Updated 24 Sep: COVID-19: Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan
As seen in other countries, most spikes in Covid-19 cases and deaths are in unvaccinated people, says Professor Dale Fisher. PHOTO: ST FILE
Against this, we had 37 deaths between January last year, when Covid-19 arrived in Singapore, and July 2021. Over that period, more than 64,000 people were diagnosed with the disease. So why has the number of deaths surged, even as vaccination rates here have gone up?
The short answer is the Delta variant. This variant, which is now infecting people in the community here, spreads two to four times more easily, compared with the original wild-type virus. People who are infected with the Delta variant have very much higher viral loads, and vaccines do not work as well against it, though they do still give fairly high levels of protection.
Singapore to exit circuit breaker on Jun 1, visiting of parents, places of worship allowed with restrictions
Singapore will exit the circuit breaker as planned on Jun 1, with measures to be progressively lifted in three phases from the next day, the authorities announced on Tuesday (May 19).
As the risk of a resurgence in community transmission remains high, the Government will first resume economic activities that do not pose a high risk of transmission in the first phase, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in a joint media statement.
Besides the essential businesses that are already operating, businesses that operate in settings with lower transmission risks will be allowed to open. These include manufacturing firms, subject to the issued guidelines set for the manufacturing sectors and most offices. Nevertheless, the authorities said that tele-commuting must be used to the “maximum extent”.
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Hong Kong reports first locally transmitted cases in weeks, fears new cluster
Hong Kong’s 23-day streak without a case of local coronavirus transmission has come to an end, reflecting the challenge of eradicating a virus that can spread undetected through carriers with no symptoms.
The case of a 66-year-old woman with no recent travel history becoming infected, confirmed by the government in a briefing on Wednesday (May 13), dashes hope that the city had successfully contained the virus after nearly four months of school closures and social distancing measures.
Her five-year-old granddaughter has also been confirmed to be infected, while six other family members have displayed symptoms and are now in isolation in hospital, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the health department’s communicable disease branch.
HK wins accolades with no cases for 14 days
Hong Kong, which has recorded no new virus cases for 14 days, is still taking no chances as it prepares to relax social-distancing rules and gradually reopen its border with mainland China. The city’s government is reported to have secured about 10 million reusable masks to be disbursed to all its residents within a week or two, which will come with replaceable fabric and filters and can be disinfected for reuse up to 60 times.
Officials who have been working hard throughout the past few months and scouring the world for reliable supplies of masks are realizing that the new consignments of facial coverings are no longer urgently needed in their city. Hong Kong’s government has done an extraordinary job in arresting the spread of Covid-19, defying all the odds that impede its efforts in a teeming city that sits on the verge of mainland China, where the novel coronavirus first struck down people in Wuhan in December.
Hong Kong’s total number of infections was 1,040, with only four fatalities. The city fares well globally and has become one of a few “clean spots” whose streak of no fresh cases has lasted beyond a fortnight, indicating the local spread is receding. The city also compares favorably with other territories of similar size and population density like Singapore, whose tally has broken the 20,000 mark with 20 deaths.
HK virus containment seen as model to emulate
Hong Kong's success in surviving multiple waves of the coronavirus provides hard earned lessons to other cities around the world now looking to relax restrictions, US cable network, CNN reports. The Chief Executive Carrie Lam told a briefing yesterday, Hong Kong adopted and advocated a “suppress and lift” strategy. She said: "Many renowned experts are now trying to study our situation, why do Hong Kong succeed in keeping the confirmed cases at a low level without drastic measures like the complete city lockdown, and I do think that it is a very interesting topic for further research.''
In total, Hong Kong has recorded only 15 new cases since April 20, all of which were people with recent travel history. That brings the city's total to 1,041 cases and four deaths. Of those total cases, 900 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital. The coronavirus first emerged in mainland China in December, and jumped the border into Hong Kong on January 24. By then, it had already made its way to several other countries, CNN says.
Hong Kong closed borders and began social distancing just a week or so after recording its first case. But this three-month stretch of working from home, business closures and service suspensions has dealt a massive blow to both the city's economy and the mental health and wellbeing of residents. Now, with the second wave mostly contained, many are itching to get back to pre-pandemic life.
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Hong Kong Has Not Had Any Local COVID-19 Cases Since Lifting Lockdown: Here's How They Did It
Hong Kong has not had any case of local transmission of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for over two weeks, with the city resuming back to pre-pandemic times. The city "has recorded only 15 new cases since April 20, all of which were people with recent travel history. That brings the city's total to 1,041 cases and four deaths," according to CNN. "Of those total cases, 900 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital," it added. Meanwhile, worldwide confirmed cases are over 3.5 million, while recoveries and fatalities are at 1.17 million and 252,000, respectively.
COVID-19 originated in mainland China in December, then reached Hong Kong on January 24. By that time, the virus was already present in different countries around the world. After the virus spread to other countries, students and residents started returning to Hong Kong in waves. At the end of the month, confirmed cases in the city exceeded 700. Hong Kong was able to contain its second wave of infections, but public panic peaked. Crowds hoarded toilet paper, face masks, and supplies until supermarket aisles throughout the city were empty.
To bring back control to the city, the Hong Kong government adopted strict policies. Some of the things the government did to lessen the impact of the second wave include "[barring] non-residents from entering the city, [stopping] travelers from transiting through the city's airport, and [implementing] strict quarantine and testing measures on all arrivals to the city, regardless of origin." Everyone under home quarantine had electronic bracelets to track their location, while there was a liquor ban. All gyms, sports facilities, and most cafes and restaurants were closed.
No new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong, Taiwan
Hong Kong to resume public services, ease travel restrictions, Taiwan shares experience with US
No new coronavirus cases or deaths were reported in Hong Kong and Taiwan on Tuesday. This marked the third straight day of no new cases in Hong Kong and the government has unveiled plans to ease restrictions over the coming days, the South China Morning Post reported.
Carrie Lam, the leader of the Chinese special administrative region, announced that public services will return to normal next Monday and civil servants will be back at work. “The government has decided internally that we will resume public services next Monday. Public services are already slowly resuming, and will resume to normal operation next week,” she said. Lam said museums, libraries, and outdoor public facilities such as sports grounds will also reopen next week. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said quarantine requirements for people coming from the mainland China will be eased, with exemptions for students and business people. She told a news conference the Hong Kong government was satisfied that the COVID-19 crisis on the mainland was “more or less under control.”
With no new case or fatality reported on Tuesday, the overall count in Taiwan remains at 429 and the death toll is still six. The island nation, which China claims as a breakaway province, has been successful in restricting the spread of the coronavirus without a complete lockdown. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung shared the government’s experience with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Monday, the daily Taiwan Today reported.
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Taiwan announces zero new coronavirus cases
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (May 5) announced that there were zero new cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) but that nine Taiwanese returnees from India are exhibiting potential symptoms of the disease.
During his daily press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Chen announced no new cases of the virus, leaving the total at 438. Chen also announced that of the 129 Taiwanese nationals who arrived on a charter plane from India on Monday evening (May 4), nine have suspicious symptoms and have been sent to a quarantine center following medical examinations.
The CECC announced that they received 530 reports of people with suspected symptoms on Monday. Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 64,958 tests for COVID-19, with 63,587 coming back negative.
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Fighting Covid-19 is ‘a marathon’: Lawrence Wong
Singapore must dig in for a long battle against the coronavirus outbreak but will consider further easing the circuit breaker measures in a month's time, if the situation improves, Parliament was told yesterday.
"The fight is far from over. This battle against the virus is not a sprint; it is a marathon, and we are not even at the half-way mark," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
He was one of three ministers who delivered statements on Singapore's response to the outbreak in Parliament yesterday, where all MPs donned face masks for the first time.
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.
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.
Singapore Covid-19 circuit breaker to be extended by one month to June 1
The circuit breaker to choke off the spread of the coronavirus will be extended by another month and existing measures will be tightened until May 4, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his fourth national address on the situation.
This means that more workplaces will be closed to further reduce the number of workers keeping essential services going. Some hotspots, such as popular wet markets, remain a problem as large groups of people continue to congregate there, Mr Lee said.
While he noted that the circuit breaker measures have been working, he stressed that Singapore cannot be complacent. He said the number of unlinked cases has not come down, which suggests a "hidden reservoir"ofcases in the community.
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Why Singapore, Once a Model for Coronavirus Response, Lost Control of Its Outbreak
Singapore was once seen as a model for how to hold back the coronavirus. But now the tiny city-state, with a population of 5.6 million, has the most reported coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia. On Monday, officials recorded a new daily record—more than 1,400 additional cases. The number of COVID-19 cases has increased more than two and a half times in the last week, with more than 8,000 total.
Experts say the surge, which began last week, is due largely to local officials underestimating the vulnerability of the city’s migrant workers, who live in cramped dormitories with up to 20 people to a room. Just 16 of the new cases Monday were Singapore citizens or permanent residents. About three-quarters of all cases in Singapore are linked to the workers’ dormitories, according to official figures.
In the early months of the outbreak, Singapore’s response was praised—alongside those in Hong Kong and Taiwan—as a model for how to stop slow the spread of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) commended Singapore, citing its widespread testing and comprehensive tracing of close contacts.
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Singapore had a model coronavirus response, then cases spiked. What happened?
Less than a month ago, Singapore was being hailed as one of the countries that had got its coronavirus response right. Encouragingly for the rest of the world, the city-state seemed to have suppressed cases without imposing the restrictive lockdown measures endured by millions elsewhere.
And then the second wave hit, hard. Since March 17, Singapore's number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew from 266 to over 5,900, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. While in the worst-hit countries of western Europe and in the US, thousands of cases are being reported every day, Singapore has a population of 5.7 million people and a total area of around 700 square kilometers -- it is smaller than New York City -- meaning those numbers are more significant.
But Singapore also has advantages that many larger countries don't. It only has one major land border, with Malaysia, and can keep a tight control on people entering by air. It also has a world-class health system and a propensity for somewhat draconian rules and policing that can benefit a government when trying to control a pandemic. So what went wrong?
Singapore’s response praised alongside those in Hong Kong and Taiwan
In the early months of the outbreak, Singapore’s response was praised—alongside those in Hong Kong and Taiwan—as a model for how to stop slow the spread of the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) commended Singapore, citing its widespread testing and comprehensive tracing of close contacts.
Singapore had also largely managed to quell a second wave of the virus, caused by students and other residents returning home from the U.S. and Europe. Authorities have only recorded one imported case since April 9.
But Hong Kong and Taiwan now appear to have a much better handle on the outbreak. Hong Kong recorded no new cases Monday, and Taiwan recorded just two. Both also have a fraction of the confirmed infections. (1,025 in Hong Kong and 422 in Taiwan), despite having larger populations.
Hong Kong reports zero new coronavirus cases for 1st time since early March
Hong Kong recorded zero new coronavirus cases on Monday for the first time since early March, health authorities said, though they urged residents to maintain strict hygiene and social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel.
The Chinese-ruled city, which has avoided the exponential increases seen in other parts of the world, has confirmed 1,025 total cases and four deaths since the outbreak began in January. The previous day with no recorded cases was March 5. While schools remain closed, many people are working from home and shopping malls and restaurants are less busy, Hong Kong has stopped short of a full lockdown like those imposed in other cities such as London and New York.
Almost all Hong Kongers wear masks, office buildings, commercial centres and public institutions run temperature checks, and free sanitizer dispensers are widely available. Hong Kong banned public gatherings of more than four people for 14 days from March 29 and later extended that restriction until April 23. Game centres, gyms, cinemas and other places of amusement and public entertainment are also closed and foreign arrivals at the airport are suspended indefinitely.
Coronavirus: zero new infections in Hong Kong but authorities say social distancing rules, border controls must remain
Hong Kong had zero new coronavirus infections to report on Monday for the first time in nearly two months, but health officials and experts tempered hopes of a turnaround with warnings that the risks were still great enough to keep social distancing rules and border controls in place.
While strongly urging residents to avoid travelling overseas because the Covid-19 crisis was still “severe”, the authorities emptied a Kowloon City hotel of guests to convert it into a quarantine centre for people still flying in even without symptoms of the disease. “The most important component in the government’s anti-epidemic work right now is to stop the import of the virus, as well as its spread in the community,” a government spokesman said.
With the total number of infections in the city standing still at 1,025, the Department of Health and Hospital Authority cancelled its daily media briefing for the first time since it began providing daily updates since late January.
Coronavirus: Hong Kong reports zero new cases for 1st time since early March
Hong Kong recorded zero new coronavirus cases on Monday (April 20) for the first time since early March, health authorities said, though they urged residents to maintain strict hygiene and social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel. The Chinese-ruled city, which has avoided the exponential increases seen in other parts of the world, has confirmed 1,025 total cases and four deaths since the outbreak began in January.
The previous day with no recorded cases was on March 5. Hong Kong has stopped short of a full lockdown like those imposed in other cities such as London and New York. While schools in Hong Kong remain closed, many people are working from home, and shopping malls and restaurants are less busy.
Almost all Hong Kongers wear masks. Office buildings, commercial centres and public institutions run temperature checks, and free sanitizer dispensers are widely available. Hong Kong banned public gatherings of more than four people for 14 days from March 29 and later extended that restriction until April 23. Game centres, gyms, cinemas and other places of amusement and public entertainment are also closed, and foreign arrivals at the airport are suspended indefinitely.
Hong Kong reports zero new coronavirus cases for first time since early March
Hong Kong recorded zero new coronavirus cases on Monday (Apr 20) for the first time since early March, health authorities said, though they urged residents to maintain strict hygiene and social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel.
The city, which has avoided the exponential increases seen in other parts of the world, has confirmed 1,026 total cases and four deaths since the outbreak began in January. The previous day with no recorded cases was Mar 5. While schools remain closed, many people are working from home and shopping malls and restaurants are less busy, Hong Kong has stopped short of a full lockdown like those imposed in other cities such as London and New York. Almost all Hong Kongers wear masks, office buildings, commercial centres and public institutions run temperature checks, and free sanitiser dispensers are widely available.
Hong Kong banned public gatherings of more than four people for 14 days from Mar 29 and later extended that restriction until Apr 23. Game centres, gyms, cinemas and other places of amusement and public entertainment are also closed and foreign arrivals at the airport are suspended indefinitely.
Taiwan announces 2 new imported coronavirus cases
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday (April 20) announced that there were two new cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total to 422.
During his daily press conference on Monday afternoon, health minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that there were two new cases, both of which were imported from abroad. Chen said the two latest cases are women in their 20s who had been studying in North America.
Case No. 421 flew to Canada on Jan. 16 to attend a school there. On April 13, she began to experience a cough and phlegm and returned to Taiwan on April 19. As she was already exhibiting symptoms upon her arrival, airport quarantine staff tested her for the disease, and she was diagnosed on April 20. Case No. 422 boarded a jet on Jan. 11 to attend school in the U.S. From Jan. 14 to March 15, the woman went on a study abroad trip to Spain.
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.
Coronavirus: Hong Kong's edge over Singapore shows early social distancing works
A photo taken on March 29, 2020, shows social distancing measures at a cafe in Hong Kong. PHOTO: AFP
In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Singapore and Hong Kong saw similar success with dramatically different approaches. Now, Singapore may be paying the price for a strategy that sought to minimise disruption.
While Hong Kong has recently seen its case tally slow to a couple dozen a day, Singapore's has surged 180 per cent in the past two weeks with infections popping up in places from pre-schools to migrant worker dormitories. The city-state disclosed a record 287 cases on Thursday (April 9), bringing the total to 1,910, more than double Hong Kong's count.
After taking a more measured virus-control approach for months, Singapore resorted to some of Hong Kong's drastic early moves, including school closures and encouraging mask-wearing for all. Now it's gone even further, banning all social gatherings and closing all businesses except essential services. It amounts to an abrupt reversal of fortunes for Asia's premier financial centres, which have long competed for workers and capital.
In Singapore, migrant coronavirus cases highlight containment weak link
As Singapore wins global plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus, the disease has spread rapidly within its large migrant worker community, highlighting what rights groups say is a weak link in the city state’s containment efforts.
Singapore has managed to mitigate the spread of the disease among its citizens by rigorous contact tracing and surveillance, earning praise from the World Health Organization. Infections within the migrant community, however, are mounting. As of April 14, out of 3,252 cases recorded in Singapore, 1,625 were linked to outbreaks in migrant worker dormitories.
Rights groups, charities and medical experts had flagged the potential for mass infection among the more than 300,000 migrant workers living in often cramped and unsanitary conditions in the wealthy country of 5.7 million. But some of Singapore’s early policy responses did not account for this vulnerable community, according to rights groups and volunteer organisations.
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Initial praise heaped on Singapore on its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, is now its poisoned chalice as cases spike
Singapore’s initial success at combating the spread of the Corona virus had earned Singapore and its government international praise. This positive attention brought international recognition for Singapore’s status as a rich, efficient and well run first world country. That media scrutiny, however, comes at a price.
Now that Singapore appears to have faltered in keeping COVID-19 in check as cases spike, the world’s media is also broadcasting these developments to an international audience. Cases increasing daily aside, the global press coverage may have also publicised a less favourable side of our pristine nation state — that of how our blue collar foreign labour live and the parallel universe that exists within our shores. Most of the new cases of infection are found within the ranks of our foreign blue collar workers. A large part of why this is the case is because they live in cramped quarters where isolation will be of limited success. Pictures of their quarters have now been published in the international media and makes for uncomfortable viewing.
As the international media dig deeper to uncover how it all began to go wrong for Singapore, it also became apparent that while the government pulled out all the stops for its citizens, permanent residents and white collar employment pass holders, it completely disregarded the blue collar foreigner underclass and now it is this underclass that is exposing the weaknesses in our handling of COVID-19.
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PM Lee asked to apologise over Govt’s handling of Covid-19 outbreak
In an open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, a man has vented his frustration with the way the Covid-19 situation has been handled. Mr Vijayarengan Visvalingam penned the following afterwards on his own page: “Wrote the following on LHL Facebook page. Hope he reads it. Not sure what trouble I will get into. Only time will tell but I feel I was fair in my message to him.”
Mr Visva felt that Hong Kong had managed to do better than Singapore in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic despite being in the midst riots and political unrest.
“It’s fine if you and your government had erred but at least be accountable and apologetic, instead of going on your defence to give excuses. This is not the first time. Each and every time you have messed it up, it’s always going on the defence with excuses,” Mr Visva said.
How Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan are responding to Covid-19
As the Covid-19 pandemic widens in the West, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been lauded for their successes containing the initial surge of the coronavirus infections in their borders. But as places heavily reliant on international trade, the global spread of the virus is taking a big toll on their economy.
"The more we do to flatten the infection curve, we are actually also steepening the recession curve," Singapore's National Development Minister Lawrence Wong told CNBC. "So really, we are dealing with a twin crisis of unprecedented proportions: One, a public health emergency; and second, an economic crisis." Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will present the second stimulus package in Parliament today to help workers, businesses and household through the pandemic.
Hong Kong and Taiwan, too, have presented stimulus packages to support their economies. They are not directly comparable given differences in demographics and economic structure. But we thought that more information is better than no information. We also look at the measures they took to ring-fence their orders and contain the virus internally.
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Asian Cities, Countries Stand Out in the World’s Fight Against COVID-19
America’s healthcare leaders in government, hospitals, clinical pathology, and medical laboratories can learn important lessons from the swift responses to the early outbreaks of COVID-19 in countries like Taiwan and South Korea and in cities like Singapore and Hong Kong.
Strategies such as early intervention, commitment to tracing contacts of infected people within two hours, quarantines, and social distancing all contributed to significantly curtailing the spread of the latest coronavirus pandemic within their borders, The New York Times (NYT) reported.
Another response common to the efforts of these countries and cities was the speedy introduction of clinical laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), supported by the testing of tens of thousands of people in the earliest stages of the outbreaks in their communities. And that preparation and experience is paying off as those countries and cities continue to address the spread of COVID-19.
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Asia may have been right about coronavirus and face masks, and the rest of the world is coming around
The novel coronavirus outbreak
In the coming weeks, if they have not already, your government is likely to begin advising you to wear a face mask to protect against coronavirus. For those living in Asia, such announcements will be a vindication of a tactic that has been adopted across much of the region since the beginning of the crisis and appears to have been borne out by lower rates of infection and faster containment of outbreaks.
In other parts of the world, this message may be confusing, coming after weeks of public health authorities, politicians and media figures confidently claiming masks do not help and urging people instead to focus on washing their hands and maintaining social distancing.
The tone of such claims ranged from condescending to frustrated, with the US Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeting in late February -- in all caps -- "STOP BUYING MASKS!" "They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk," he added, in a post that has since been retweeted over 43,000 times.
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C.D.C. Weighs Advising Everyone to Wear a Mask
Widespread use of nonmedical masks could reduce community transmission. But recommending their broad use could also cause a run on the kind of masks that health care workers desperately need.
Should healthy people be wearing masks when they’re outside to protect themselves and others? Both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly said that ordinary citizens do not need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. And as health care workers around the world face shortages of N95 masks and protective gear, public health officials have warned people not to hoard masks.
But those official guidelines may be shifting.
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They’ve Contained the Coronavirus - Here’s How
While the spread of Covid-19 is picking up speed in Europe and the United States, among other regions, the outbreaks in some countries in Asia seem to be under control.
The epidemic in China appears to be slowing down after an explosion in cases followed by weeks of draconian control measures. And other locations have managed to avert any major outbreak by adopting far less drastic measures: for instance, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
All have made some degree of progress, and yet each has adopted different sets of measures. So what, precisely, works to contain the spread of this coronavirus, and can that be implemented elsewhere now?
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Lessons From Singapore, Hong Kong And South Korea's Response To Coronavirus
Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea seem to be getting it right when it comes to coronavirus. We’ll take a close look at what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and if those measures can be deployed in the United States.
"Singapore’s response to the coronavirus has been held up by many around the world as a model. ... The first thing that helped with its response was it was ready before the outbreak even occurred because of the SARS outbreak of 2002-03. "It was aware then that its infrastructure wasn’t ready for an outbreak of this kind. So, in the years since, isolation hospitals were built, more negative pressure rooms were created and legislation was put in place.
"Then, on December 31, when the world first became aware of coronavirus in China, Singapore started to get prepared. By the time the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency at the end of January, it was ready."
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Why COVID-19 case counts are so low in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan
As the new coronavirus spreads through the United States and other Western counties, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have been able to slow the virus thanks to their fast action, use of data, and widespread testing, Hannah Beech reports for the New York Times.
At the beginning of the outbreak in China, Singapore was at high risk for having an influx of travelers from mainland China because of the Lunar New Year. But Singapore's response appears to have largely stemmed off the viruses spread—at least on the scale seen in other countries. As of Thursday, Singapore had just 313 cases and hasn't had a single death, according to Beech. A major reason why the country has been able to handle the virus has been early intervention and transparency on the part of the Singapore government, Beech reports.
Once rumors started of an unknown respiratory virus circulating through China, Singapore acted immediately, becoming one of the first countries to ban any travelers from mainland China in late January, even though the World Health Organization advised against doing so.
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What We Can Learn From Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong About Handling Coronavirus
Since she learned of the coronavirus outbreak, Amy Ho’s daily routine has gotten a bit more complicated. Coming home now involves sanitizing her shoes, washing her hands with soap and water, taking off her medical mask and changing her clothes.
The Hong Kong resident ventures outside only by necessity. She walks to and from work. Goes to the grocery store once a week. That’s it. Her teenage daughter has only left their apartment twice since the end of January. “It’s annoying, sure. But our health is the most important thing,” she says.
Over Easter, the family looked forward to vacationing in the U.K. and Italy. But with the virus raging, they canceled. Her precautions may sound drastic, but they’re hardly unique in a city that was among the first to be swept up in the global coronavirus crisis.
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Singapore Was Ready for Covid-19—Other Countries, Take Note
The disease Covid-19, the virus SARS-CoV-2—is not Singapore’s first epidemiological nightmare. In 2002 and 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the original SARS, tore out of China and through Asia, killing 33 people in Singapore and sparking wholesale revisions to the city-state’s public health system. “They realized they wanted to invest for the future, to reduce that economic cost if the same thing were to happen again,” says Martin Hibberd, an infectious disease researcher now at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who worked in Singapore on SARS.
So Singapore instituted new travel controls and health infrastructure. Then, in 2009, it got hit again—with H1N1 influenza, the so-called swine flu. “Pandemic flu came from Mexico, an Americas event, and Singapore tried to put in place in 2009 what they learned with SARS,” Hibberd says. “But flu was much more difficult to contain than SARS was, and they realized what they thought they’d learned didn’t work. It was another lesson.”
When Covid-19 came around, Singapore was, it seems, ready. Along with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, Singapore instituted strict travel controls and protocols for identifying sick individuals—to get them help as well as to find the people they’d been in contact with. The Singaporean government posted detailed accounting for how many people had been tested for the virus, and the locations and natures of those people’s social contacts. All these governments instituted strict social distancing measures, like canceling events, closing schools, and telling people to stay home. As a result (at least in part), all have lower numbers of infected people and lower fatalities than China or Italy, proportionately. They “flattened the curve,” as public health experts now say—lowering a probable spike of infections, perhaps pushing that surge of seriously ill people further out in time so that health care systems don’t get overburdened.
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Is it fair to expect people to adopt lock down behaviour when you are confusing them by calling it a “circuit breaker”?
As the saying goes: “Don’t reinvent the wheel” . I think it is possibly quite apt to use this phrase on our government in its management of the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (PM Lee) keeps insisting on calling our “lock down” measures a “circuit breaker”. Why can’t he just call a spade a spade and use the term “lock down” like everyone else?
The phrase “lock down” is already widely in use and most people are familiar with what it means. It is also unambiguous in its meaning. “Circuit breaker” on the other hand is misleading and confusing. Breaking a circuit will lead to a black out. In Singlish one would say: ” Why you want black out now? Virus not enough ah? Must also have black out?” Virus outbreak management is not a creative writing contest. Please just stick to wording that the whole world recognises and understands. The phrase “lock down” is crystal clear. You are literally supposed to be “locked down” in your home. The term “circuit breaker” on the other hand holds no such connotations.
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans to be “patient” and “resolute” in carrying out the “circuit-breaker” measures to slow down the rate of new infections in the country. He further said: “This is why I need each of you to take the circuit breaker very seriously. Stay at home, stop socialising in person with others, even with extended family members who do not live with you. Keep in touch with them but by other means, for example online, on the phone, writing emails or even letters.“But do not make physical contact, because that is how the virus is spread.”
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A record 287 new cases, with more than half linked to dormitory cluster
Singapore reported 287 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday (Apr 9), the largest daily increase so far and more than double yesterday's highest record, the multi-ministry task force dealing with the coronavirus said during a press conference on Thursday (Apr 9).
This brings the national tally to 1,910.
Of the new cases, 219 are linked to existing clusters, with at least 160 cases linked to the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol.
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Singapore reports first deaths from COVID-19
PASSING OF TWO PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 INFECTION
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed that two patients have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection on 21 March morning.
2. The first patient was a 75 year-old female Singapore Citizen. She was admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on 23 February for pneumonia, and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on the same day. She had been cared for in the intensive care unit (ICU) since admission to NCID. She developed serious complications and eventually succumbed to the infection after 26 days in the ICU on 21 March at 7.52am. She had a history of chronic heart disease and hypertension.
3. The second patient was a 64 year-old male Indonesian national. He was admitted in critical condition to the ICU at NCID on 13 March, after arriving in Singapore from Indonesia on the same day, and was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 14 March. He had been cared for in the ICU since 13 March. He developed serious complications and eventually succumbed to the infection after nine days in the ICU on 21 March at 10.15am. Prior to his arrival in Singapore on 13 March, he had been hospitalised in Indonesia for pneumonia, and had a history of heart disease.
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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.”
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Government will no longer discourage people from wearing face masks, reusable masks to be distributed
A woman wearing a face mask in Singapore. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
This comes amid a changing COVID-19 situation, where there is now evidence that an asymptomatic person can still pass on the virus to others.
Mr Lee noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also reviewing their guidance on the use of face masks.
74 new cases, number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore reaches 1,000
A total of 74 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Singapore on Wednesday (Apr 1), the highest daily increase to date, bringing the national total to 1,000 infections.
Of the confirmed cases, 54 are local cases who have no recent travel history.
Two new clusters have been identified - Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home at 1 Thomson Lane, as well as a workers' dormitory located at 55 Sungei Kadut Loop.
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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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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
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.
Hong Kong records 51 new cases, bringing the city’s tally to 765 with six-week-old baby as the youngest local patient
A six-week-old boy has become the youngest person to test positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong, as the local tally of infections hit 765.
Also among the 51 new cases confirmed on Wednesday were a pilot, a flight attendant, a beautician and an immigration officer, according to health officials, as well as a taxi driver, a private chauffeur and a soccer coach.
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said the infant was believed to have been infected during a baby shower on March 30, when he came into contact with someone later confirmed as infected. “The person might have held him, thereby infecting him,” she said, adding that officials were tracing others who had come into contact with the baby.
Taiwan reports third coronavirus death, total cases near 300
A third person infected with the coronavirus has died in Taiwan, the government said late on Sunday (March 29), as the number of cases on the island approached 300.
According to previously announced data, the person was a man in his 40s who was infected while overseas, and had returned to Taiwan after having been on holiday in Austria and the Czech Republic.
Taiwan said earlier on Sunday that its total number of virus cases had risen to 298.
Gold standard in dealing with COVID-19 has actually been Taiwan, not Singapore
Singapore’s efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 have drawn praise from many countries, including the World Health Organization (WHO) that indicated Singapore is “leaving no stone unturned” following the country’s efforts to find every COVID-19 case. In fact, Hollywood movie star Barbra Streisand also took to Twitter on 30 March praising Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over his “common sense” in fighting the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, one local netizen pointed out that it was Taiwan that had imposed the ‘gold standard’ in dealing with the COVID-19 virus, not Singapore.
On 5 April, local netizen Feng Yi posted on Facebook voicing her opinion on the differences between Singapore and Taiwan in dealing with the COVID-19 situation. In the post, she uploaded a photo of a lift in Taiwan in which the elevator buttons were covered in plastic.
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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.
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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Largest supermoon of 2020 rises on a world battling COVID-19
The largest, brightest supermoon of 2020 rose in the night sky on Tuesday (Apr 7) over hushed cities, stilled factories and countries in lockdown due to the novel coronavirus that has killed tens of thousands worldwide.
If the moon is within 10 per cent of its closest distance to the earth at the moment of full moon, it is considered to be a supermoon, according the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.
April's full moon will be the closest supermoon of 2020, and it is also known as the 'Pink Moon' after the pink flowers that start to appear in the fields this month in some places.
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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.
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.
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!
C0VID-19 Lockdown Laughs
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
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.
Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus on 23 Jan 2020
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 (23 Jan 2020).
All the rooms at the hotel where the man and his travelling companions stayed in have been sanitised and sealed off.
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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Singapore reports deaths from COVID-19
18 Apr 2020: 95-yr-old S'porean dies, is 11th death
11 Apr 2020: 90-yr-old man becomes 8th death, 191 new cases
29 Mar 2020 Singapore reports third death from COVID-19
21 Mar 2020 Singapore reports first two coronavirus deaths
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