteer, but the Director of SGSecure Programme Office, Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Chua Swee Leong, who also serves as the Assistant Director, Operations Plans and Projects of the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Lianhe Wanbao pointed out that Lt-Col Chua is People’s Action Party’s new candidate and has been active in grassroots activities at the Tanjong Pagar GRC. The article went on to state that Lt-Col Chua has been recently active in Queenstown, as such, it can be expected that the line up for the Tanjong Pagar GRC will see some changes.

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13 Haunting Pictures of Singapore

Popular destinations in Singapore are often packed with tourists and locals, but the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted many to stay indoors.

Photos of local hotspots don’t seem impressive to locals that see them every day, but this viral album might change your mind. Local photographer Lemjay Lucas used this opportunity to take haunting pics of the busiest places in our little red dot last Saturday (4 Apr) to Sunday (5 Apr). He feels that the outside world looked different as spaces seemed bigger and wider with the absence of visitors.

Here’s a look at the deserted destinations due to the global pandemic.

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Wuhan: A City in China

Wuhan city, we all know that it's the 1st Chinese city famous for the Coronavirus. But do u know the city itself ? Here it is - real amazing you will surely like this

Above link is for marking Wuhan city's opening after COVID-19. The photos are darkened but when you touch it, it will brighten as a sign of light returning to Wuhan! Open the link and try it!

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Conservationists set the record straight on COVID-19’s wildlife links

• The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. As the virus spreads, so too does misinformation about its origins.
• Rumors that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab or that we know with full certainty which animal host passed the disease to humans are unfounded.
• Given the clear risks to animals as well as to human health, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Global Wildlife Conservation are calling for a permanent ban on wildlife trafficking and live animal markets.

The World Health Organization has categorized the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic in light of its spread around the world. Ever since the first cases emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, there’s been much speculation — and misinformation — about the origins of the virus. And while scientists suspect it may have come from a market in Wuhan when a diseased animal was consumed or butchered, spilling over into the human population from there, the issue is far from settled.

To give a better understanding of the origin of the coronavirus and what can be done to stop the future spread of disease from animals to humans, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Global Wildlife Conservation have partnered on a series of new infographics.

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Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus

Guests at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa yesterday. A man from China who is the first to test positive for the Wuhan virus in Singapore had stayed at the resort, said the Health Ministry. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

A China national has tested positive for the Wuhan virus in Singapore, with another likely to have the virus.

The 66-year-old man, a Wuhan resident, arrived in Singapore with nine travelling companions on Monday (Jan 20), and stayed at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa resort, the Ministry of Health said at a briefing on Thursday night (Jan 23).

All the rooms at the hotel where the man and his travelling companions stayed in have been sanitised and sealed off.

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Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus

Employees at Singapore's National Centre for Infectious Diseases putting on protective gear before carrying out testing for the Wuhan virus

Singapore on Thursday (Jan 23) announced a confirmed case of the Wuhan virus, a new coronavirus that has sickened hundreds of people and killed at least 17.

In a media briefing on Thursday evening, the Ministry of Health said the patient is a 66-year-old Chinese man. The Wuhan resident, who arrived in Singapore with his family on Jan 20, flew from Guangzhou via China Southern flight CZ351.

He is currently in isolation at the Singapore General Hospital and is in stable condition.

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There's Bird Flu (chicken), SARS (civet cats), Swine Fever (pigs), Mad Cow Disease (cattle), Ebola (monkeys & chimpanzee) & MERS (camels) & now COVID-19 (bats & pangolin). Hope Mr Mare is not galloping out to spread "Beh" (horse) virus. Haha.

Foreign Workforce Numbers

Part 2: PAP's budget grossly underestimates Covid-19 Damage to our Economy

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